Precise Point Positioning (PPP) technology has been widely used in surveying, navigation, precision agriculture, and other fields due to its high accuracy and global coverage. However, to fully realize the potential of PPP, choosing the right antenna is c
Key Antenna Characteristics for Enhancing PPP Performance
Bailong Ye, Tersus GNSS 8 July, 2025
Introduction
Precise Point Positioning (PPP) technology has been widely used in surveying, navigation, precision agriculture, and other fields due to its high accuracy and global coverage. However, to fully realize the potential of PPP, choosing the right antenna is crucial. This article will delve into four key antenna characteristics that affect PPP performance, helping you make informed choices.
1. Signal Tracking Capability: Embracing Multi-GNSS and Multi-frequency
鈥?nbsp;Multi-GNSS Support: The ability to track signals from multiple GNSS constellations (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, SBAS) significantly improves positioning reliability and accuracy. Tersus TAP service supports Multi-GNSS, so choosing an antenna with extensive tracking capabilities is essential.
鈥?nbsp;Multi-Frequency Tracking: Support for tracking multiple frequency bands, such as L1, L2, and L5, helps improve accuracy and accelerate ambiguity resolution.
2. Antenna Gain: Amplifying Weak Signals from Space
鈥?nbsp;Antenna gain refers to the antenna's ability to amplify the received satellite signal strength.
鈥?nbsp;Sufficient gain is crucial for reliable satellite tracking, especially in environments with obstructions or signal attenuation (e.g., under dense tree canopies or near buildings).
鈥?nbsp;Higher antenna gain can improve the Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), resulting in more stable and accurate PPP solutions.
3. Antenna Phase Center Variation (PCV) and Offset (PCO): Subtle Changes in Signal Source
鈥?nbsp;The phase center is the effective reference point used for phase measurement when the antenna receives signals, and its position varies with the satellite's elevation and azimuth (PCV).
鈥?nbsp;The phase center offset (PCO) is the average offset of the phase center relative to the antenna reference point.
鈥?nbsp;Considering PCV and PCO is essential for achieving centimeter-level accuracy in PPP.
鈥?nbsp;The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) provides calibration data (ANTEX (ANTenna EXchange) format files) containing PCO and PCV values for various antennas.
https://geodesy.noaa.gov/ANTCAL/LoadImage?name=TRSAX4E02%26NONE.gif
4. Multipath Mitigation: Taming Reflected Signals
鈥ultipath interference occurs when GNSS signals are reflected from surrounding objects and arrive at the antenna via multiple paths, causing measurement errors.
鈥?/span>Multipath can significantly affect the accuracy and convergence time of PPP solutions, especially in complex environments such as urban canyons.
鈥?/span>Designs such as choke ring antennas, helical antennas and patch antennas can effectively suppress multipath interference.
鈥?/span>Tersus smart receivers use advanced GNSS algorithms to filter out signals with severe multipath errors.
Summary
Choosing the right antenna is key to maximizing the performance of PPP services like Tersus TAP. When selecting an antenna, be sure to consider factors such as signal tracking capability, antenna gain, phase center variation, and multipath mitigation to ensure high-accuracy, high-reliability positioning results.
About Tersus GNSS Inc. Tersus GNSS is a leading Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) solution provider. Our offerings and services aim to make centimeter-precision positioning affordable for large-scale deployment.
Founded in 2014, we have been pioneers in design and development GNSS RTK products to better cater to the industry鈥檚 needs. Our portfolios cover GNSS RTK & PPK OEM boards, David GNSS Receiver, Oscar GNSS Receiver, MatrixRTK [GNSS CORS Systems] and inertial navigation systems.
Designed for ease of use, our solutions support multi-GNSS and provide flexible interfaces for a variety of applications, such as UAVs, surveying, mapping, precision agriculture, lane-level navigation, construction engineering, and deformation monitoring.
Sales inquiry: sales@tersus-gnss.comTechnical support: support@tersus-gnss.com
