GNSS Precise Point Positioning with Android Smartphones and Comparison with High Performance Receivers

Abstract

Precise Point Positioning (PPP) is becoming increasingly used instead of differential GNSS (DGNSS) due to its ease of use. With PPP, precise satellite orbits and clock corrections are calculated using the numerous International GNSS Service (IGS) permanent stations. The IGS network conceptually replaces the reference station(s) used in DGNSS. Models of the ionosphere and the troposphere are used to aid PPP, especially ionospheric models for single frequency users. In addition to 3D position, PPP provides estimates of GNSS time and zenith tropospheric delays. PPP performance is analysed herein as a function of receiver type, observation time and measurement utilized. The high-end receivers used in this study are multi-frequency multi-constellation Leica GS16. The Android phone used in the new Huawei Mate 20X. The measurements that are intercompared are (1) single frequency code, (2) single frequency code and carrier phase, (3) dual frequency code, and (4) dual frequency code and carrier phase. Results in low and high multipath environments are reported. Focus is on the use of GPS and GLONASS constellations because most IGS stations are equipped with such receivers, which is necessary to calculate precise satellite orbits and clock corrections. In order to assess PPP versus DGNSS performance, the results of a test consisting of an array of receivers are reported and analysed.