Augmenting GPS With BeiDou
Augmenting GPS With BeiDou
Augmenting GPS With BeiDou
North America
J. Dou, K. O’Keefe,
Position Location And Navigation (PLAN) Group,
Department of Geomatics Engineering,
University of Calgary
The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BeiDou system) In contrast, the real time kinematic (RTK) positioning
Signal-In-Space Interface Control Document (ICD) was capability (i.e., centimeter-level) of the BeiDou system
published in December 2012 and deployment of the initial has not received as much attention, even though many
BeiDou regional navigation satellite system consisting of applications require, or could benefit from, such high
14 satellites has now been completed. A tremendous positioning accuracy. Applications of RTK positioning
amount of research has been conducted to evaluate the include precise relative positioning of two vehicles,
performance of the BeiDou system. However, the focus precise relative motion over time and enhanced personal
has been generally on pseudorange measurements, thus navigation accuracy. Unfortunately, RTK positioning is
limiting obtainable positioning accuracy to the order of effectively impossible using the standalone BeiDou
tens of meters. Moreover, most of the research has been system anywhere outside the Asia Pacific region (e.g.,
with respect to the Asia Pacific region which fails to The America, Europe and Africa) due to the limited
illustrate the performance of the regional BeiDou system number of visible BeiDou satellites. According to current
globally. The purpose of this paper is to assess and BeiDou ephemerides, during limited times, three or four
demonstrate the usefulness of GPS/BeiDou combined Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites can be
RTK for users in North America by analyzing availability simultaneously tracked in North America while none of
and accuracy, then demonstrating GPS/BeiDou RTK with the Geostationary (GEO) satellites are visible. This is in
real data. Real data is obtained using a software receiver contrast to the Asia Pacific region, where typically ten
developed at the University of Calgary. Results of the test BeiDou satellites are visible at any given time. However,
conducted in an open sky environment are then presented RTK positioning based on both the Global Positioning
and analyzed to compare GPS and the combined System (GPS) and the BeiDou system could be attempted
GPS/BeiDou system. These preliminary results indicate in North America and might have advantages over using
the faster float ambiguity convergence with using a GPS alone.
ION GNSS+ 2013, Session A6, Nashville, TN, 16-20 September 2013 Page 1/9
In this paper, the BeiDou regional system is introduced orbits have an altitude of about 35,787km, inclination of
briefly. Geometry-based carrier phase position and float 55 o, and eccentricity e< 0.003. The period is 23h56m
ambiguity estimation algorithms using stand-alone GPS resulting in a daily repeat ground track shaped like a
and the combined GPS/BeiDou system are described in symmetric figure of eight. The Geostationary Earth Orbit
detail. Definitions and measures of availability and satellites also have an altitude of 35,787km with no
accuracy are reviewed and clarified. These include inclination, resulting in almost constant positions in the
Dilution of Precision to assess solution geometry, Earth-fixed system. According to the BeiDou ICD, when
estimated position and float ambiguity. fully deployed, the constellation will consist of 27
Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites, 3 Inclined
Real data is collected using GSNRx™, a software Geosynchronous Satellite Orbit (IGSO) satellites and 5
receiver developed at the University of Calgary that has Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites. This contrasts
just recently been modified to acquire and track BeiDou with the current constellation that consists of 4 MEO, 5
B1, B2 and B3 signals. Results of a test conducted in an IGSO and 5 GEO satellites.
open sky environment are presented and analyzed to
compare GPS and the combined GPS/BeiDou system.
The results will serve as a counterpoint for the analysis of
the BeiDou system that is currently being conducted in
the Asia Pacific region by others and will play an
important role in evaluating the global performance of the
combined GPS/BeiDou system for high precision
applications.
ION GNSS+ 2013, Session A6, Nashville, TN, 16-20 September 2013 Page 2/9
Table 1 Frequency bands of BeiDou satellite phase positioning with BeiDou alone and GPS/BeiDou
Band Freq. (MHz) Comment was compared by J. Li et al. (2013).
BEIDOU RTK OVERVIEW GPS and BeiDou use code division multiple access
(CDMA), which allows signals from different satellites to
Tremendous research has been conducted with the be transmitted on a common frequency. Phase
BeiDou system to illustrate its performance. Some RTK measurements made by two different receivers on a single
implementations have already been demonstrated, satellite can easily be differenced. Such a single
although only in China or the Asia Pacific region. Before difference is usually denoted by ∆ . In the case of a short
evaluating the RTK performance available by adding baseline, the differential errors (orbit, troposphere,
BeiDou to current GPS in North America, it is valuable to ionosphere, etc.) are negligible. The between-receiver
review recently reported results. single-difference measurement model is as follows.
