PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF INTEGRATED GPS/GLONASS CARRIER PHASE-BASED POSITIONING

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An approach to GLONASS ambiguity resolution

 When processing global navigation satellite system (GLONASS) carrier phases, the standard double-differencing (DD) procedure cannot cancel receiver clock terms in the DD phase measurement equations due to the multiple frequencies of the carrier phases. Consequently, a receiver clock parameter has to be set up in the measurement equations in addition to baseline components and DD ambiguities. The resulting normal matrix unfortunately becomes singular. Methods to deal with this problem have been proposed in the literature. However, these methods rely on the use of pseudo-ranges. As pseudo-ranges are contaminated by multi-path and hardware delays, biases in these pseudo-ranges are significant, which may result in unreliable ambiguity resolution. A new approach is addressed that is not sensitive to the biases in the pseudo-ranges. The proposed approach includes such steps as converting the carrier phases to their distances to cancel the receiver clock errors, and searching for the most likely single-differenced (SD) ambiguity. Based on the results from the theoretical investigation, a practical procedure for GLONASS ambiguity resolution is presented. The initial experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach is useable in cases of GLONASS and combined global positioning system (GPS) and GLONASS positioning. Received: 19 August 1998 / Accepted: 12 November 1999     

顾及码频间偏差的GPS/GLONASS实时卫星钟差估计

在进行GPS/GLONASS联合卫星钟差估计时,GLONASS码频间偏差（inter-frequency bias,IFB）因卫星频率间的差异而无法被测站接收机钟差参数吸收,其一部分将进入GLONASS卫星钟差估值中。通过引入多个"时频偏差"参数（inter-system and inter-frequency bias,ISFB）及附加基准约束对测站GLONASS码IFB进行函数模型补偿,实现其与待估卫星钟差参数的有效分离,并对所估计实时卫星钟差和实时精度单点定位（real-time precise point positioning,RT-PPP）进行精度评估。结果表明,在卫星钟差估计观测方程中忽略码IFB,会明显降低GLONASS卫星钟差估值精度;新方法能有效避免码IFB对卫星钟差估值的影响,所获得GPS、GLONASS卫星钟差与ESA（European Space Agency）事后精密钟差产品偏差平均均方根值分别小于0.2 ns、0.3 ns。利用实时估计卫星钟差进行静态RT-PPP,当观测时段长为2 h时,GPS单系统、GPS/GLONASS组合系统的3D定位精度优于10 cm,GLONASS单系统3D定位精度约为15 cm;三种模式24 h单天解的3D定位精度均优于5 cm。     

An enhanced calibration method of GLONASS inter-channel bias for GNSS RTK

A user of heterogeneous GPS and GLONASS receiver pairs in differential positioning mode will experience ambiguity fixing challenges due to the presence of inter-channel biases. These biases cannot be canceled by differencing GLONASS observations, whether pseudorange or carrier phase. Fortunately, pre-calibration of GLONASS pseudorange and carrier phase observations can make ambiguity fixing for GPS/GLONASS positioning much easier. We propose an effective algorithm that transforms an RTK (real-time kinematic) solution in a mixed receiver baseline from a float to a fixed ambiguity solution. Carrier phase and code inter-channel biases are estimated from a zero baseline. Then, GLONASS both carrier phase and code observations are corrected accordingly. The results show that a mixed baseline can be transformed from a float (~100 %) to a fixed (more than 92 %) solution.     

Impact of GLONASS pseudorange inter-channel biases on satellite clock corrections

GLONASS carrier phase and pseudorange observations suffer from inter-channel biases (ICBs) because of frequency division multiple access (FDMA). Therefore, we analyze the effect of GLONASS pseudorange inter-channel biases on the GLONASS clock corrections. Different Analysis Centers (AC) eliminate the impact of GLONASS pseudorange ICBs in different ways. This leads to significant differences in the satellite and AC-specific offsets in the GLONASS clock corrections. Satellite and AC-specific offset differences are strongly correlated with frequency. Furthermore, the GLONASS pseudorange ICBs also leads to day-boundary jumps in the GLONASS clock corrections for the same analysis center between adjacent days. This in turn will influence the accuracy of the combined GPS/GLONASS precise point positioning (PPP) at the day-boundary. To solve these problems, a GNSS clock correction combination method based on the Kalman filter is proposed. During the combination, the AC-specific offsets and the satellite and AC-specific offsets can be estimated. The test results show the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed clock combination method. The combined clock corrections can effectively weaken the influence of clock day-boundary jumps on combined GPS/GLONASS kinematic PPP. Furthermore, these combined clock corrections can improve the accuracy of the combined GPS/GLONASS static PPP single-day solutions when compared to the accuracy of each analysis center alone.     

