Impact of Multiconstellation on Relative Static GNSS Positioning

Abstract

Until a few years ago, a precise survey was only possible using global positioning system (GPS) and Global’naja Navigacionnaja Sputnikovaja Sistema (GLONASS) constellations, but the result was not guaranteed under conditions of poor sky visibility, as in urban canyons. Currently, the number of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellites in orbit has strongly increased thanks to the great evolution of the Galileo and the Beidou constellations. In this paper, we investigate the impact of using different constellations and their combinations, in static positioning with the classical differencing approach. For this purpose, two distinct baselines of different lengths (10 and 60 km) were processed using commercial software over a period of one year (2018.24–2019.24). Data were acquired by permanent stations belonging to the European Permanent Network (EPN) network providing 24-h observing sessions. Two datasets were tested, one consisting of 24-h Receiver Independent Exchange Format (RINEX) files and the other considering only 2-h sessions of data acquisition. In both cases, a one-year-long time span has been considered. The baselines were processed considering each of the four GNSS constellations and a series of combinations, for a total of eight solutions. Results have been evaluated looking at the accuracy and repeatability of the coordinates, together with the main constellation parameters. During the analyzed period the number of contemporary visible satellites of the BeiDou constellation was still too poor over the considered area, and therefore this constellation did not provide comparable precisions in respect to the others. Positioning precision provided by the Galileo constellation has shown to be very close to those given by GPS or GLONASS, with a significant difference only on the height component, especially in the case of processing 2-h data. As for 24-h observing sessions, the use of multiconstellation observables actually leads to small improvements in precision with respect to the use of GPS data only, mainly appreciable considering the vertical component. The GPS-Galileo combination gives quite the same performances of the GPS-GLONASS one, but it can potentially take advantage of the integrity message provided by the European constellation.