Almost all reported BeiDou RTK results involve work in ∆Rgps + c∆dt gps + c∆dt
= ∆φgps + ∆N gps + ε φ
China and the Asia Pacific region. Among Chinese λL1
researchers Shi et al. (2012a) published the first quality
∆Rbeidou + c∆dtbeidou + c∆dt
analysis of BeiDou-II measurements in the world = using ∆φbeidou + ∆N beidou + ε φ
real data collected in Wuhan, China just after the release λB1
of the ICD. The noise level of code and phase
measurements is analyzed. In addition, kinematic short
baseline solutions using code plus phase measurements where
were implemented showing the precision of the ∆φ is the SD phase in units of cycles,
standalone BeiDou system is better than 4cm while the ∆R is the SD range in units of distance,
accuracy of a GPS/BeiDou combined solution was 20% c is the speed of light,
better than GPS alone. In the same year, results of static ∆dt is the SD receiver clock offset in
PPP and kinematic RTK positioning with BeiDou are
units of time,
given in another publication by the same group (C. Shi et
∆dt is the SD receiver clock drift in units of
al (2012b). The accuracy of Kinematic RTK was found to
be within 5-10cm. Later, single- epoch BeiDou carrier frequency,
phase ambiguity resolution using three civil frequencies λ is the carrier wavelength,
was firstly proposed by J. Qu et al. (2012) and differential ∆N is single difference ambiguity in units of
carrier-phase positioning performance in both static and cycles, and
kinematic scenarios using single frequency and dual ε φ is the phase error term, which includes
frequency measurements was presented by Y. Yang et al. multipath and residual differential errors
(2013). Finally, static single epoch dual frequency carrier
ION GNSS+ 2013, Session A6, Nashville, TN, 16-20 September 2013 Page 3/9
In order to estimate the user state and the between SYSTEM DESIGN
receiver single different ambiguity in a geometry-based
model, the single-difference pseudorange, phase and The proposed RTK algorithm is conducted on the basis of
Doppler measurements are used in a least squares software receiver developed at the University of Calgary
estimation or Kalman filter. In both cases the following that has just recently been modified to track BeiDou B1,
state vector is estimated: B2, B3 signals. The flow chart of the system is as shown
below. The satellite signal is collected from antenna
trough NI Front End to obtain inter mediate frequency
samples. Afterwards, GSNRxTM (GNSS Software
Navigation Receiver) is used to acquire and track
incoming signals and generate measurements for use in
where other data processing software. GSNRx is a C++ class-
based GNSS receiver software program developed by the
is the SD state vector, PLAN Group capable of post-mission processing of raw
R is the relative position vector, data samples from a GNSS front-end. Finally, the
is the relative velocity vector, navigation solution will be obtained through PLANSoftTM
is the receiver clock offset with GPS, which is a GNSS differential real-time kinematic (RTK)
software. The SD float solution, double-differencing float
is the receiver clock offset with solution and fixed solution can be calculated using this
BeiDou, software.
is the SD receiver clock drift, and
is the vector of SD ambiguities
where
is the DD state vector
is the vector of DD ambiguities
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TEST DESCRIPTION
TEST RESULTS
ION GNSS+ 2013, Session A6, Nashville, TN, 16-20 September 2013 Page 5/9
PDOP can be improved only when there are two BeiDou Table 2 Accuracy Statistics
satellites available. When only one BeiDou measurement GPS only G/B
is available, it is used only estimate the BeiDou clock Direction Time Mean RMS Mean RMS
offset and as a result does not affect the positioning (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm)
geometry.
1st
Number of Available Satellites minute -33.70 38.08 -32.85 37.31
10
2nd
N
# of SV
0
3rd
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
minute 6.95 13.41 6.78 13.34
PDOP
3.4
GPS 1st
3.2 G/B minute 32.78 42.16 37.66 47.46
PDOP
2.8 E 2nd
2.6
minute -13.36 15.30 -12.88 14.73
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
time [s]
3rd
Figure 5 Availability and Geometry minute -26.87 28.38 -26.75 28.26
Figure 6 presents the positioning errors of a single
1st
differenced float solutions in the North, East and Up
minute 130.74 135.66 124.69 129.27
directions. The estimated positions with GPS only and
G/B converge to similar values. But obvious differences
U 2nd
can be observed at the very beginning which is illustrated
minute 76.01 76.32 75.74 76.04
in Table 2.
3rd
1
Float Positioning Errors GPS only minute 36.04 38.07 36.10 38.12
G/B
N error [m]
0
In this table, the mean and the root mean square (RMS)
-1
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 error of the position errors are shown for each minute.