顾及频率间偏差的GPS/GLONASS卫星钟差实时估计

GPS/GLONASS卫星钟差联合估计过程中，由于GLONASS系统采用频分多址技术区分卫星信号，因而会产生频率间偏差（IFB）^[1]。本文在GPS/GLONASS卫星定轨过程中的IFB参数特性分析的基础上，引入IFB参数，实现顾及频率间偏差的GPS/GLONASS卫星钟差实时估计。同时，为解决实时估计中待估参数过多导致的实时性较弱等问题，基于非差伪距观测值和历元间差分相位观测值改进实时估计数学模型，实现多系统卫星钟差的联合快速估计。结果表明：GPS/GLONASS联合估计时需引入IFB参数并优化其估计策略，采用MGEX和iGMAS跟踪站的实测数据进行实时钟差解算，快速估计方法可实现1.6 s逐历元快速、高精度估计，与GBM提供的最终精密卫星钟差相比，GPS卫星钟差实时精度约为0.210 ns，GLONASS卫星约为0.298 ns。     

Integrating GPS and GLONASS to accelerate convergence and initialization times of precise point positioning

The main challenge of dual-frequency precise point positioning (PPP) is that it requires about 30 min to obtain centimeter-level accuracy or to succeed in the first ambiguity-fixing. Currently, PPP is generally conducted with GPS only using the ionosphere-free combination. We adopt a single-differenced (SD) between-satellite PPP model to combine the GPS and GLONASS raw dual-frequency carrier phase measurements, in which the GPS satellite with the highest elevation is selected as the reference satellite to form the SD between-satellite measurements. We use a 7-day data set from 178 IGS stations to investigate the contribution of GLONASS observations to both ambiguity-float and ambiguity-fixed SD PPP solutions, in both kinematic and static modes. In ambiguity-fixed PPP, we only attempt to fix GPS integer ambiguities, leaving GLONASS ambiguities as float values. Numerous experimental results show that PPP with GLONASS and GPS requires much less convergence time than that of PPP with GPS alone. For ambiguity-float PPP, the average convergence time can be reduced by 45.9 % from 22.9 to 12.4 min in static mode and by 57.9 % from 40.6 to 17.7 min in kinematic mode, respectively. For ambiguity-fixed PPP, the average time to the first-fixed solution can be reduced by 27.4 % from 21.6 to 15.7 min in static mode and by 42.0 % from 34.4 to 20.0 min in kinematic mode, respectively. Experimental results also show that the less the GPS satellites are used in float PPP, the more significant is the reduction in convergence time when adding GLONASS observations. In addition, on average, more than 4 GLONASS satellites can be observed for most 2-h observation sessions. Nearly, the same improvement in convergence time reduction is achieved for those observations.     

Rapid PPP ambiguity resolution using GPS+GLONASS observations

Integer ambiguity resolution (IAR) in precise point positioning (PPP) using GPS observations has been well studied. The main challenge remaining is that the first ambiguity fixing takes about 30 min. This paper presents improvements made using GPS+GLONASS observations, especially improvements in the initial fixing time and correct fixing rate compared with GPS-only solutions. As a result of the frequency division multiple access strategy of GLONASS, there are two obstacles to GLONASS PPP-IAR: first and most importantly, there is distinct code inter-frequency bias (IFB) between satellites, and second, simultaneously observed satellites have different wavelengths. To overcome the problem resulting from GLONASS code IFB, we used a network of homogeneous receivers for GLONASS wide-lane fractional cycle bias (FCB) estimation and wide-lane ambiguity resolution. The integer satellite clock of the GPS and GLONASS was then estimated with the wide-lane FCB products. The effect of the different wavelengths on FCB estimation and PPP-IAR is discussed in detail. We used a 21-day data set of 67 stations, where data from 26 stations were processed to generate satellite wide-lane FCBs and integer clocks and the other 41 stations were selected as users to perform PPP-IAR. We found that GLONASS FCB estimates are qualitatively similar to GPS FCB estimates. Generally, 98.8% of a posteriori residuals of wide-lane ambiguities are within \(\pm 0.25\) cycles for GPS, and 96.6% for GLONASS. Meanwhile, 94.5 and 94.4% of narrow-lane residuals are within 0.1 cycles for GPS and GLONASS, respectively. For a critical value of 2.0, the correct fixing rate for kinematic PPP is only 75.2% for GPS alone and as large as 98.8% for GPS+GLONASS. The fixing percentage for GPS alone is only 11.70 and 46.80% within 5 and 10 min, respectively, and improves to 73.71 and 95.83% when adding GLONASS. Adding GLONASS thus improves the fixing percentage significantly for a short time span. We also used global ionosphere maps (GIMs) to assist the wide-lane carrier-phase combination to directly fix the wide-lane ambiguity. Employing this method, the effect of the code IFB is eliminated and numerical results show that GLONASS FCB estimation can be performed across heterogeneous receivers. However, because of the relatively low accuracy of GIMs, the fixing percentage of GIM-aided GPS+GLONASS PPP ambiguity resolution is very low. We expect better GIM accuracy to enable rapid GPS+GLONASS PPP-IAR with heterogeneous receivers.     

