mer’s field.
Use of these measurements depends on your specific application, but I should add that NovAtel receivers are designed to process both calculations and are flexible across user applications.
Our next episode will describe the ways in which common errors are resolved through equipment, algorithms, and other technologies. But, if you’re ready to get a head start in learning these GNSS concepts, you can download our book An Introduction to GNSS on our website.
Hexagon | NovAtel Corrections Services Product Manager Jennifer Busser explores the methods used to reduce GNSS errors in episode four of our on-demand webinar series. From equipment to additional services, these methods help your solution deliver a position you can trust.
Hello, and welcome to episode four of Hexagon NovAtel’s webinar series on An Introduction to GNSS. My name is Jennifer Busser; I’m the correction services product manager at Hexagon’s Autonomy and Positioning division. Thanks for joining me! Today, we’re going to be exploring how to reduce GNSS positioning errors.
This episode explains some important techniques for reducing GNSS errors and improving position accuracy. I’ll share how your choice of GNSS equipment can impact position quality, and how your position can be improved further by GNSS correction data.
I recommend downloading our Introduction to GNSS book for a more in-depth look at reducing errors in GNSS systems.
Identifying GNSS Errors
As we saw in episode two, basic errors occur at all stages of GNSS positioning: clock and orbit errors are introduced at the satellite; the satellites’ signals are sped up or delayed as they move through the earth’s atmosphere; and as they get closer to the ground, they could reflect off buildings before finally getting to the antenna receiver.
With improvements in technology, scientists and engineers have developed a variety of methods to reduce these errors. Let’s dive into how we can make our positioning more reliable and accurate through our equipment, and correction services.
Reducing Errors with your Equipment
High end antenna and receiver designs can access more signals and are equipped to reduce more challenging error sources such as multipath, receiver noise, and poor signal quality. Antenna selection is important. An antenna acts as a gatekeeper: the quality and design of the antenna directly impacts the quality of what goes into your GNSS position. Their design is critical for filtering out bad quality signals, and the design should be matched to the capabilities of the receiver.
But nothing impacts your performance quite like your antenna placement; antennas with a clear view of the sky are able to track much cleaner signals, which means higher quality input into your position calculations. Our Introduction to GNSS book details the different antennas beneficial in real-life scenarios, so download the book for further reading.
Choosing receivers and antennas that track multiple constellations directly impacts the quality of your position. Tracking multiple constellations increases the number of potential satellites you can position with. If a satellite moves out of sight, or goes offline, you have built-in redundancy by tracking other satellites. With access to multiple frequencies, your receiver has more information about each satellite, and can perform more comprehensive error and positioning models. It also builds in resiliency against interference if one frequency band is knocked out.
Equipment and algorithm designs play a fundamental role in how all of the information in the satellite signal is used; systems that can leverage more information are often able to recover from delays and outages, atmospheric errors, and multipath effects. All these factors contribute to having better quality data to work with and provide a more accurate and reliable position.
Reducing Errors with Corrections Services
Depending on your location and application, you may want to use correction services to further improve your position accuracy. Corrections deliver additional information about error sourc