Modeling and assessment of combined GPS/GLONASS precise point positioning

A combination of GPS and GLONASS observations can offer improved reliability, availability and accuracy for precise point positioning (PPP). We present and analyze a combined GPS/GLONASS PPP model, including both functional and stochastic components. Numerical comparison and analysis are conducted with respect to PPP based on only GPS or GLONASS observations to demonstrate the benefits of the combined GPS/GLONASS PPP. The observation residuals are analyzed for more appropriate stochastic modeling for observations from different navigation systems. An analysis is also made using different precise orbit and clock products. The performance of the combined GPS/GLONASS PPP is assessed using both static and kinematic data. The results indicate that the convergence time can be significantly reduced with the addition of GLONASS data. The positioning accuracy, however, is not significantly improved by adding GLONASS data if there is a sufficient number of GPS satellites with good geometry.