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Dilution of precision (navigation)

Propagation of error with varying topology / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Dilution of precision (DOP), or geometric dilution of precision (GDOP), is a term used in satellite navigation and geomatics engineering to specify the error propagation as a mathematical effect of navigation satellite geometry on positional measurement precision.

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Understanding the geometric dilution of precision (GDOP) with a simple example. In A someone has measured the distance to two landmarks, and plotted their point as the intersection of two circles with the measured radius. In B the measurement has some error bounds, and their true location will lie anywhere in the green area. In C the measurement error is the same, but the error on their position has grown considerably due to the arrangement of the landmarks.
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Navigation satellites with poor geometry for geometric dilution of precision (GDOP).
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Navigation satellites with good geometry for geometric dilution of precision (GDOP).