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Dr. Guoqing Zhou
7. Field Surveying with GPS
CET 318
Book: p. 133-179
1. Introduction
1.1 Terminology Definitions
1. Code Range vs. Carrier Phase
GPS observables are pseudoranges derived from
1. Code measurements (meter level),
2. Carrier phase measurements (millimeter range).
2. Real-time Processing vs. Postprocessing
1. Real-time,
2. quasi (or near) real-time,
3. Instantaneous navigation of moving vehicles
3. Point Positioning vs. Relative Positioning
The coordinates of a single point are determined when
using a single receiver.
Point positioning,
Single point positioning,
Absolute point positioning ("relative“)
Relative positioning (P. 134)
4. Static vs. Kinematic
Static: stationary observation location,
Kinematic: motion.
A temporary loss of signal lock in static mode is not as
critical as in kinematic mode.
Kinematic and dynamic ?
Static Point Positioning (P.135):
Kinematic Point Positioning (P.135):
Static Relative Positioning (P.135):
Kinematic Relative Positioning (P.135):
cm level 1ppm to
0.1ppm
With SA,
100m
Without
SA, ?
With SA,
300m
Without
SA, 10m
KinematicStaticKinematicStatic
Point Positioning Relative Positioning
Comparison between Point
Positioning and Relative Positioning
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1.2 Observation Technique
The selection of the observation technique
Particular requirements of the project
The desired accuracy especially
1. Point Positioning
For the SPS only the C/A-code is available and SA is
incorporated into the service. This limits the (real-time)
accuracy
1. Horizontal accuracy: 100 m (95%), 300 m (99.99%)
2. Vertical accuracy: 156 m (95%), and 500 m (99.99%).
The PPS has access to both codes.
1. Horizontal accuracy: 16 m (95%)
2. Vertical accuracy: 23 m (95%)
2. Differential GPS (DGPS)
1. Two (or more) receivers, where one (stationary) reference
(base) receiver is located at a known point and the
position of moving remote receiver is to be determined.
2. At least four common satellites must be tracked
simultaneously.
3. The known position is used to calculate corrections to the
GPS derived position or to the observed pseudoranges.
4. These corrections are then transmitted via telemetry (i.e.,
controlled radio link) to the roving receiver.
1. Basic Principle
The higher accuracy is based on the fact that GPS error sources
are very similar over a distance of about 500 km and are,
therefore, virtually eliminated by the differential technique.
1. Position Correction:
The difference ("differential") of the known and the
calculated position yields position corrections. These
values are then applied to the roving receiver to obtain an
improved position (conceptually simple, more complex
sat. selection).
2. Two Correction Methods
2. Pseudorange Corrections
The difference between calculated ranges and observed
(code or phase) pseudoranges at the reference site.
The observed pseudoranges at the roving site may be
corrected by applying pseudorange corrections of the
reference station (more flexible, higher accuracy,
general use).
1. Point positioning can not reach meter level because of
SA but can be achieved by DGPS.
2. Using C/A-code ranges, accuracies at the 3-5 m level
can be routinely achieved.
3. Phase smoothed code ranges or high performance C/A-
code receivers can obtain the submeter level.
4. Carrier phases can obtain sub-decimeter level for up
to 20 km, to achieve this accuracy, the ambiguities
must be resolved on-the-fly and therefore (generally)
dual frequency receivers are required.
3. Accuracy of DGPS
1. The accuracy requirements of GPS users vary from
several hundred meters and centimeter level.
2. Interested a real-time accuracy at the meter level.
4. Wide Area DGPS-WADGPS
WADGPS uses a network of GPS reference stations with
coverage of a larger territory.
1. A more consistent accuracy throughout the region
supported by the network (regular DGPS, the accuracy
decreases at a rate of approximately 1 cm per 1 km).
2. Inaccessible regions can be covered, e.g., large bodies
of water,
3. The network will still maintain a relatively high level of
integrity and reliability compared to a collection of
individual DGPS reference stations.
Main Advantages of WADGPS
5. Data Link
1. UHF (ultra high frequency) radio links for terrestrial
data links.
2. RDS (radio data system) which is a standardized
method for distributing digital data along with the
conventional program.
3. LEO worldwide telecommunication satellite allows
high frequencies in the GHz range and enables data
rates up to 1200 bits per second over long distances.
Correction update rates of 10 seconds or better are
adequate to remove SA effects at the 2 m accuracy level
because SA is characterized by variations of the
pseudorange error with an 100 m each about 10 minutes.
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6. RTCM Format
Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services
Code range corrections21
Carrier phase corrections20
Raw code range measurements19
Raw carrier phase measurements18
Special message16
P-code differential corrections10
Null frame6
Reference station parameters3
Delta differential corrections2
C/ A-code differential corrections1
MeaningType
RT
CM
M
e
ssage
T
y
p
e
s
64 Message T
y
pes
3. Relative Positioning
Static Relative Positioning
Observation periods depending on
baseline length,
number of visible satellites,
geometric configuration, and t
he method used.
The accuracy is
correlated with the
baseline length and
amounts to 1-0.1ppm
(or even better).
Rapid Static Technique:
Based on fast ambiguity resolution techniques
Use code and carrier phase combinations on both
frequencies.
Dual frequency receivers and optimum satellite
geometry are required.
Restricting 20 km baselines, with sub cm level
Semi-Kinematic Relative Positioning (Stop-&-Go):
The semikinematic (stop-and-go) is characterized by stopping
and moving one receiver.
