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Models, methods and assessment of four-frequency carrier ambiguity resolution for BeiDou-3 observations

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Abstract

One of the most significant advantages of multiple frequencies is that it can improve the success rate of ambiguity resolution, such as the three-frequency carrier ambiguity resolution (TCAR) method. So far, the global BeiDou-3 navigation satellite system already provides four frequencies. Hence, we systematically study the models and methods of four-frequency carrier ambiguity resolution (FCAR) by using real BeiDou-3 data. First, the models of four-frequency linear combinations are given, and the optimal linear combinations are found out based on certain optimal criteria. Second, two typical methods, including geometry-free and geometry-based methods, are studied. In the end, the real BeiDou-3 data are used to evaluate the performance of the FCAR method, where two strategies, i.e., single-epoch and multi-epoch solutions, are both applied. The results indicate that the FCAR method can offer more high-quality virtual signals in quantity and quality than the TCAR method. By using the real BeiDou-3 data with different lengths ranging from 4.9 m to 61.6 km, three high-quality and independent signals can fix the ambiguities instantaneously with an approximately 100% success rate. Then the fourth independent signal can be fixed with high efficiency and success rate. Therefore, the FCAR method is promising in large-scale real-time precise positioning, where the successful ambiguity resolution may take tens of minutes to hours.

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Data availability

The observation data of this study are available from the corresponding author for academic purposes on reasonable request. They consist of 3 different baselines collected from Trimble Alloy receivers with BeiDou-3 data.

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Acknowledgements

This study is sponsored by State Key Laboratory of Rail Transit Engineering Informatization (FSDI) Grant (SKLK20-07), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2020M671324), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2019B03714), Jiangsu Planned Projects for Postdoctoral Research Funds (2020Z412), the State Key Laboratory of Geodesy and Earth’s Dynamics Grant (SKLGED2020-3-8-E) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41830110, 41874030). The authors thank the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, 211100, China

    Zhetao Zhang & Xiufeng He

  2. State Key Laboratory of Rail Transit Engineering Informatization (FSDI), Xi’an, 710043, China

    Zhetao Zhang

  3. College of Surveying and GeoInformatics, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China

    Bofeng Li, Zhiteng Zhang & Weikai Miao

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  1. Zhetao Zhang
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  2. Bofeng Li
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  3. Xiufeng He
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Correspondence to Zhetao Zhang.

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Zhang, Z., Li, B., He, X. et al. Models, methods and assessment of four-frequency carrier ambiguity resolution for BeiDou-3 observations. GPS Solut 24, 96 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10291-020-01011-z

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