This Online Positioning User Service (OPUS) provides simplified access to high-accuracy National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) coordinates. Upload a GPS data file collected with a survey-grade GPS receiver and obtain an NSRS position via email.
OPUS requires minimal user input and uses software which computes coordinates for NGS' Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) network. The resulting positions are accurate and consistent with other National Spatial Reference System users.
Your computed NSRS position is sent privately via email, and, if you choose, can also be shared publicly via the NGS website. To use properly, please familiarize yourself with the information below.
Handouts:
See also OPUS one-pager and observer field log.
Using OPUS requires just five simple steps:
OPUS will use either a static or rapid-static process, depending on the duration of your data file.
Static: Files are processed using PAGES static software. Your coordinates are averaged from three independent, single-baseline solutions, each computed by double-differenced, carrier-phase measurements from one of three nearby CORS.
Rapid-static: Files are processed using RSGPS rapid-static software. Rapid-static processing employs more aggressive algorithms to resolve carrier phase ambiguities, but has more stringent data continuity and geometry requirements; therefore there are some remote areas of the country in which it will not work. See precision & availability map.
Under normal conditions, most positions can be resolved to within a few centimeters. Estimating the accuracy for a specific solution is difficult, however, as formal error propagation is notoriously optimistic for GPS reductions. Systematic errors, such as misidentification of antenna or height, are not detected. Local multipath or adverse atmospheric conditions may also negatively impact your solution.
Static: Static processing provides peak-to-peak
errors for each
coordinate (X, Y, Z, Φ, λ, h, and H).
These describe the error range, the disagreement
between the 3 baseline solutions, as shown above.
One advantage of peak-to-peak errors is that they include any error from the CORS reference coordinates.
Rapid static:
Absent any warning messages, the best estimates of coordinate
accuracy are the standard deviations reported by single baseline
analysis. Our experiments indicate that the actual error is less
than these estimated accuracies more than 95 percent of the time.
See Careful Field Procedures below, and follow these general rules-of-thumb:
Observe longer: A longer-duration session provides OPUS a better opportunity to accurately fix ambiguities and mitigate multipath error. The graph below shows the correlation between session duration and accuracy.
Observe again: A second, independent observation which yields a similar solution is an easy way to increase confidence in your results. Maximize independence by using a different observer, different equipment, on a different day, at a different time of day.
Wait a day: OPUS will use the best CORS and orbits available at the time you upload. While most CORS are archived within 30-minutes past the hour, some aren't available until the next day. Rapid orbits, available at 17:00 UTC that next day, may offer a slight improvement in your accuracy.
Process the data yourself: Manual data processing with suitable software will allow you to include custom cycle slip editing, outlier deletion, experimentation with tropospheric parameters, variable cut-off angle, and different constraints of the carrier phase ambiguities to integer values.
While there are no absolute rules, most accurate OPUS solutions contain the following:
Since RSGPS uses the double-differenced ionospheric delays at the CORS to interpolate to the delays at the rover, it may perform poorly or fail during periods of high ionospheric disturbance. In general, it is best to avoid performing any GPS survey during geomagnetic storms that cause large and variable ionospheric refraction. Geomagnetic storm alerts are issued by NOAA's Space Environment Center, so that the surveyor may avoid collecting data during these unusual events.
Similarly, RSGPS performs a simple geographic interpolation to predict the tropospheric delay at your GPS location. Under normal conditions this works well. However, it may not work well during the passage of a strong weather front, and these situations should be avoided.
