PPP Standards

Fundamentals
Title	PPP Standards
Author(s)	GMV
Level	Basic
Year of Publication	2011

Precise point positioning (PPP) stands out as an optimal approach for providing global augmentation services using current and coming GNSS constellations. PPP requires fewer reference stations globally distributed rather than classic differential approaches (e.g. RTK), also one set of precise orbit and clock data is valid for all users everywhere, and the solution is largely unaffected by individual reference-station failures. There are always many reference stations observing the same satellite because the precise orbits and clocks are calculated from a global network of reference stations. As a result, PPP gives a highly redundant and robust position solution: mm precision level.

PPP Standards

Precise Point Positioning (PPP) is a global precise positioning service, since it requires the availability of precise reference satellite orbit and clock products in real-time using a network of GNSS reference stations distributed worldwide.

There are not "PPP Standards" as understood in SBAS Systems, but there are some conventions, models and formats commonly used. To achieve the highest accuracy and consistency (mm-cm level positioning), users must implement the GNSS-specific conventions and models adopted by the IGS.

Developers of GPS software are generally well aware of corrections they must apply to pseudorange or carrier-phase observations to eliminate effects such as special and general relativity, Sagnac delay, satellite clock offsets, atmospheric delays, etc. All these effects are quite large, exceeding several meters, and must be considered even for pseudorange positioning at the meter precision level. When attempting to combine satellite positions and clocks precise to a few centimeters with ionospheric-free carrier phase observations (with millimeter resolution), it is important to account for some effects that may not have been considered in pseudorange or precise differential phase processing modes.

The following sections summarize the adjustment models and procedures usually used and look at additional correction terms that are significant for carrier phase point positioning. The corrections models have been grouped under Satellite Effects, Site Displacements Effects and Compatibility and IGS conventions. A number of the corrections listed below require the Moon or the Sun positions which can be obtained from readily available planetary ephemeredes files, or more conveniently from simple formulas since a relative precision of about 1/1000 is sufficient for corrections at the mm precision level. Note that for centimeter level differential positioning and baselines of less than 100 km, the correction terms discussed below can be safely neglected.

IGS Formats

IGS has adopted and developed a number of standard formats, which for convenience are listed below. Note that some formats, like RINEX, SP3 and SINEX undergo regular revisions to accommodate receiver/satellite upgrades, or multi-technique solutions, respectively.

Real-Time PPP

No standard for Real-Time PPP has yet been defined. Nonetheless, a standarisation effort is being carried by the Radio Technical Comission for Maritime Services(RTCM) Special committee 104.