顾及卫星姿态的多系统精密钟差产品综合

国际GNSS服务(IGS)提供的GPS综合产品被广泛应用于各种高精度科学研究中. 随着各国卫星导航系统的发展,亟需研究针对多系统全球卫星导航系统(GNSS)产品的综合策略. 由于卫星姿态与钟差相互耦合,综合钟差时额外考虑姿态改正将进一步提高综合产品精度,因此研究了一种顾及卫星姿态的GNSS钟差综合策略,改正姿态后GPS综合残差最大可减小80%. 对142个IGS测站进行精密单点定位(PPP)解算发现,综合产品比单个分析中心产品更加稳定,东(E)、北(N)、高(U)方向的动态定位精度最大可提升22.7%、16.7%和18.3%. 相对于未顾及姿态改正的综合产品,顾及姿态改正的综合产品的动态定位精度最大可提升65.3%.      

Heading and Pitch Determination Using GPS/GLONASS

This article describes a single difference approach to estimate heading and pitch with a twin global positoning system (GPS)/GLONASS (GG) receiver system. Augmentation of GPS with GLONASS is not straightforward, however, because the latter system employs the frequency division multiple access technique to distinguish the signals form different satellites, rather than the code division multiple access technique used by GPS. The fact that each GLONASS signal has its own slightly different frequency makes the double difference (DD) of carrier phase observables no longer possible without modification. To get around this problem, the use of the between-receiver single difference (SD) of the carrier phase observables is proposed. In this case, however, receiver clock and other errors do not cancel out. The possibility of using a common external oscillator for the two receivers is explored. Remaining time and other biases are estimated using a low-pass averaging filter. The single difference integer ambiguities can then be resolved and the heading and pitch can be determined with a relatively good level of accuracy. Static and kinematic tests conducted with a pair of GPS/GLONASS receivers are used to validate the approach. Under reduced visibility, the combined GPS/GLONASS approach is shown to yield superior availability. ? 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

An investigation of GNSS atomic clock behavior at short time intervals

A technique for obtaining clock measurements from individual GNSS satellites at short time intervals is presented. The methodology developed in this study allows for accurate satellite clock stability analysis without an ultra-stable clock at the ground receiver. Variations in the carrier phase caused by the satellite clock are isolated using a combination of common GNSS carrier-phase processing techniques. Furthermore, the white phase variations caused by the thermal noise of the collection and processing equipment are statistically modeled and removed, allowing for analysis of clock performance at subsecond intervals. Allan deviation analyses of signals collected from GPS and GLONASS satellites reveal distinct intervals of clock noise for timescales less than 100 s. The clock data collected from GPS Block IIA, IIR, IIR-M, and GLONASS satellites reveal similar stability performance at time periods greater than 20 s. The GLONASS clock stability in the 0.6–10 s range, however, is significantly worse than GPS. Applications that rely on ultra-stable clock behavior from the GLONASS satellites at these timescales may therefore require high-rate corrections to estimate and remove oscillator-based errors in the carrier phase.     

