GDPS: an open-source python-based software package for multi-GNSS data preprocessing

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data preprocessing is crucial for achieving high-precision navigation, positioning, and timing applications to convert the data format, edit the data content, and analyze the data quality. However, existing preprocessing tools are not yet user-friendly enough to handle multi-frequency and multi-system GNSS data due to extra costs, strong professionalism, and complex operations. In this paper, we present an open-source GNSS Data Preprocessing Software (GDPS) written by Python. It compiles and runs on both Windows and Linux operating systems, supports processing Receiver Independent Exchange Format (RINEX) 2.11 to 4.01 format data, and implements four functional modules: format translation, data editing, quality checking, and auxiliary tools. In addition, it also offers a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) that enables users to customize and select different processing setting parameters and then analyze the corresponding results through drawing tools. This paper takes the WUH2 station derived from the International GNSS Service (IGS) as an example to evaluate software performance. The results indicate that GDPS software can meet multi-frequency and multi-GNSS data preprocessing requirements and is expected to provide an open-source, convenient, and integrated GNSS data preprocessing solution for relevant researchers.