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. 2021 Jul 6;21(14):4639.
doi: 10.3390/s21144639.

Preliminary Results of an Astri/UWM EGNSS Receiver Antenna Calibration Facility

Karol Dawidowicz  1 , Jacek Rapiński  1 , Michał Śmieja  2 , Paweł Wielgosz  1 , Dawid Kwaśniak  1 , Wojciech Jarmołowski  1 , Tomasz Grzegory  3 , Dariusz Tomaszewski  1 , Joanna Janicka  1 , Paweł Gołaszewski  1 , Bogdan Wolak  1 , Radosław Baryła  1 , Grzegorz Krzan  1 , Katarzyna Stępniak  1 , Grec Florin-Catalin  4 , Karol Brzostowski  3   4
Affiliations

Preliminary Results of an Astri/UWM EGNSS Receiver Antenna Calibration Facility

Karol Dawidowicz et al. Sensors (Basel). .

Abstract

In 2019, the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, in cooperation with Astri Polska, started a European Space Agency (ESA) project. The purpose of the project is the development and implementation of a field calibration procedure for a multi-frequency and multi-system global navigation satellite system (GNSS). The methodology and algorithms proposed in the project are inspired by the "Hannover" concept of absolute field receiver antenna calibration; however, some innovations are introduced. In our approach, the antenna rotation point is close to the nominal mean phase center (MPC) of the antenna, although it does not coincide with it. Additionally, a National Marine Electronics Association local time zone (NMEA ZDA) message is used to synchronize the robot with the GNSS time. We also propose some modifications in robot arm movement scenarios. Our first test results demonstrate consistent performance for the calibration strategy and calibration procedure. For the global positioning system (GPS) L1 frequency, the calibration results show good agreement with the IGS-type mean values. For high satellite elevations (20°-90°), the differences do not exceed 1.5 mm. For low elevation angles (0°-20°), the consistency of the results is worse and the differences exceed a 3 mm level in some cases.

Keywords: GNSS; PCC; antenna calibration.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PCC as a function of PCO and PCV.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Robot vs. GNSS time synchronization.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The hardware part of the GNSS antenna calibration system.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The idea of TDSD for GNSS receiver antenna calibration purposes.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Observations coverage on test antenna hemisphere in case of static antenna (red) and robot rotated and tilted one (blue): (a) after 1 h 40 min (1 calibration); (b) after 5 h (3 calibrations).
Figure 6
Figure 6
The antennas during calibration: (a) LEIAR10/NONE; (b) TRM115000.00/NONE.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Zenith-dependent PCVs of the GPS L1 frequency: (a) LEIAR10/NONE antenna; (b) TRM115000.00/NONE antenna.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Differences between two independent calibrations of full PCCs for the GPS L1 frequency: (a) LEIAR10/NONE (left) antenna; (b) TRM115000.00/NONE (right) antenna.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Differences between two independent calibrations of full PCCs for GPS L1 frequency: (a) LEIAR10/NONE (left) antenna; (b) TRM115000.00/NONE (right) antenna.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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