Dilution of precision (GPS)

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This article pertains to the Global Positioning System. For the connotation pertaining to computer graphics, see Dilution of precision (computer graphics).

Dilution of precision (DOP) or Geometric Dilution of Precision (GDOP) is a GPS term used in geomatics engineering to describe the geometric strength of satellite configuration. When visible satellites are close together in the sky, the geometry is said to be weak and the DOP value is high; when far apart, the geometry is strong and the DOP value is low. The term can also be applied to other location systems that employ several geographical spaced sites.

Factors that affect the DOP are, besides the satellite orbits, the presence of obstructions which make it impossible to use satellites in certain sectors of the local sky. Especially in urban measurements, this may be limiting.

We speak of HDOP, VDOP, PDOP and TDOP respectively, for Horizontal, Vertical, Position (3-D) and Time Dilution of Precision. These quantities follow mathematically from the positions of the useable satellites on the local sky. GPS receivers allow the display of these positions ("skyplot") as well as the DOP values.

Note that this situation is not restricted to GPS, but occurs in electronic-counter-counter-measures (electronic warfare) when computing the location of enemy emitters (radar jammers and radio communications devices). Using such an interferometry technique can provide certain geometric layout where there are degrees of freedom that cannot be accounted for due to inadequate configurations.

The DOP factors are functions of the diagonal elements of the covariance matrix of the parameters, expressed either in a global or a local geodetic frame.