DGPS

Differential global positioning system.

Srushti vasagade

FOA/BAR-2020-25-010
Meaning

A Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) is an enhancement to the

Global Positioning System (GPS) which provides improved location accuracy, in the range
of operations of each system, from the 15-meter nominal GPS accuracy to about 1-3 cm in
case of the best implementations.
Each DGPS uses a network of fixed ground-based reference stations to broadcast the
difference between the positions indicated by the GPS satellite system and known fixed
positions. These stations broadcast the difference between the measured satellite pseudo
ranges and actual (internally computed) pseudo ranges, and receiver stations may correct
their pseudo ranges by the same amount. The digital correction signal is typically
broadcast
locally over ground-based transmitters of shorter range.
Working
Ground control points (GCP’s) are locations on the surface of our planet with a
known X,Y (e.g. latitude and longitude) and Z (e.g. height above mean sea level in
meters).
In order to use GCPs in the ortho-rectification process, or for any Survey application, they
need to be extremely accurate. One cannot collect them with a low-priced handheld global
positioning system (GPS) unit or with a smart phone. What is required is a survey-grade
GPS unit which is often referred to as a differential GPS unit. These units work by locking
on to multiple GPS satellites in space that then triangulate your position on the ground.
The
longer you wait, the more accurate your position will be calculated as more satellites lock
onto the unit. The position of each GPS satellite is then verified and corrected by a series
of
ground stations that monitor their orbit, velocity and direction of movement, usually called
as
post processing of the DGPS observations using a suitable software.
Post-processing is used in Differential GPS to obtain precise
positions of unknown points by
relating them to known points such as survey markers. The GPS
measurements are usually
stored in computer memory in the GPS receivers, and are
subsequently transferred to a
computer running the GPS post-processing software. The software
computes baselines
using simultaneous measurement data from two or more GPS
receivers.
The baselines represent a three-dimensional line drawn between
the two points occupied
by each pair of GPS antennas. The post-processed
measurements allow more precise
positioning, because most GPS errors affect each receiver nearly
equally, and therefore can
be cancelled out in the calculations. Differential GPS
measurements can also be computed
in real time by some GPS receivers if they receive a correction
signal using a separate radio
receiver, for example in Real Time Kinematic (RTK) surveying or
navigation.
Advantages of DGPS
● While in use GPS, it is quite
accurate, using DGPS pushes its
accuracy even further.
● GPS or DGPS makes A/L
guidance at every precise as
oppose to ILS as well as
MLS.
● DGPS has to know the perfect
location on the earth.
● Provide accurate data within a
minute
Disadvantages of DGPS
● The coverage is to take advantage of
DGPS is limited.
● In this signal to ensure greater coverage
area more DGPS stations need to be
added.
● The position accuracy to degrades as the
separation between DGPS and also the
aircraft GPS-Rx increases.
● Most of the errors are other completely
eliminated or made negligible after using
DGPS, however atmospheric and Rx based
errors would still exist. DGPS error
sources are satellite clocks, orbital errors,
RX noise and multipath.
TYPE

DGPS methods are commonly known as augmentation schemes and

are generally
divided into two types depending upon the size of the geographic area
covered by the
system. These DGPS augmentation systems are (1) wide area
augmentation systems
(WAAS) and (2) local area augmentation systems (LAAS).
Difference between GPS & DGPS

The basic difference between GPS and DGPS lies in their

accuracy, DGPS is more
accurate than GPS. DGPS was intentionally designed to reduce
signal degradation.
GPS provides accuracy about 10 meters, but DGPS can provide
accuracy around 1
meter, even beyond that 10 cm.