DIFFERENTIAL GPS
(DGPS)
S. ESWAR
Differential GPS (DGPS)
DGPS is a method of improving the accuracy of your receiver by adding a local
reference station to augment the information available from the satellites
It also improves the integrity of the whole GPS system by identifying certain
errors
Differential GPS uses one unit at a known location and a rover
The stationary unit compares its calculated GPS location with the actual
location and computes the error
The rover data is adjusted for the error
Differential GPS
▪ To obtain more accurately measurements than a
single GPS unit
▪ Used to improve positional accuracy and integrity
▪ In DGPS systems, the GPS receiver broadcasts
the signal it receives from a known position
▪ The GPS unit in the field simultaneously receives
data from the GPS satellites and the other GPS
receiver on ground through a radio signal
▪ The GPS error from the known position is compared
to that of the GPS receiver in the unknown location
Working of Differential GPS
The underlying premise of differential GPS(DGPS) is that any two receivers that are relatively
close together will experience similar atmospheric error
DGPS requires that a GPS receiver be set upon a precisely known location
This GPS receiver is the base or reference station
The base station receiver calculates its position based on satellite signals and compares this
location to the known location
Working of Differential GPS
The difference is applied to the GPS data recorded by the second GPS receiver, which is known
as the roving receiver
The corrected information can be applied to data from the roving receiver in real time in the
field using radio signals or through post-processing after data capture using special processing
software
Differential correction techniques are used to enhance the quality of location data gathered
using global positioning system (GPS) receivers
Differential correction can be applied in real-time directly in the field or when post-processing
data in the office. Although both methods are based on the same underlying principles, each
accesses different data sources and achieves different levels of accuracy. Combining both
methods provides flexibility during data collection and improves data integrity
DGPS Errors
With no DGPS
Selective availability S/A dominates, < 100 metres (95%)
Other errors amount to several metres
With DGPS
S/A cancels out
Errors reduced in local area (increases with distance)
» orbits, clocks, ionosphere, troposphere
» can be reduced to a few centimeters
Some errors increase (due to differencing measurements)
» measurement error, multipath
» therefore, this error typically remains at ~ 1 metre
In addition, any error in “known” reference station position will be
passed on to mobile
Conclusion
Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) is an enhancement to Global
Positioning System that provides improved location accuracy, from the 15-meter
nominal GPS accuracy to about 10 cm in case of the best implementations
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 baselinesusing simultaneous
measurement data from two or more GPS receivers
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
