scholarly journals Improving the Performance of Multi-GNSS Time and Frequency Transfer Using Robust Helmert Variance Component Estimation

Sensors ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 2878 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pengfei Zhang ◽  
Rui Tu ◽  
Yuping Gao ◽  
Rui Zhang ◽  
Na Liu

The combination of multiple Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSSs) may improve the performance of time and frequency transfers by increasing the number of available satellites and improving the time dilution of precision. However, the receiver clock estimation is easily affected by the inappropriate weight of multi-GNSSs due to the different characteristics of individual GNSS signals as well as the outliers from observations. Thus, we utilised a robust Helmert variance component estimation (RVCE) approach to determine the appropriate weights of different GNSS observations, and to control for the influence of outliers in these observation in multi-GNSS time and frequency transfer. In order to validate the effectiveness of this approach, four time links were employed. Compared to traditional solutions, the mean improvement of smoothed residuals is 3.43% using the RVCE approach. With respect to the frequency stability of the time links, the RVCE solution outperforms the traditional solution, particularly in the short-term, and the mean improvement is markedly high at 14.89%.

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Hong Hu ◽  
Xuefeng Xie ◽  
Jingxiang Gao ◽  
Shuanggen Jin ◽  
Peng Jiang

Abstract Stochastic models are essential for precise navigation and positioning of the global navigation satellite system (GNSS). A stochastic model can influence the resolution of ambiguity, which is a key step in GNSS positioning. Most of the existing multi-GNSS stochastic models are based on the GPS empirical model, while differences in the precision of observations among different systems are not considered. In this paper, three refined stochastic models, namely the variance components between systems (RSM1), the variances of different types of observations (RSM2) and the variances of observations for each satellite (RSM3) are proposed based on the least-squares variance component estimation (LS-VCE). Zero-baseline and short-baseline GNSS experimental data were used to verify the proposed three refined stochastic models. The results show that, compared with the traditional elevation-dependent model (EDM), though the proposed models do not significantly improve the ambiguity resolution success rate, the positioning precision of the three proposed models has been improved. RSM3, which is more realistic for the data itself, performs the best, and the precision at elevation mask angles 20°, 30°, 40°, 50° can be improved by 4⋅6%, 7⋅6%, 13⋅2%, 73⋅0% for L1-B1-E1 and 1⋅1%, 4⋅8%, 16⋅3%, 64⋅5% for L2-B2-E5a, respectively.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Isabel Fernández ◽  
Amalia Margarita Meza ◽  
María Paula Natali ◽  
Clara Eugenia Bianchi

Abstract. We compared and analyzed data of vertically Integrated Water Vapor (IWV) from two different re-analysis models (ERA-Interim from ECMWF and MERRA-2 from NASA's Global Modeling and Assimilation Office) with respect to IWV values from Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) at 53 stations of Central and South America during the 7-year period from January 2007 till December 2013. The comparison was performed taking into account the geopotential height differences between each GNSS station and the correspondent values assigned by the models. Thus, the set of GNSS stations was divided into 3 groups: Small, Large and Critical height difference stations. Moreover, the performance of the re-analysis models was also analyzed by using an additional classification of three levels according to the mean IWV (IWV) value expected at the station: IWV > 30 kg m−2, 12 kg m−2 ⩽ IWV ⩽ 30 kg m−2 and IWV 


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Deng ◽  
Xingwang Zhao ◽  
Aiguo Zhang ◽  
Fuyang Ke

The use of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) is entering a new era of joint positioning based on the use of multifrequencies and multimodes. Ensuring the correct weighting of observations from each system and satellite has become a key problem during real-time positioning. This paper addresses the issue of weights of observations as well as the quality control of GPS/BDS pseudoranges in the context of real-time relative positioning. Thus, in the first place, the Helmert variance component estimation (VCE) is used to determine the relative weighting of observations from the two systems, and then, we introduce robustness estimation theory and construct a new method. The method is resistant to the influence of outliers in the observations by selecting weight iterations. To do this, we selected GPS/BDS observation data at baseline lengths of 40 km, 46 km, and 64 km for verification and analysis. Experimental results show that, in terms of the relative positioning of medium-to-long baseline based on GPS/BDS pseudorange observations, when observed values incorporate large gross errors, our method can reduce the weighting of suspicious or abnormal values and weaken their impact on positioning solutions, so that the positioning results will not appear to have large deviation.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 2183-2208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michal Kačmařík ◽  
Jan Douša ◽  
Galina Dick ◽  
Florian Zus ◽  
Hugues Brenot ◽  
...  

