Elements of a Dynamic GPS Test Standard

Abstract. There has been much advancement in GPS receiver technology in recent years. GPS accuracy, especially the dynamic (moving) accuracy, is very important in precision agriculture for collecting data and controlling variable rate inputs. Typical applications of GPS receivers in agriculture include yield monitoring, parallel tracking and variable-rate application of fertilizer. Perhaps more important is the relevance of existing tests (primarily static tests), and the inability to compare receivers because of a variety of reporting formats. This project evaluated several different receivers. Test results showed that different performance reporting techniques make it difficult to evaluate and compare the performance of receivers. Also, the static performance of receivers was not indicative of dynamic performance. A proposed framework for a dynamic test standard for agricultural GPS receivers is presented.