Exploring Signals on L5/E5a/B2a for Dual-Frequency GNSS Precise Point Positioning.

Area of Science:

• Geomatics Engineering
• Satellite Navigation Systems
• Geodesy

Background:

• Precise Point Positioning (PPP) relies on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) measurements and correction products for accurate positioning.
• Advancements in GNSS technology introduce new signals and frequencies, potentially enhancing PPP performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively analyze PPP performance using new GPS, Galileo, and BeiDou-2/3 signals and frequencies.
• To investigate the impact of GPS Block-IIF L5 signal variations and biases on PPP accuracy.
• To assess the compatibility and performance of BeiDou-2 and BeiDou-3 on shared frequencies.

Main Methods:

• Real-time estimation of satellite orbits, clocks, and GPS Block-IIF L5 corrections using DLR's RETICLE engine.
• User-level PPP processing utilizing York University's PPP engine.
• Comparative analysis of PPP performance across widely used and new GNSS signals (GPS, Galileo, BeiDou-2/3).

Main Results:

• Reference PPP performance achieved 2.3 cm horizontal and 2.6 cm vertical RMS (static) and 5.4 cm horizontal and 7.5 cm vertical RMS (kinematic) using established signals.
• PPP on shared GPS, Galileo, and BeiDou-3 frequencies ([L1, E1, B1] and [L5, E5a, B2a]) yielded 6.9 cm horizontal and 7.1 cm vertical RMS (kinematic).
• Mitigating GPS Block-IIF L5 biases improved horizontal and vertical RMS by 15% and 20%, respectively, positively impacting position, clock, and ionospheric estimates.

Conclusions:

• New GNSS signals offer potential for improved PPP accuracy, particularly when biases are properly handled.
• GPS Block-IIF L5 signal variations require careful mitigation for optimal PPP results.
• Compatibility analysis revealed discrepancies in receiver clock behavior between BeiDou-2 and BeiDou-3.