Measuring User Equipment Errors from Holloman Flight Test Data

Andrew Chasko, Kenneth Wernle, Gregory Fairbanks, Joseph Clifford and Raymond DiEsposti

Abstract:	A study is being performed to measure GPS UE (user equipment) errors under dynamic conditions by analyzing Holloman AFB flight test data to better characterize the UE contribution to the error budget. Since GPS space and control segment errors will be ‘reduced to two meters or less based on current accuracy enhancement approaches, the errors due to the UE become a much larger relative component of the overall error budget. Techniques to mitigate UE errors thus become of primary importance for a further improvement in navigation accuracy. The objective of this study is to statistically characterize these errors and break them into separate components due to the ionosphere, troposphere, multipath, receiver noise, etc. For the results in this paper, we were able to estimate the total UE error. However, since ionosphere, troposphere and interchannel bias compensation data were not recorded for the missionbtudied, a further breakdown of the UE errors was not attempted. Future analyses will include the UE error breakdown to a level limited by truth reference accuracy and availability. Such UE error information is valuable for three reasons: (1) allows verification of GPS error budget, (2) allows planners of UE error reduction techniques to better prioritize their effort, and (3) allows the validation of models for use in error mitigation techniques and navigation filters. A byproduct of this effort is that anomalous conditions will be better understood so that signal processing enhancements, fault detection, isolation, and reconfiguration approaches may be designed. Results are presented for a typical high performance aircraft instrument configuration for two Rockwell Collins user sets, the Miniaturized Airborne GPS Receiver (MAGR) and the 3A.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 8th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1995) September 12 - 15, 1995 Palm Springs, CA
Pages:	1691 - 1701
Cite this article:	Chasko, Andrew, Wernle, Kenneth, Fairbanks, Gregory, Clifford, Joseph, DiEsposti, Raymond, "Measuring User Equipment Errors from Holloman Flight Test Data," Proceedings of the 8th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1995), Palm Springs, CA, September 1995, pp. 1691-1701.
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