RTK Compression for DARC

LiTH-ISY-EX-2055

Abstract

RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) is a special kind of differential GPS (Global Positioning System) that requires a broadcasting radio link between two GPS receivers. DARC (Data Radio Channel) provides such a link. However, DARC is a multiplexed channel; if the data needed for the RTK service can be compressed, the freed up bandwidth can be used for something else.

This thesis presents three different methods of compressing RTK data. All three exploit both temporal and spatial redundancies. The main result of the work is the transmission protocols, as no implementations have been made as a part of this thesis.

The three methods reduce the required bandwidth to the estimated levels of 16%, 18.5% and 22% of the original requirement. Lower bandwidth has been achieved partly at the expense of RTK service availability when messages are lost on the radio link.

Since the difference in bandwidth requirement between the three methods is relatively minor, the third and most expensive method is recommended since this method is most resilient to lost messages. This method has been named Interleaved Absolute Relativity (IAR) in the thesis.