Performance of various predicted GNSS global ionospheric maps relative to GPS and JASON TEC data

When using predicted total electron content (TEC) products to generate preliminary real-time global ionospheric maps (GIMs), validation of these ionospheric predicted products is essential. In this study, we evaluate the accuracy of five predicted GIMs, provided by the international GNSS service (IGS), over continental and oceanic regions during the period from September 2009 to September 2015. Over continental regions, the GPS TEC data collected from 41 IGS continuous tracking stations are used as a reference data set. Over oceanic regions, the TEC data from the JASON altimeter are used for comparison. An initial performance comparison between the IGS combined final GIM product and the predicted GIMs is also included in this study. The evaluation results show that the predicted GIMs produced by CODE outperform the other predicted GIMs for all three validation results. The accuracy of the 1-day predicted GIMs, produced by the IGS associate analysis centers (IAACs), is higher than that of the 2-day predicted GIMs. Compared to the 2-day UPC predicted GIMs, the 2-day ESA predicted GIMs are observed to have slightly worse performances over ocean regions and better positioning performances over continental regions.     

Ground- and space-based GPS data ingestion into the NeQuick model

This paper presents a technique for ingesting ground- and space-based dual-frequency GPS observations into a semi-empirical global electron density model. The NeQuick-2 model is used as the basis for describing the global electron density distribution. This model is mainly driven by the F2 ionosphere layer parameters (i.e. the electron density, N _m F2, and the height, h _m F2 of the F2 peak), which, in the absence of directly measured values, are computed from the ITU-R database (ITU-R 1997). This database was established using observations collected from 1954 to 1958 by a network of around 150 ionospheric sounders with uneven global coverage. It allows computing monthly median values of N _m F2 and h _m F2 (intra-month variations are averaged), for low and high solar activity. For intermediate solar activity a linear interpolation must be performed. Ground-based GNSS observations from a global network of ~350 receivers are pre-processed in order to retrieve slant total electron content (sTEC) information, and space-based GPS observations (radio occultation data from the FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC constellation) are pre-processed to retrieve electron density (ED) information. Both, sTEC and ED are ingested into the NeQuick-2 model in order to adapt N _m F2 and h _m F2, and reduce simultaneously both, the observed minus computed sTEC and ED differences. The first experimental results presented in this paper suggest that the data ingestion technique is self consistent and able to reduce the observed minus computed sTEC and ED differences to ~25–30% of the values computed from the ITU-R database. Although sTEC and ED are both derived from GPS observations, independent algorithm and models are used to compute their values from ground-based GPS observations and space-based FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC radio occultations. This fact encourages us to pursue this research with the aim to improve the results presented here and assess their accuracy in a reliable way.     

0.99999999 confidence ambiguity resolution with GPS and Galileo

In this short contribution it is demonstrated how integer carrier phase cycle ambiguity resolution will perform in near future, when the US GPS gets modernized and the European Galileo becomes operational. The capability of ambiguity resolution is analyzed in the context of precise differential positioning over short, medium and long distances. Starting from dual-frequency operation with GPS at present, particularly augmenting the number of satellites turns out to have beneficial consequences on the capability of correctly resolving the ambiguities. With a 'double' constellation, on short baselines, the confidence of the integer ambiguity solution increases to a level of 0.99999999 or beyond. Electronic Publication     

GPS现代化和Galileo运行准备的进展

根据2002～2004年这3年在美国举行的全球导航卫星系统的国际会议(CNSS,ION2002,ION2003,ION2004)将有关GPS现代化和Galileo试验卫生发展前的最新进展的有关内容作一综合介绍.介绍GPS现代化在美国军事方面和在民用方面考虑的主要内容;GPS现代化的计划进程及其进展;美国为了抗扰而发展了多种GPS信号重构的技术,确保在某些特定区域的美军能够正常使用GPS而不受影响,而在同一区域与美军对立的一方既不能使用民用GPS信号,也不能使用GPS的军码,至于在该特定区域以外的民间GPS用户,则依然能够正常使用GPS;此外,还介绍GPS空基和陆基的增强系统,重点介绍由美国大地测量局(NGS)主持运行的GPS陆基增强系统(COPS).第2部分介绍Galileo的运行准备工作,包括Galileo卫星空间构形的调整,卫星信号和电文格式的调整,Galileo时间尺度和钟差的调整,以及Galileo发布运输导航安全性数据的调整等.     

