WR-WSDA-420 Weather Satellite Data Analyzer Software

Features

Supports NOAA L1B (LAC, GAC, HRPT) file format
Ortographic and many other selectable projections
Export to L1B or WiNRADiO proprietary file
Save to common image file formats
Separate channel viewer
Highly configurable RGB mixer
NOAA contrast enhancement products
Vegetation Index (NDVI) products
Land Surface Temperature products
Sea Surface Temperature products
Selectable reference datum
Noise reduction
Supports multi-processor systems

The WR-WSDA-420 Weather Satellite Data Analyzer Software is an optional application for the WiNRADiO WSS-420 HRPT/CHRPT Weather Satellite System and provides a variety of useful tools to analyse captured AVHRR data and examine weather images.

The WR-WSDA-420 is able to generate various data products such as Sea Surface Temperature (SST), Land Surface Temperature (LST), Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI) and many others.

The Channel Viewer shows the intensity of the selected channel only. The Channel 4 Temperature product shows the brightness temperature using Channel 4 data only, with any pixel above 0°C rejected. For temperature based products, various checks are performed on the data to exclude cloud-contaminated pixels from the image.

The RGB Mixer provides two variations of mixing - a Channel-to-Color technique and a Color-to-Channel technique. Using the first method, the channels to be used in the mixing process are allocated to the three primary colors, while in the second method, each channel to be used in the mixing process can be allocated a unique color. A color palette is provided from which a custom color can be created by visually or numerically blending the intensities of red, green and blue, as well as mixing values for hue, saturation and luminosity. Any RGB Mixer configuration can be stored with a given name for quick and easy retrieval and repeated usage.

A number of map projections are provided to select from. The collection includes projections of the major classes, like those that preserve properties such as distance, area, direction and local shape. For geopositioning, a reference datum can be chosen from a selection of more than two hundred.

Several image handling tools are provided, most of which are located on a tool bar above the image for quick access. Viewing tools like Zoom, Pan, Image Flip and Map Align, together with informative tools such as Distance Measurement, Lat/Long Grid, Geographic Boundaries, Colour Histogram and Cursor Position Info facilitate smooth and effortless image analysis. These are complemented by various image refinement tools performing functions such as histogram equalization, noise reduction, interpolation of missing lines and image resampling.

The application also provides facilities to compensate for inaccuracies in the input data. Inaccurate time stamps contained in HRPT data lines caused by drifts in satellite real time clock are catered for by either manually entering the time shift required for correction, if known, or by simply specifying the location of the TBUS bulletin file for the particular satellite and date of the recorded data. Also, if the data stream was recorded using known stale TLE data elements, this can be remedied by specifying an external file containing fresh TLE data elements.

The application ingests and exports the data in NOAA L1B (HRPT) or WiNRADiO proprietary file format, while images can be saved to BMP, JPG, PNG, GIF and TIF files. Images can be also printed with the option to scale, position and rotate the image from within the application.


Examples of many types of products calculated from raw receiver data


Sea Surface Temperature


Vegetation Index - NDVI

Software Specifications
Data Formats Supported NOAA (LAC, GAC, HRPT)
Products Sea Surface Temperature (SST), Land Surface Temperature (LST), Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI), RGB Mixer (Channel To Colour, Colour to Channel), Separate Channel Viewer, Temperature Based On CH4, NOAA Contrast Enhancements, False Color
NOAA Enhancement Curves BD, CC, EC, HD, HE, HF, JF, JJ, LC, MB, MD, TA, WV, ZA
Projections Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area, Orthographic, Equirectangular, Miller Equidistant Projection 37°30', Miller Equidistant Projection 43°, Miller Equidistant Projection 50° 28', Mollweide, Mercator, Lambert Cylindrical Equal-Area, Behrmann Cylindrical Equal-Area, Tristan Edwards, Peters, Gall Orthographic, Balthasart
Map Overlays Geographic Boundaries, Lat/Long Grid
Reference Datum Select any one from more than 200
Image Handling
       Improvement Tools Noise Reduction, Histogram Equalization, Interpolation of missing lines
       Viewing Tools Zoom, Move, Image Flip, Map Align, Select Area
       Information Tools Colour Histogram, Distance Measurement, Position Info
Clock Error Compensation Specify time shift for correction, or read from TBUS bulletin
TLE Data Error Compensation Specify external TLE file
Data Input Format NOAA level 1B (LAC, GAC, HRPT), WiNRADiO proprietary
Data Output Format NOAA level 1B (HRPT), WiNRADiO proprietary
Image Output Format BMP, JPG, PNG, GIF, TIF
Image Printing Print image using connected printer, with option to scale, position and rotate.

Specifications are subject to change without notice due to continuous product development and improvement.

Hardware and software requirements
Operating system Windows 2000 / XP / Vista / 7
CPU speed 2 GHz or faster recommended
RAM 2 GB or more recommended
Hard disk space 20 MB or more free space
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