Three solution formats are available; standard, extended, and shared. Samples are provided below:
NGS OPUS SOLUTION REPORT ======================== 9999 OPUS DISCLAIMER OPUS DISCLAIMER OPUS DISCLAIMER OPUS DISCLAIMER error and warning messages are appended here |
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USER: Your.email@domain.com Your email address |
DATE: October 27, 2004 The date and time you used OPUS |
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RINEX
FILE: 7615289n.04o Your data file name |
TIME: 18:49:54
UTC Coordinated Universal Time |
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SOFTWARE: page5
0407.16 master7.pl The software we used |
START: 2004/10/15
13:37:00 The first observation in your data file |
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EPHEMERIS: igr12925.eph
[rapid] The orbit file we used |
STOP: 2004/10/15
18:10:00 The last observation in your data file |
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NAV FILE: brdc2880.04n The navigation file we used |
OBS USED: 8686 / 8804 : 99% Usable / total observations in your data file |
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ANT NAME: ASH700829.3 SNOW Your selected antenna type |
# FIXED AMB: 41 / 42 : 98% For static: Fixed / total ambiguities in your data file For rapid static: quality indicators from network and rover mode solutions (ambiguities are always 100% fixed) |
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ARP HEIGHT: 1.295 Your selected antenna height |
OVERALL RMS: 0.020 (m) For static: The formal statistical root mean square (RMS) error of your solution For rapid static: a unitless normalized RMS |
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Your position: Accuracies below are reported as either peak-to-peak errors (static) or standard deviation estimates (rapid static) All initial computations are performed in IGS. Your NAD83 coordinates are derived by transforming IGS vectors into the NAD83 reference frame and recomputing the 3 independent and averaged positions (not a direct transformation of the IGS coordinates; a direct transformation could be considered more accurate, but wouldn't fit your surrounding NAD83 network as well.) For both IGS and NAD83, the reference coordinates for each CORS are derived from the NGS integrated database and are updated using crustal motion velocities from HTDP (Horizontal Time-Dependent Positioning software to your data file's epoch. Your final IGS reference frame coordinates retain this observed epoch, while your NAD83 coordinates are transformed again to the standard epoch date of January 1, 2010. |
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REF FRAME: NAD_83(2011)(EPOCH:2010.0000) | IGS08 (EPOCH:2004.7887) | ||
X: -552474.327(m) 0.015(m) | -552475.001(m) 0.015(m) | ||
Y: -4664767.953(m) 0.021(m) | -4664766.631(m) 0.021(m) | ||
Z: 4300548.721(m) 0.024(m) | 300548.654(m) 0.024(m) | ||
ellipsoidal coordinates (latitude, longitude, ellipsoidal height) and accuracies | |||
LAT: 42 39 59.51026 0.007(m) | 42 39 59.53576 0.008(m) | ||
E LON: 263 14 44.18589 0.013(m) | 263 14 44.14967 0.013(m) | ||
W LON: 96 45 15.81411 0.013(m) | 96 45 15.85033 0.013(m) | ||
EL HGT: 314.705(m) 0.041(m) | 313.753(m) 0.033(m) | ||
The North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88) orthometric height, if applicable, along with the geoid model used | |||
ORTHO HGT: 340.240(m) 0.041(m) | [NAVD88 (Computed using GEOID12A)] | ||
Your
position: Also reported are the associated zone IDs, meridian convergence, point scale, and combined factor |
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UTM COORDINATES | STATE PLANE COORDINATES | ||
UTM (Zone 14) | SPC (4002 SD S) | ||
Northing (Y) [meters] 4726229.423 | 43336.983 | ||
Easting (X) [meters] 684026.367 | 893325.488 | ||
Convergence [degrees] 1.52234197 | 2.46893915 | ||
Point Scale 1.00001666 | 1.00004366 | ||
Combined Factor 0.99996731 | 0.99999430 | ||
US
NATIONAL GRID DESIGNATOR: 14TPN8402626229(NAD 83) The US National Grid coordinates and referenced datum are reported, if applicable |
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BASE
STATIONS USED The CORS we used as reference stations and the nearest published mark are reported along with their positions and distances from your position. |
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PID DESIGNATION | LATITUDE LONGITUDE DISTANCE(m) | ||
AI1569 NLGN NELIGH CORS ARP | N421224.250 W0974743.043 99724.2 | ||
DF7469 SDSF EROS DATA CORS ARP | N434401.727 W0963718.541 119065.7 | ||
AH5054 OMH1 OMAHA 1 CORS ARP | N414641.765 W0955440.671 120751.8 | ||
NEAREST NGS PUBLISHED CONTROL POINT | |||
NM0874 D 276 | N423846. W0964505. 2286.4 | ||
The
numerical values for this position solution have
satisfied the quality control criteria of the National
Geodetic Survey. The contributor has verified that
the information submitted is accurate and complete. Because OPUS is automated and assumes your entries are valid, we add this disclaimer to all solutions. |
it's simple, upload to OPUS using and the following:
Your data can help maintain local ties to the National Spatial Reference System, and, by linking observations, strengthen the models used to translate between modern and legacy mapping products, e.g., the GPS on Bench Marks project.