1. Basic Principles of GPS Mathias Lemmens EU GIS/Mapping Advisor Abuja 4 th August 2005

2. Contents Introduction GPS as a surveying tool Methods of Observation Accuracy Aspects Sources of GPS Error

3. Global Positioning System (GPS) Satellite-based navigation and positioning system, original developed for military purposes by the US Department of Defense in 1972 Applied in many fields as diverse as geodesy, GIS, precise cadastral mapping, cartography, vehicle guidance and atmospheric research The phenomenal progress in receiver hardware is continuously widening the scope of applications of this unique technique.

4. Advantages of GPS as Surveying Tool Transmission of signals that can be "seen" over a far larger area than ground-based systems (no line of sight necessary) Weather (transmission signals through cloud and rain) and day-time independent They recognise no national boundaries, and hence can be used globally wherever they are visible, on the ground, in the air and at sea.

5. : SPACE SEGMENT comprising the satellites themselves, transmitting the signals necessary for the system to operate. CONTROL SEGMENT ground facilities carrying out the task of satellite tracking, orbit computations, telemetry and supervision necessary for the daily management of the Space Segment. USER SEGMENT entire spectrum of applications equipment and computational techniques that provide the users with the position results. Three segments

8. Methods of Observation Infrastructural Support –Stand Alone –Local Differential GPS –Long Distance Differential GPS –Wide Area Differential GPS

9. Stand Alone GPS Positioning by using one Receiver From the distances measured to at least 4 satellites X, Y, Z and the time bias (clock error) are computed No additional infrastructure required Accuracy is limited

10. Stand Alone GPS

11. Local Differential GPS Two GPS receivers, one at a known point Transmission of correction messages to the other receiver(s) Influence of many errors can be reduced Much higher accuracy possible than with stand alone

12. Local Differential GPS

13. Long Distance Differential GPS Relative positioning with the fixed receiver transmitting correction messages to the other receiver(s) The further the user is away from the base station the less appropriate the corrections

14. Wide Area Differential GPS An integrated network of base stations over a (part) of a continent is uses, e.g. WAAS in the US (Wide Area Augmented System) EGNOS in Europe (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service

15. Accuracy Aspects Noise Bias (systematic error) Blunder

16. . The width of the function represents the uncertainty. When a coordinate is normally distributed, the 1-s interval to both sides about the mean (m) contains about 68% of the samples, and 95% of the samples (in yellow) will lie within the interval [-1.96s, 1.96s] about the mean Normal probability density function (pdf).

18. Accuracy and precision are often used interchangeably; precision refers to only the spread, no matter the bias, whereas accuracy both spread and bias includes Right, the precision of the observable in dark-blue and the one in light- blue is the same, but the latter has been biased due to for instance a remaining systematic effect. In the absence of biases (Left) precision and accuracy can be used synonymously.

36. Position Dilution of Precision (PDoP) Dimensionless Number between 1 (best) and infinite (worst) Indicates how good is the geometry of the satellite configuration

39. Quality of GPS measurements controllable by user Number of satellites (at least 4) Configuration of satellites (PDOP) Short travel time through atmosphere (avoid use of low satellites) Number of independent observations per station Time of Measurement

41. Thank you very much for your attention Questions?