Abstract. An extensive validation of line-of-sight tropospheric slant total delays (STD) from Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), ray tracing in numerical weather prediction model (NWM) fields and microwave water vapour radiometer (WVR) is presented. Ten GNSS reference stations, including collocated sites, and almost 2 months of data from 2013, including severe weather events were used for comparison. Seven institutions delivered their STDs based on GNSS observations processed using 5 software programs and 11 strategies enabling to compare rather different solutions and to assess the impact of several aspects of the processing strategy. STDs from NWM ray tracing came from three institutions using three different NWMs and ray-tracing software. Inter-techniques evaluations demonstrated a good mutual agreement of various GNSS STD solutions compared to NWM and WVR STDs. The mean bias among GNSS solutions not considering post-fit residuals in STDs was −0.6 mm for STDs scaled in the zenith direction and the mean standard deviation was 3.7 mm. Standard deviations of comparisons between GNSS and NWM ray-tracing solutions were typically 10 mm ± 2 mm (scaled in the zenith direction), depending on the NWM model and the GNSS station. Comparing GNSS versus WVR STDs reached standard deviations of 12 mm ± 2 mm also scaled in the zenith direction. Impacts of raw GNSS post-fit residuals and cleaned residuals on optimal reconstructing of GNSS STDs were evaluated at inter-technique comparison and for GNSS at collocated sites. The use of raw post-fit residuals is not generally recommended as they might contain strong systematic effects, as demonstrated in the case of station LDB0. Simplified STDs reconstructed only from estimated GNSS tropospheric parameters, i.e. without applying post-fit residuals, performed the best in all the comparisons; however, it obviously missed part of tropospheric signals due to non-linear temporal and spatial variations in the troposphere. Although the post-fit residuals cleaned of visible systematic errors generally showed a slightly worse performance, they contained significant tropospheric signal on top of the simplified model. They are thus recommended for the reconstruction of STDs, particularly during high variability in the troposphere. Cleaned residuals also showed a stable performance during ordinary days while containing promising information about the troposphere at low-elevation angles.


Author(s):  
M. O. Ehigiator

Geophysical investigation was conducted at Okada community in ovia North Local Govertment area of Edo state to determine the prospect of aquifer zone. The Petrozenith PZ-02 Terrameter, one of the Electrical Resistivity Equipment was used to conduct a Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) in the study area. The Garmin Etrex 10 Global Navigation satellite systems (GNSS) was used to acquire Geodetic coordinates of point where VES observations were made. This research was carried out as a pre-drilling Hydro-geophysical survey conducted for the purpose of surveying and studying the proposed water borehole site at Okada Community that has suffered acute water problems for a very long time. There have been series of boreholes drilled in the studied area but all are dry wells. This survey was conducted to investigate the subsurface complexity of the sites in respect of lithology and to recommend the total drill depth based on the prospective aquifer unit so identified. Result of interpretation suggests that the area is underlain with substantive aquiferous formation but at a depth not exceeding 121.60 m (398.95 ft), which is the lower aquifer unit. The value of elevation at point of observation referenced to mean sea level is 94 m.


2021 ◽  
Vol 95 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirjam Bilker-Koivula ◽  
Jaakko Mäkinen ◽  
Hannu Ruotsalainen ◽  
Jyri Näränen ◽  
Timo Saari

AbstractPostglacial rebound in Fennoscandia causes striking trends in gravity measurements of the area. We present time series of absolute gravity data collected between 1976 and 2019 on 12 stations in Finland with different types of instruments. First, we determine the trends at each station and analyse the effect of the instrument types. We estimate, for example, an offset of 6.8 μgal for the JILAg-5 instrument with respect to the FG5-type instruments. Applying the offsets in the trend analysis strengthens the trends being in good agreement with the NKG2016LU_gdot model of gravity change. Trends of seven stations were found robust and were used to analyse the stabilization of the trends in time and to determine the relationship between gravity change rates and land uplift rates as measured with global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) as well as from the NKG2016LU_abs land uplift model. Trends calculated from combined and offset-corrected measurements of JILAg-5- and FG5-type instruments stabilized in 15 to 20 years and at some stations even faster. The trends of FG5-type instrument data alone stabilized generally within 10 years. The ratio between gravity change rates and vertical rates from different data sets yields values between − 0.206 ± 0.017 and − 0.227 ± 0.024 µGal/mm and axis intercept values between 0.248 ± 0.089 and 0.335 ± 0.136 µGal/yr. These values are larger than previous estimates for Fennoscandia.


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