SDI Operator's Manual
Version 2005

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Overview

The PDUS HRI signal transmits imagery in these formats:

Images derived from the A and B signal types are often referred to as A-sector or B-sector images, respectively. Although the SDI can ingest the LX format, the Meteosat ADDE server currently does not support serving this data format.

HRI signal transmissions may contain data in as many as three spectral bands; infrared, visible and water vapor. In transmissions containing more than one band, each band covers the same geographic area, and the bands are interleaved. Unlike other geostationary satellites, Meteosat images are transmitted bottom to top.

The full globe A-sector images start at image coordinates 1,1. Visible images are 5000 lines by 5000 elements at full resolution (2.5 km). Infrared and water vapor images are 2500 lines by 2500 elements at resolution 2 (5 km).

The European B-sector images cover the area bounded approximately by longitude 40° W to 30° E, latitude 70° N to 25° N. B-sector images start at image coordinates 133, 1251. Visible images are 1251 lines by 2500 elements at full resolution (2.5 km). Infrared and water vapor images are 625 lines by 1248 elements at resolution 2 (5 km).

Meteosat operations are controlled by the European Meteorological Satellite (EUMETSAT) ground facility in Darmstadt, Germany. There, images are received, processed and retransmitted to Wallops Island for transmission to U.S. users. Meteosat data can also be received via the GE Americom satellite, SPACENET-2.

The Meteosat dissemination schedule is available at Eumetsat's website at http://www.eumetsat.de/en/. The schedule includes the slot number, beginning transmission time and image description code. EUMETSAT refers to the slot number in their communications about the schedule in administrative messages. The image description code consists of the sector (A or B) and the image types (Infrared, Visible, VH=resolution 2 visible, Water vapor). Every day at 11:42 UTC, a full-resolution (2.5 km), full-disk (AV) image is sent.


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