Static Network Code Dgps Positioning vs. Carrier Phase Single Baseline Solutions for Short Observation time and Medium-Long Distances

GPS land surveys are usually based on the results of processing GPS carrier phase data. Code or pseudorange observations due to considerations of accuracy requirements and robustness are preferred in navigation and some GIS applications. Generally, the accuracy of that positioning is in the range of about 1-2 meters or so, on average. But the main problem in code GPS positioning is to know how to estimate the real accuracy of DGPS positions. It is not such an easy process in code positioning when one reference station is used. In most commercial software, there are no values of accuracy but only positions are presented. DGPS positions without estimated errors cannot be used for surveying tasks and for most GIS applications due to the fact that every point has to be have accuracy determined. However, when we used static GPS positioning, it is well known that the accuracy is determined, both during baseline processing and next by the adjustment of a GPS network. These steps of validation with redundancy in classical static phase baseline solutions allow wide use of static or rapid static methods in the main land surveying tasks. Although these control steps are commonly used in many major surveying and engineering tasks, they are not always effective in terms of short-observation-time sessions. This paper presents a new network DGPS approach of positioning with the use of at least three reference stations. The approach concerns also valid accuracy estimation based on variance-covariance (VC) matrix in the least-squares (LS) calculations. The presented network DGPS approach has the ability of reliable accuracy estimation. Finally, network DGPS positioning is compared with static baselines solutions where five-min sessions were taken into consideration for two different rover stations. It was shown that in a short observation time of GPS positioning, code network DGPS results can give even centimetre accuracy and can be more reliable than static relative phase positioning where gross errors often happen.