Testing the performance of multi-frequency low-cost GNSS receivers and antennas

Hamza, Veton (author), Stopar, Bojan (author), Sterle, Oskar (author)

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) low-cost multi-frequency receivers are argued as an alternative to geodetic receivers for many applications. Calibrated low-cost antennas recently became available on the market making low-cost instruments more comparable with geodetic ones. The main goal of this research was to evaluate the noise of low-cost GNSS receivers, to compare the positioning quality from different types of low-cost antennas, and to analyze the positioning differences between low-cost and geodetic instruments. The results from a zero baseline test indicated that the u-blox multi-frequency receiver, namely, ZED-F9P, had low noise that was at the sub-millimeter level. To analyze the impact of the antennas in the obtained coordinates, a short baseline test was applied. Both tested uncalibrated antennas (Tallysman TW3882 and Survey) demonstrated satisfactory positioning performance. The Tallysman antenna was more accurate in the horizontal position determination, and the difference from the true value was only 0.1 mm; while, for the Survey antenna, the difference was 1.0 mm. For the ellipsoid height, the differences were 0.3 and 0.6 mm for the Survey and Tallysman antennas, respectively. The comparison of low-cost receivers with calibrated low-cost antennas (Survey Calibrated) and geodetic instruments proved better performance for the latter. The geodetic GNSS instruments were more accurate than the low-cost instruments, and the precision of the estimated coordinates from the geodetic network was also greater. Low-cost GNSS instruments were not at the same level as the geodetic ones; however, considering their cost, they demonstrated excellent performance that is sufficiently appropriate for various geodetic applications.

• Language: English
• Keywords: GNSS, low-cost instruments, geodetic instruments, comparison, sessions
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FGG - Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: 16 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 21, iss. 6, art. 2029
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-127409
• UDC: 528(497.4)
• ISSN on article: 1424-8220
• DOI: 10.3390/s21062029
• COBISS.SI-ID: 55332867
• Publication date in RUL: 04.06.2021

HAMZA, Veton, STOPAR, Bojan and STERLE, Oskar, 2021, Testing the performance of multi-frequency low-cost GNSS receivers and antennas. Sensors [online]. 2021. Vol. 21, no. 6,  2029. [Accessed 14 March 2025]. DOI 10.3390/s21062029. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=127409

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Sensors
• Shortened title: Sensors
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1424-8220
• COBISS.SI-ID: 10176278

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 12.03.2021

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: GNSS, geodetski instrumenti, ekonomski vidik, primerjava

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P2-0227
• Name: Geoinformacijska infrastruktura in trajnostni prostorski razvoj Slovenije