There is an obvious improvement in terms of RMS error
1 with BeiDou added in the first minute in the North and
E error [m]
ION GNSS+ 2013, Session A6, Nashville, TN, 16-20 September 2013 Page 6/9
SD-Rx Pseudorange Residuals GPS PRN2 clock drift varies within 0.4 m/s. In order to observe the
8
GPS PRN5 clock offset clearly, the first figure is zoomed in Figure
GPS PRN10
GPS PRN12 11. The two clock offsets are parallel to each other with
6
GPS PRN25 an intersystem clock bias due to inter-channel and inter-
GPS PRN29
GPS PRN31 frequency delays in the front ends used to gather the
4 BeiDou7 samples. This effect is not due to the actually between
Residuals [m]
BeiDou13
system time offset, since this will have cancelled in the
2
between receiver single difference.
0
SD-Rx Clock Offsets
500
GPS
Clock Offset[m]
-2 0 Beidou
-500
-4
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 -1000
Time [s]
-1500
Figure 7 SD-Rx Pseudorange Residuals 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
Clock Drift[m/s]
150 -8.8
100
-9
50
Residuals [mm]
-9.2
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
0 Time [s]
-50
Figure 10 SD-Rx Clock Estimation
-100
-330
Histograms and fitted normal distributions are shown in
Figure 9 from which we can see that GPS residuals are -335
better than BeiDou, especially for the phase
measurements. It should be noted however that there are -340
more samples in the GPS plots.
-345
Frequency
100
Figure 11 SD-Rx Clock offsets
10
50
5
0 0
-5 0 5 -5 0 5 The GPS SD float ambiguities are estimated based on
Residuals [m] Residuals [m]
GPS SD phase residuals BeiDou SD phase residuals
GPS only system and G/B system and are plotted in
Mean=1.16 mm Std=29.89 mm Mean=22.49 mm Std=217.13 mm Figure 12. The float ambiguities of PRN 10 are zoomed in
200 80
as an example for analysis. Two facts can be observed:
150 60
The float ambiguities of both the GPS only system and
Frequency
Frequency
100 40
G/B system converge to one or two integer values which
50 20
will allow the ambiguities to be fixed within a limited
0
-200 -100 0 100 200
0
-200 -100 0 100 200
search space. At the beginning, the float ambiguities of
Residuals [mm] Residuals [mm] G/B system are closer to the final ambiguities which may
Figure 9 SD-Rx measurement residual distributions result in faster ambiguity fixing before convergence.
ION GNSS+ 2013, Session A6, Nashville, TN, 16-20 September 2013 Page 7/9
SD-Rx BeiDou ambiguities
-7090
SD-Rx GPS float GPS
9810 -7100
PRN 2
9808 -7105
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
4 -7110
x 10 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
-2.7015
5
-2.702 x 10
0
PRN 5
7678
-4
7676
PRN 10
-6
7674 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
Time [s]
4
] x 10
2.337
Figure 14 SD-Rx BeiDou ambiguities
cy[
cl 2.3365
PRN 12
es
-R 2.336
x
A
S
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 CONCLUSIONS
m
D
b -1590
-2.645
x 10 the spatially correlated errors while retaining between
receiver clock effects. The solution is implemented using
-2.646
PRN 29 code, phase and Doppler measurements. A short test is
-2.647
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
conducted where two BeiDou satellites are briefly
available. The results indicate the addition of two BeiDou
-1440
satellites improves the availability and the geometry
-1450 effectively, and slightly improves the float positioning is
PRN 31
improved, especially at the beginning of processing.
-1460
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 There is an inter-system receiver clock bias between GPS
Time [s]
and BeiDou. The next step is to attempt to fix ambiguities
Figure 12 SD-Rx GPS Float ambiguities and then continue to test the method in more scenarios
where BeiDou satellites are available in North America.
SD-Rx ambiguities (GPS PRN10)
7677
7676.5
REFERENCES
GPS
7676 GPS+Beidou
Chen, H. (2013) Plot of BDS GEO and IGSO,
SD-Rx AMB[cycles]
http://blog.sciencenet.cn/home.php?mod=space&uid=829
7675.5
263&do=blog&id=719435.
ION GNSS+ 2013, Session A6, Nashville, TN, 16-20 September 2013 Page 8/9
Ong, R.B, M. G. Petovello and G. Lachapelle (2009)
Assessment of GPS/GLONASS RTK Under Various
Operational Conditions, ION GNSS 2009, Session F6a,
Savannah, GA.
ION GNSS+ 2013, Session A6, Nashville, TN, 16-20 September 2013 Page 9/9