GPS/Galileo long baseline computation: method and performance analyses

Modernized GPS and Galileo will provide triple-frequency signals for civil use, generating a high interest to examine the improvement of positioning performance using the triple-frequency signals from both constellations over baselines up to hundreds or thousands of kilometers. This study adopts a generalized GPS/Galileo long-range approach to process the mutually compatible GPS and Galileo triple-frequency measurements for high-precision long baseline determination. The generalized approach has the flexibility to deal with GPS and Galileo constellations separately or jointly, and also the capability to handle dual or triple-frequency measurements. We compared the generalized long-range approach with the Bernese v5.0 software on two test baselines located in East Asia and obtained highly compatible computational results. Further, in order to assess possible improvement of GPS/Galileo long baseline determination compared with the current dual-frequency (L1/L2) GPS, we simulated GPS and Galileo measurements of the test baselines. It is shown that the current level of accuracy of daily baseline solutions can be improved by using the additional Galileo constellation. Both the additional constellation and the triple-frequency measurements can improve ambiguity resolution performance, but single-constellation triple-frequency ambiguity resolution is more resistant to the influences of code noise and multipath than dual-constellation dual-frequency ambiguity resolution. Therefore, in environments where large code noise or multipath is present, the use of triple-frequency measurements is the main factor for improving ambiguity resolution performance.     

GPS与Galileo共用的MBOC信号研究

介绍了GPS与Galileo共用信号的演变过程,通过BOC（1,1）在兼容性、互操作性方面的表现,以及将MBOC（6,1,1／11）与之相比较,描述了MBOC（6,1,1／11）在这两个方面的表现。可供我国卫星导航信号体制设计借鉴学习,为GPS／Galileo接收机设计提供参考。     

GPS,Galileo, QZSS and IRNSS differential ISBs: estimation and application

Knowledge of inter-system biases (ISBs) is essential to combine observations of multiple global and regional navigation satellite systems (GNSS/RNSS) in an optimal way. Earlier studies based on GPS, Galileo, BDS and QZSS have demonstrated that the performance of multi-GNSS real-time kinematic positioning is improved when the differential ISBs (DISBs) corresponding to signals of different constellations but transmitted at identical frequencies can be calibrated, such that only one common pivot satellite is sufficient for inter-system ambiguity resolution at that particular frequency. Recently, many new GNSS satellites have been launched. At the beginning of 2016, there were 12 Galileo IOV/FOC satellites and 12 GPS Block IIF satellites in orbit, while the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) had five satellites launched of which four are operational. More launches are scheduled for the coming years. As a continuation of the earlier studies, we analyze the magnitude and stability of the DISBs corresponding to these new satellites. For IRNSS this article presents for the first time DISBs with respect to the L5/E5a signals of GPS, Galileo and QZSS for a mixed-receiver baseline. It is furthermore demonstrated that single-frequency (L5/E5a) ambiguity resolution is tremendously improved when the multi-GNSS observations are all differenced with respect to a common pivot satellite, compared to classical differencing for which a pivot satellite is selected for each constellation.     

利用GPS观测值监测电离层的时空变化

研究电离层时空变规律对卫星导航、航空航天和通讯等具有重要价值。文中利用IGS站提供的GPS双频观测数据,采用区域电离层模型估计GPS系统硬件延迟,从而计算绝对电离层总电子含量。在时间尺度上,选择COR1站的2012年、2015年和2017年的数据进行时间变化分析,结果表明,电离层总电子含量在时间上呈现出周日变化、月变化和季节性变化。在空间方面,选择了经度相差较小、纬度方向分布均匀的CRO1、BRMU、UNBJ和QIKI四个IGS站进行分析,结果表明在纬度方向具有明显的单峰效应,随着纬度的增大电离层总电子含量呈现减小趋势。      

GPS/BDS/Galileo三频精密单点定位模型及性能分析

在精细考虑伪距和载波相位硬件偏差时变特性的基础上,导出了更为严谨的非差非组合观测方程,并给出了非组合模式下两类GNSS偏差的数学表达形式.基于此,本文详细研究了3种常用的三频精密单点定位(PPP),即无电离层两两组合IF1213、单个无电离层组合IF123与非组合UC123函数模型的独立参数化方法,系统分析了3种PPP...     

