Achieving Sub-Meter Accuracy With Gps Technologies

Understanding GPS Accuracy

The Global Positioning System (GPS) provides location and time information around the world. However, the accuracy of GPS measurements can vary considerably depending on factors like satellite geometry, signal blockage, atmospheric conditions, and receiver quality.

Defining the accuracy metrics for GPS involves specifying quantitative measures like positional dilution of precision (PDOP) and user equivalent range error (UERE). These metrics characterize the quality of the GPS measurements in terms of uncertainty ranges. Typically, accuracy is reported as a 95% confidence radius in meters from the estimated location coordinates.

Several factors impact the accuracy of GPS including the number and orientation of visible satellites, signal multipath, satellite clock and orbital errors, ionospheric and tropospheric delays, and receiver noise. Improving accuracy involves using advanced techniques like differential GPS, multi-channel receivers, longer measurement durations, and post-processing methods.

Table of Contents

Defining accuracy metrics for GPS

The primary metrics used to specify GPS accuracy include:

Positional dilution of precision (PDOP) – indicates the satellite geometry impact on positional error.
User equivalent range error (UERE) – encompasses satellite clock, orbital, atmospheric, and receiver errors.
95% radius – the radius of a circle, centered on the measured coordinates, in which the true location lies with 95% probability.

Lower PDOP and UERE values indicate better expected accuracy. High-precision GPS techniques can achieve sub-meter or even centimeter-level 95% error radii under favorable conditions.

Factors impacting GPS accuracy

Major factors degrading GPS accuracy include:

Satellite geometry – Poor geometrical arrangements of satellites increase PDOP, hampering accuracy.
Signal blockage – Obstructions like buildings and trees attenuate satellite signals.
Ionospheric delays – Ionosphere affects signal propagation velocity and path.
Multipath – Reflected signals confuse receivers, increasing pseudorange errors.
Receiver noise – Noise in receiver electronics reduces signal to noise ratios.

Mitigating these factors involves using advanced receivers tracking multiple satellite constellations, applying atmospheric and multipath signal corrections, and optimizing antenna locations.

Methods for improving GPS accuracy

Common methods used to improve GPS accuracy beyond standalone systems include:

Differential GPS (DGPS) – Compares rover receiver pseudoranges to a reference station to cancel out errors.
Multi-channel tracking – Enables signals from multiple GNSS like GPS, GLONASS, Galileo for better satellite visibility.
Longer observation times – Measurement durations over 30 minutes minimize impact of environmental errors.
Post-processing – Applies sophisticated error models using data logged over time to refine position solutions.

By combining these approaches, sub-meter and centimeter-level real-time or post-processed global accuracy can be attained under favorable conditions like open-sky visibility.

Achieving Sub-Meter Accuracy

A variety of advanced GPS techniques enable sub-meter accuracy for applications like precision agriculture, construction, mapping, and autonomous vehicle navigation. Key methods involve differential GPS, multi-channel receivers, long measurement durations, and post-processing.

Using differential GPS techniques

Differential GPS (DGPS) leverages data from a reference station at a surveyed location to improve rover receiver accuracy. It works by:

Transmitting reference station pseudorange corrections to rover over radio, internet links, or satellite.
Factor out satellite clock, orbital, atmospheric errors which affect reference and rover similarly.
Achieve ~10-30 cm real-time accuracy at rover under ideal conditions.

Wide area DGPS services utilize satellite or cellular communication of corrections from national networks while local DGPS uses UHF radios with ~30 km operating radius.

Leveraging multi-channel receivers

Using multi-frequency, multi-constellation GNSS receivers further optimizes accuracy by:

Tracking more satellites using GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou increases satellite visibility.
Ionosphere-free measurements combining L1/L2, L1/L5 frequencies mitigate ionosphere delays.
Achieve accurate phase-based carrier positioning in challenging environments.

With advanced error mitigation models, these receivers can attain real-time sub-30 cm accuracy in ideal conditions. Costlier survey-grade receivers offer the highest precision.