一种联合载波相位观测值的GPS/BDS滤波导航算法

提出了一种基于历元间相位差分的GPS/BDS单机实时动态定位算法。该方法采用历元间载波相位差分数据准确计算出载体的位置变化量;并以此描述载体的运动状态变化,建立动态定位滤波模型的状态方程。同时以历元间载波相位差分数据与伪距数据作为主要观测值,采用扩展Kalman滤波实时估计载体的位置和钟差。采用自主编制的软件对静态与车载GPS/BDS实测数据进行处理,结果表明:采用该方法,定位结果精度优于传统的标准单点定位算法与载波相位平滑伪距算法;而且算法具有较好的稳定性,与载体的运动状态无关。     

GPS／GLONASS组合定位中模糊度的处理

在对GPS／GLONASS组合定位的周跳探测和修复方法进行深入研究的基础上，论述了适合于两种数据联合解算的GPS／GLONASS模糊度迭代处理方法及相应的基于FARA方法的整周模糊度固定方法。在现有BERNESE Ver4.0GSP数据处理软件的基础上，增加及改进了其中的若干模块，从而研制出组合定位系统高精度数据处理软件，并进行了试验计算。结果表明，所开发的组合定位系统数据处理软件内、外符合精度均达到mm级，证明了这种高精度相对定位理论、方法、软件的正确性和可行性。     

同时估计电离层延迟的单频精密单点定位方法

提出一种基于单频码和相位观测量的单频精密单点定位方法,将每个观测量的电离层延迟量与接收机钟差、对流层天顶延迟、接收机位置、相位模糊度一起作为未知参数。采用约化参数的平方根信息滤波与平滑算法进行参数解算。该方法适用于实时定位和事后处理,且不需要外部的电离层模型。采用全球分布的32个IGS监测站16 d实测数据进行静态解算试验,结果表明E、N、U方向的RMS分别为0.023 m、0.018 m、0.059 m;基于一组机载GPS数据进行动态解算试验,得到E、N、U方向的RMS(与载波相位动态相对定位结果比较)分别为0.168 m、0.151 m、0.172 m。     

Precise Point Positioning Using IGS Orbit and Clock Products

The contribution details a post-processing approach that used undifferentiated dual-frequency pseudorange and carrier phase observations along with IGS procise orbit products, for stand-alone precise geodetic point positioning (static or kinematic) with cm precision. This is possible if one takes advantage of the satellite clock estimates available with the satellite coordinates in the IGS precise orbit products and models systematic effects that cause cm variations in the satelite to user range. This paper will describe the approach, summarize the adjustment procedure, and specify the earth- and space-based models that must be implementetd to achieve cm-level positioning in static mode. Furthermore, station tropospheric zenth path delays with cm precision and GPS receiver clock estimates procise to 0.1 ns are also obtained. ? 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Single receiver phase ambiguity resolution with GPS data

Global positioning system (GPS) data processing algorithms typically improve positioning solution accuracy by fixing double-differenced phase bias ambiguities to integer values. These “double-difference ambiguity resolution” methods usually invoke linear combinations of GPS carrier phase bias estimates from pairs of transmitters and pairs of receivers, and traditionally require simultaneous measurements from at least two receivers. However, many GPS users point position a single local receiver, based on publicly available solutions for GPS orbits and clocks. These users cannot form double differences. We present an ambiguity resolution algorithm that improves solution accuracy for single receiver point-positioning users. The algorithm processes dual- frequency GPS data from a single receiver together with wide-lane and phase bias estimates from the global network of GPS receivers that were used to generate the orbit and clock solutions for the GPS satellites. We constrain (rather than fix) linear combinations of local phase biases to improve compatibility with global phase bias estimates. For this precise point positioning, no other receiver data are required. When tested, our algorithm significantly improved repeatability of daily estimates of ground receiver positions, most notably in the east component by approximately 30% with respect to the nominal case wherein the carrier biases are estimated as real values. In this “static” test for terrestrial receiver positions, we achieved daily repeatability of 1.9, 2.1 and 6.0 mm in the east, north and vertical (ENV) components, respectively. For kinematic solutions, ENV repeatability is 7.7, 8.4, and 11.7 mm, respectively, representing improvements of 22, 8, and 14% with respect to the nominal. Results from precise orbit determination of the twin GRACE satellites demonstrated that the inter-satellite baseline accuracy improved by a factor of three, from 6 to 2 mm up to a long-term bias. Jason-2/Ocean Surface Topography Mission precise orbit determination tests results implied radial orbit accuracy significantly below the 10 mm level. Stability of time transfer, in low-Earth orbit, improved from 40 to 7 ps. We produced these results by applying this algorithm within the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s (JPL’s) GIPSY/OASIS software package and using JPL’s orbit and clock products for the GPS constellation. These products now include a record of the wide-lane and phase bias estimates from the underlying global network of GPS stations. This implies that all GIPSY–OASIS positioning users can now benefit from this capability to perform single-receiver ambiguity resolution.     