Revisit the calibration errors on experimental slant total electron content (TEC) determined with GPS

The calibration errors on experimental slant total electron content (TEC) determined with global positioning system (GPS) observations is revisited. Instead of the analysis of the calibration errors on the carrier phase leveled to code ionospheric observable, we focus on the accuracy analysis of the undifferenced ambiguity-fixed carrier phase ionospheric observable determined from a global distribution of permanent receivers. The results achieved are: (1) using data from an entire month within the last solar cycle maximum, the undifferenced ambiguity-fixed carrier phase ionospheric observable is found to be over one order of magnitude more accurate than the carrier phase leveled to code ionospheric observable and the raw code ionospheric observable. The observation error of the undifferenced ambiguity-fixed carrier phase ionospheric observable ranges from 0.05 to 0.11 total electron content unit (TECU) while that of the carrier phase leveled to code and the raw code ionospheric observable is from 0.65 to 1.65 and 3.14 to 7.48 TECU, respectively. (2) The time-varying receiver differential code bias (DCB), which presents clear day boundary discontinuity and intra-day variability pattern, contributes the most part of the observation error. This contribution is assessed by the short-term stability of the between-receiver DCB, which ranges from 0.06 to 0.17 TECU in a single day. (3) The remaining part of the observation errors presents a sidereal time cycle pattern, indicating the effects of the multipath. Further, the magnitude of the remaining part implies that the code multipath effects are much reduced. (4) The intra-day variation of the between-receiver DCB of the collocated stations suggests that estimating DCBs as a daily constant can have a mis-modeling error of at least several tenths of 1 TECU.     

Local geoid determination and comparison with GPS results

Ellipsoidal heights have been determined for a test network in Lower Saxony withGPS. TheGPS results, with a relative precision of a few centimeters, have been used to compute quasigeoid heights by substracting leveling heights. This data set is compared to mainly gravimetrically determined quasigeoid heights using least squares collocation techniques. The discrepancies between the two data sets amount to about ±2cm, the maximum interstation distance is about50 km. This agreement shows, thatGPS can be used in combination with gravity information to obtain normal heights withcm-precision.     

GPS/Galileo/BDS系统测距信号精度分析与评价

随着Galileo、BDS的建设和GPS的发展完善,多系统多频融合的趋势促进了多模GNSS接收机产业化应用。利用零基线双差法对GPS/Galileo/BDS双频观测值进行测距信号精度评估,通过24h的观测数据分析,结果表明Galileo IOV卫星双频观测值残差值最小,测距信号精度最优,其次是BDS;Galileo与BDS系统载波相位观测精度均优于2mm,伪距观测精度优于0.2m,GPS系统测距信号精度相对较差。同时,通过对比Trimble NET R9、Septentrio POLARX4及Javad TRE_G3TH_8三种不同类型接收机间观测值残差及基线坐标偏差,得出NET R9和POLARX4接收机内部噪声水平相当,TRE_G3TH_8稍差的结论。     

Galileo三频非组合精密定轨模型及精度评估

不断丰富的多频信号为GNSS精密数据处理带来了新的机遇与挑战。本文首先推导了适用于多频非组合（UC）观测值的GNSS卫星精密定轨模型,并给出了多频UC模糊度的双差约束策略。在此基础上,本文基于全球分布的150个MGEX测站的观测数据,对UC模型和无电离层组合（IF）模型分别使用E1/E5a、E1/E5b和E1/E5a/E5b观测值进行了Galileo卫星精密定轨。采用与外部精密产品对比、轨道边界不连续性比较和卫星激光测距（SLR）检核等方法评估了不同策略的定轨精度。结果表明：双频情况下,本文提出的UC模型与目前常用的IF模型定轨精度基本一致,两者定轨结果的1DRMS差异在1 mm以内,钟差STD差异在0.01 ns以内,SLR残差差异在2 mm以内。使用E1/E5a/E5b观测值后,UC模型和IF模型的浮点解精度相较于使用E1/E5b观测值的结果有1~2 mm的改善。     

Multi-GNSS phase delay estimation and PPP ambiguity resolution: GPS,BDS, GLONASS,Galileo