Increasing measurement duration

Lengthening data collection sessions averages out temporally varying errors, improving accuracy. Key aspects are:

Set rover receiver to log data at ~5-30 second intervals for ~30-120 minutes.
Perform simple time-averaging or moving window averaging of logged data.
Achieve 10-100 cm level accuracy post-processing with over 1 hour logged data duration.

Care must be taken in selecting location with open-sky visibility as signal blockage hampers accuracy even with long observation periods.

Applying data post-processing

Further accuracy gains arise from applying sophisticated data post-processing methods to logged rover data. This involves:

Post-processing kinematic (PPK) positioning leverages precise orbital and clock data
Use forward/reverse smoothing filters to minimize errors
Employ relative kinematic positioning for change detection surveys
Achieve ~1-10 cm level post-processed accuracy

High-end PPK software packages automate data cleaning, coordinate transformations and export visualizations of quality-checked results for applications like surveying and mapping.

Case Studies and Examples

State-of-the-art GPS gear and techniques can reliably achieve centimeter accuracy for applications ranging from autonomous cars to surveying. We present sample case studies and code for attainable real-world results.

Centimeter-level accuracy with RTK

Real-time kinematic (RTK) GPS allows survey-grade centimeter accuracy by:

Broadcasting carrier phase correction data from base station over radio to rover
Greatly reduce phase ambiguity search and resolve carrier integers
Typical ~1-5 cm horizontal / ~2-5 cm vertical accuracy

With geodetic RTK receivers, solar-powered base stations can enable continuous surveying and mapping operations over 15 km+ radius areas.

Sample code for post-processed GPS data

Post-processing recorded rover data enables sub-decimeter accuracy. Sample Python code performs:

RINEX file parsing and logging
Outlier rejection, cycle slip repairs
Precise point positioning using IGS final orbits
atenback smoothing of position timeseries

“`python
import pandas as pd
from RinexParser import RinexParser
from PPP import PPP

# Parse rover data RINEX
parser = RinexParser(“rover.obs”)
data = parser.asDataFrame()

# Run PPP solution
solver = PPP(data)
nav_data = solver.downloadIgsFinalOrbits()
solved_data = solver.runSolution(nav_data)

# Smooth solutions
smoothed_data = solver.forwardBackwardSmoother(solved_data)

# Export to CSV
smoothed_data.to_csv(“rover_smoothed.csv”, index=False)
“`

With optimized processing, ~10 cm positional accuracy is reliably achieved given ~1 hour good quality dual-frequency data from geodetic antenna.

Common Questions and Challenges

While advanced GPS delivers impressive accuracy, some common pitfalls can hamper performance. We address troubleshooting strategies and discuss pushing boundaries below 1 meter precision.

Troubleshooting accuracy issues

If GPS accuracy degrades or fails, some aspects to validate include:

Antenna visibility to sky – use outdoors with good view angles
GNSS receiver configuration – enable all constellations, collect raw data
Data logging intervals – use 1-10 Hz, not over 30 sec gaps
Base station link integrity – check signal strength/latency
Post-processing settings – adjust filters, quality checks

Choosing appropriate antenna mounting locations and logging settings tailored for target accuracy requirements is vital. Using multiple base stations also improves redundant coverage.

Further improving accuracy below 1 meter

Achieving decimeter-level or better accuracy demands consideration of:

Leverage PPK with dual-frequency carrier phase data
Apply more stringent data quality checks in processing
Use geodetic antenna monuments for improved phase center models
Account for tectonic plate drifts in very long baseline solutions

Robotic total stations with integrated GPS offer ~10 mm + 1 ppm distance accuracy for ultimate precision surveys.

Summary and Next Steps

Modern high-precision GPS leveraging techniques like differential corrections, multi-channel tracking, long observations and sophisticated post-processing can achieve centimeter-level global accuracy. With sound methodology, sub-meter GPS precision can inform critical applications in surveying, autonomous platforms, agriculture, and more. Ongoing improvements promise exciting future gains through new satellite constellations, positioning algorithms and GNSS integration with other sensors.