Instantaneous GPS Attitude Determination

Paul G. Quinn

Abstract:	This paper describes a procedure for instantaneous GPS attitude determination, i.e. solution for the GPS integrated carrier doppler wavelength ambiguities using only measurements at a single epoch. Most previous techniques to solve the phase ambiguity problem have required some form of time history processing relying on GPS satellite and/or user motion to provide enough geometry change to eliminate false solutions. The algorithm described in this paper assumes two or more ante~as (three or more for full attitude) and integrated carrier doppler measurements from four or more satellites on one or both of the GPS Gband carrier frequencies. Special double-difference processing provides observables having uncorrelated measurement errors for computing the relative positions of the antennas and two or three attitude Euler angles. An algorithm is developed and demonstrated for rapid determination of doubledifference carrier phase ambiguities for the GPS attitude determination problem using 4 or more SV’s aud 2 or more antennas and one or two GPS Lband carrier frequencies, including the 86 cm widelane measurement. Practical design limits are determined for the user desiring instantaneous GPS attitude determination. One of the most dominant factors in rapid attitude &termination is the number of SV’s tracked by the user’s receiver, which is greatly aided by the full GPS constellation.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 6th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1993) September 22 - 24, 1993 Salt Palace Convention Center Salt Lake City, UT
Pages:	603 - 615
Cite this article:	Quinn, Paul G., "Instantaneous GPS Attitude Determination," Proceedings of the 6th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1993), Salt Lake City, UT, September 1993, pp. 603-615.
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