This paper focuses on the precise point positioning (PPP) ambiguity resolution (AR) using the observations acquired from four systems: GPS, BDS, GLONASS, and Galileo (GCRE). A GCRE four-system uncalibrated phase delay (UPD) estimation model and multi-GNSS undifferenced PPP AR method were developed in order to utilize the observations from all systems. For UPD estimation, the GCRE-combined PPP solutions of the globally distributed MGEX and IGS stations are performed to obtain four-system float ambiguities and then UPDs of GCRE satellites can be precisely estimated from these ambiguities. The quality of UPD products in terms of temporal stability and residual distributions is investigated for GPS, BDS, GLONASS, and Galileo satellites, respectively. The BDS satellite-induced code biases were corrected for GEO, IGSO, and MEO satellites before the UPD estimation. The UPD results of global and regional networks were also evaluated for Galileo and BDS, respectively. As a result of the frequency-division multiple-access strategy of GLONASS, the UPD estimation was performed using a network of homogeneous receivers including three commonly used GNSS receivers (TRIMBLE NETR9, JAVAD TRE_G3TH DELTA, and LEICA). Data recorded from 140 MGEX and IGS stations for a 30-day period in January in 2017 were used to validate the proposed GCRE UPD estimation and multi-GNSS dual-frequency PPP AR. Our results show that GCRE four-system PPP AR enables the fastest time to first fix (TTFF) solutions and the highest accuracy for all three coordinate components compared to the single and dual system. An average TTFF of 9.21 min with \(7{^{\circ }}\) cutoff elevation angle can be achieved for GCRE PPP AR, which is much shorter than that of GPS (18.07 min), GR (12.10 min), GE (15.36 min) and GC (13.21 min). With observations length of 10 min, the positioning accuracy of the GCRE fixed solution is 1.84, 1.11, and 1.53 cm, while the GPS-only result is 2.25, 1.29, and 9.73 cm for the east, north, and vertical components, respectively. When the cutoff elevation angle is increased to \(30{^{\circ }}\), the GPS-only PPP AR results are very unreliable, while 13.44 min of TTFF is still achievable for GCRE four-system solutions.     

几种地基GPS区域电离层TEC建模方法的比较及其一致性研究

利用GPS实测资料实现了中国区域电离层电子含量建模,比较和评估了多项式模型、三角级数模型和低阶球函数模型的监测精度及存在的问题。研究表明,在平静电离层的条件下,多项式模型和低阶球函数模型拟合的精度较好,但前者存在明显的边际效应;三角级数模型在用于大区域拟合时精度较差;高纬度地区模型拟合的精度要优于低纬度地区。根据这些模型参数设置的特点以及电离层本身的变化分布规律,分析了这些差异存在的原因。     

Suppression of multipath and jamming signals by digital beamforming for GPS/Galileo applications

Digital beamforming (DBF) has been studied to obtain automatic beam steering towards desired signals and simultaneous elimination of multipath and jamming signals at GNSS receivers, which is made possible by spatial and temporal digital signal processing. In this paper, the limitations of conventional multipath and jamming suppression techniques, which have been proven and widely used in GPS, are investigated. Different DBF algorithms suitable for GNSS applications are investigated theoretically. New ideas for future development of DBF are presented. The implementation of digital beamforming in FPGA/DSP for practical application environments is also discussed. Electronic Publication     

Galileo系统卫星可见性和DOP值分析

伽利略系统是欧洲自主的、独立的全球多模式卫星定位导航系统,其可提供高精度、高可靠性的定位服务,同时可实现完全非军方控制、管理。文中利用GSSF V2.0软件模拟出Galileo系统的全球范围的卫星可见性、GDOP、TDOP、PDOP、HDOP、VDOP值,并对其进行了分析。     

改进的GM-AR组合模型在电离层TEC预报中的应用

电离层总电子含量(TEC)是影响GPS导航定位精度的重要因素之一。因此对于电离层总电子含量的研究及准确预测可以大大提高GPS的定位精度。由于灰色预测模型在理论上可以进行中长期预测,但实际应用中随着时间的推移,其预测精度会随之下降,为解决这一问题,对GM(1,1)模型进行改进,并将改进后的GM(1,1)模型与时间序列模型组合。利用改进的GM-AR模型进行TEC预报,预报的精度比两种方法单独预测的精度有较大提高,并应用实例证明该方法的可行性。     

An Assessment of the RAIM Performance of a Combined Galileo/GPS Navigation System Using the Marginally Detectable Errors (MDE) Algorithm

Integrity relates to the trust that can be placed in the correctness of information supplied by a navigation system. It includes the ability of the navigation system to provide timely warning to users when the system fails to meet its stated accuracy. Specifically, a navigation system is required to deliver a warning (alarm) when the error in the derived user position solution exceeds an allowable level (alarm limit). This warning must be issued to the user within a given period of time (time-to-alarm) and with a given probability (integrity risk). The two main approaches to monitoring the integrity of satellite navigation systems are Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM), and monitoring based on an independent network of integrity monitoring stations and a dedicated Ground Integrity Channel (GIC). More recently Satellite Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (SAIM) methods have also been investigated. This article presents the results of a study to assess the RAIM capability of the Galileo system when used alone and when combined with the Global Positioning System (GPS). The assessment was based on the Marginally Detectable Error (MDE) algorithm. The results show a significant improvement in the capability to perform RAIM using a combined Galileo/GPS system compared to the performance using the Galileo system alone. This study was supported by Alcatel Space and was a contribution to the Galileo definition studies carried out for the European Community under the GALA project. ? 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.