Temporal Variability of GPS Error Sources and Their Effect on Relative Positioning Accuracy

M. Olynik, M.G. Petovello, M.E. Cannon and G. Lachapelle

Abstract:	The concept of relative positioning is typically envisioned as the determination of the vector between two or more GPS receivers. Relative positioning can also apply to the temporal behavior of a single platform. In this latter context, it is not the absolute errors, but rather their temporal variations that are of importance. Furthermore, the relative variability of the different error sources may dictate a certain algorithm approach and processing strategy, such as using dual-frequency data or precise post-mission satellite information. This paper analyzes the temporal variations of the broadcast satellite clock model and orbit parameters, and ionospheric errors. These three errors are analyzed independently. Satellite clock and orbit errors are analyzed by comparing broadcast and precise postmission SV clock corrections and orbits. For the ionosphere, the effect is separated using dual-frequency data. The analysis comprises primarily of assessing error behaviors and magnitudes through time and frequency analyses. In this way, the relative variability of the errors is easily determined. The effect of each error in the position domain is also investigated in addition to the combined effect. Data taken over several days, and under various field conditions, is used to get a better representation of the various error components.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 2002 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation January 28 - 30, 2002 The Catamaran Resort Hotel San Diego, CA
Pages:	877 - 888
Cite this article:	Olynik, M., Petovello, M.G., Cannon, M.E., Lachapelle, G., "Temporal Variability of GPS Error Sources and Their Effect on Relative Positioning Accuracy," Proceedings of the 2002 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, San Diego, CA, January 2002, pp. 877-888.
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