Speaker
Description
The expansion of Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) networks in South Africa is limited by the high cost of geodetic-grade infrastructure, resulting in sparse coverage from networks such as TrigNet and reduced capability for centimetre-level RTK positioning and ionospheric monitoring in many regions. This study presents the design and evaluation of a low-cost, low-power GNSS RTK base station developed for autonomous deployment in remote environments. The system is built around a u-blox ZED-F9P receiver integrated with a Raspberry Pi 4 and powered by a solar energy system comprising a 100 W panel, MPPT charge controller, and lithium iron phosphate battery, with a total hardware cost below R14,000. It streams RTCM 3.3 MSM7 observations in real time to a central server at SANSA Hermanus via NTRIP over a 4G LTE connection, while simultaneously logging hourly RINEX 3 files locally. Performance is evaluated through co-location with a scientific-grade receiver, demonstrating that the prototype produces observations of sufficient quality for RTK positioning, ionospheric Total Electron Content analysis, and scintillation monitoring. The results indicate that the proposed system provides a practical and scalable approach to increasing CORS network density and supporting space weather monitoring across the southern African region.
Keywords: GNSS, RTK, CORS, TrigNet, NTRIP, ZED-F9P, ionospheric monitoring, TEC, RINEX, RTCM, low-cost, autonomous deployment, SANSA
| Apply for student award at which level: | MSc |
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| Consent on use of personal information: Abstract Submission | Yes, I ACCEPT |