The most important feature is several measurement epochs at
the stop locations are accumulated and averaged.
This technique is often referred to as simply kinematic survey.
Relative positional accuracies at the centimeter level can be
achieved for baselines up to some 20 km.
Phase Ambiguities of Kinematic Positioning:
The initialization by static or kinematic techniques.
Commercial software (for dual frequency receivers) only
requires 1-2 minutes (baselines up to 20 km) kinematically.
Lock must be maintained over 4 satellites all entire survey.
Best suited for wide open areas.
In practice, it is best to use a mixture of the three methods
when using single frequency receivers.
For example:
Static and pseudokinematic methods can be used to
establish a broad framework of control and to set
points on either side of obstructions such as bridges.
Kinematic surveys can then be employed to
determine the coordinates of the major portion of
points, using the static points as control and check
points.
A thorough reconnaissance is required for these
mixed surveys.
1.3 Impact of SA on Positioning
SA has two components.
δ-process dithers the satellite clock frequency (some
minutes)
ε-process truncates the ephemerides data in the
navigation message (some hours).
Both processes induce variations in the code and phase
pseudoranges which in turn translate into like position
errors.
1. Authorized P-code user by decrypting SA to get
correction data from the navigation message
2. Differential techniques
3. Relative techniques
4. Modeling the behavior of SA and to remove its effect
by appropriate filters.
SA Impact Reduction:
1. Impact on Point Positioning:
1. With SA off, the position errors: 15 m level
2. With SA on, the position errors: 100 m level.
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2. Impact on DGPS:
1. The errors induced by SA are similar for the reference
and remote receiver over distances of 500 km.
2. In practice, time delay cannot be completely avoided
because of
Differential corrections calculating at reference station
Signal propagation delay in transmitting these
corrections to the remote receiver.
3. But this delay plays a much less stringent role in the
absence of SA because the pseudoranges change
smoothly and do not show the short variations caused by
the dithering process.
The differential pseudorange corrections accumulate an
error of about 1 m after 10 s.
2. US GPS Network Order
2.1 US GPS Survey Order
Engineering Surveying, Urban
Control Surveying
10 ppm1.0 cmC
Local Earth Surface Deformation,
high-accuracy Engineering
Surveying
1 ppm0.8 cmB
US Geodetic Reference Network,
Earth Surface Deformation
0.1ppm0.5 cmA
PurposeRelative
Accuracy
Distance
Accuracy
Order
2.2 Observation for GPS Survey
122Number of atmospheric measurement
122Number of antenna measurement
200300500Max length of non-synchronic loop
10108Max sides of non-synchronic loop
5515Minimum baseline
10
30
20
50
40
80
Site number
Over 3
Over 2
202015Elevation angle (°)
33~44Minimum satellites
120120240Minimum time (minutes)
CBAObservation
2.3 Synchronic Loop Construction
Definition: Several GPS receiver simultaneously survey
S=n(n-1)/2
Radial Surveying
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2.3 Non-synchronic Loop Construction
3. Planning of GPS Survey
3.1 General Remarks
1. Designing a GPS network will have to consider
1. Project objectives
2. Equipment,
3. Observation technique, and
4. Organization.
2. GPS surveying differs essentially from classical one
because
1. Weather independent
2. No need for intervisibility between the sites
3. Different planning
4. Execution
5. Processing techniques
3. The optimum planning of a GPS survey has to
consider
1. Site or satellite configurations,
2. Number of receivers
3. Type of receivers
4. Economic aspects
5. Data processing considerations (software allows for
single baseline vectors or for multipoint solutions)
6. Whether
4. Contrary to the design of triangulation or
trilateration networks, the followings are not so critical
for GPS networks
Geometric strength,
Line length.
For large projects with many sites and many
receivers, planning a GPS survey could be aided by the
use of computer programs to save time and resources.
3.2 Pre-survey Planning
1. Point Selection:
Small-scale maps (1:25000 to 1:100000) for point
selection.
All desired survey points are plotted on the map along
with the known control points
Three basic considerations in choosing a point:
1. No obstructions above 20° elevation to avoid satellite
signal blockage.
2. No reflecting surfaces (e.g., metal structures, fences,
water surfaces) in the vicinity of the antenna to avoid
multipath.
3. No nearby electrical installations (e.g., transmitters) to
avoid signal disturbances.
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2. Observation Window:
Observation Window: To optimum daily observation
period and to decide how it should be subdivided into
sessions.
1. The optimum window of satellite availability is the
period when a maximum of satellites can be observed
simultaneously.
2. The difference between sidereal time and Universal Time
(UT) is 4 minutes.
3. The length of the window is a function of the location.
1. Satellite Visibility (P. 150):
1. The tracked satellites should be geometrically well
distributed with (ideally) one in each of the four quadrants.
2. Geometric Distribution of Satellites:
1. Observations during night hours may be appropriate
because the ionospheric effect is usually quieter.
2. Daylight hours are preferred for organizational reasons.
3. Ionospheric Refraction:
3. Sessions:
Sessions: The specific time period chosen for an
observation.
Observation Time: The following factors to determine
the length of a particular observation:
1. Length of the baseline
2. Number of visible satellites (affects geometry)
3. Relative geometry of the satellites and the change in
geometry
4. SNR of the received satellite signal.
55-9020
35-6010
25-455
20-351
Session [min]Baseline [km]
Session length vs. baseline length for
conventional static surveying and single
frequency receivers
Summary
What have we learnt?
Which parts are important?