Reliable single-epoch ambiguity resolution for short baselines using combined GPS/BeiDou system

GNSS single-epoch real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning depends on correct ambiguity resolution. If the number of observed satellites in a single epoch is insufficient, which often happens with a standalone GNSS system, the ambiguity resolution is difficult to achieve. China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System has been providing continuous passive positioning, navigation and timing services since December 27, 2012, covering China and the surrounding area. This new system will increase the number of satellites in view and will have a significant effect on successful ambiguity resolution. Since the BeiDou system is similar to GPS, the procedure of data processing is easier than that for the Russian GLONASS system. We briefly introduce the time and the coordinate system of BeiDou and also the BeiDou satellite visibility in China, followed by the discussion on the combined GPS/BeiDou single-epoch algorithm. Experiments were conducted and are presented here, in which the GPS/BeiDou dual-frequency static data were collected in Wuhan with the baseline distance varying from 5 to 13 km, and processed in separate and combined modes. The results indicate that, compared to a standalone GPS or BeiDou system, the combined GNSS system can increase the successful ambiguity fixing rate for single epochs and can also improve the precision of short baselines determination.     

GPS/GLONASS组合单点定位及精度分析

介绍了基于广播星历的GPS/GLONASS组合导航单点定位的数学模型,分析了组合导航的技术难点。在GPS伪距法单点定位的基础上进行组合导航定位,其中GLONASS卫星坐标运用四阶龙格—库塔(Runge-Kutta)数值积分方法求得,利用一种新的不需要进行轨道拟合的编程方法来进行计算。以IGS跟踪站提供的观测数据为例,分别采用GPS、GLO-NASS和GPS/GLONASS三种方式组合进行伪距法单点定位,同时比较分析了不同权重选择对组合定位精度的影响。     

基于高频观测值的不同GNSS卫星钟稳定性分析

在GNSS高精度数据处理中,卫星钟差往往是决定结果精度的核心因素之一。采用20 Hz的双频观测数据对GNSS星载原子钟0.05~100 s平滑时间下的短期稳定性进行分析,通过星间单差的方法消除接收机钟差,采用无电离层组合及夜间观测避免电离层高阶项短期变化的影响,同时采用经验模型和映射函数来进行对流层延迟改正。通过Lag 1自相关函数分析了影响GNSS卫星钟稳定性的主要噪声类型,并使用阿伦方差计算分析GPS、GLONASS及BDS各自系统内不同卫星组合之间的钟差。结果表明,GPS、GLONASS及BDS系统钟差稳定性0.05秒稳均可达到10-10量级,秒稳可达10-11量级。可以认定,GPS、GLONASS及BDS在短期内的稳定性量级相当,从而验证了基于星间单差的BDS掩星数据处理方案的可行性。     

GLONASS phase bias estimation and its PPP ambiguity resolution using homogeneous receivers

Integer ambiguity resolution (IAR) appreciably improves the position accuracy and shortens the convergence time of precise point positioning (PPP). However, while many studies are limited to GPS, there is a need to investigate the performance of GLONASS PPP ambiguity resolution. Unfortunately, because of the frequency-division multiple-access strategy of GLONASS, GLONASS PPP IAR faces two obstacles. First, simultaneously observed satellites operate at different wavelengths. Second and most importantly, distinct inter-frequency bias (IFB) exists between different satellites. For the former, we adopt an undifferenced method for uncalibrated phase delay (UPD) estimation and proposed an undifferenced PPP IAR strategy. We select a set of homogeneous receivers with identical receiver IFB to perform UPD estimation and PPP IAR. The code and carrier phase IFBs can be absorbed by satellite wide-lane and narrow-lane UPDs, respectively, which is in turn consistent with PPP IAR using the same type of receivers. In order to verify the method, we used 50 stations to generate satellite UPDs and another 12 stations selected as users to perform PPP IAR. We found that the GLONASS satellite UPDs are stable in time and space and can be estimated with high accuracy and reliability. After applying UPD correction, 91 % of wide-lane ambiguities and 99 % of narrow-lane ambiguities are within (?0.15, +0.15) cycles of the nearest integer. After ambiguity resolution, the 2-hour static PPP accuracy improves from (0.66, 1.42, 1.55) cm to (0.38, 0.39, 1.39) cm for the north, east, and up components, respectively.