Assessing the Performance of Established GNSS Post-Processing Software on Static GNSS Datasets, Kubwa, Abuja
Abstract
The selection of appropriate Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) post-processing software is critical for achieving reliable centimeter-level positioning in engineering and geodetic applications. This study evaluated the performance of five GNSS post-processing software packages—Trimble Business Center (TBC), GrafNav, EZSurv, GNSS Explorer, and GeoBon—using identical static multi-constellation GNSS datasets acquired from twelve geodetic control stations in Kubwa, Abuja, Nigeria. Static observations were collected with dual-frequency GNSS receivers at a 5 s sampling interval over sessions exceeding two hours and processed under identical configurations using precise orbit products, standard atmospheric corrections, and carrier-phase ambiguity resolution. Coordinate solutions were evaluated against AUSPOS-derived reference coordinates using coordinate residuals, root mean square error (RMSE), ambiguity-fixing success rate, processing time, and one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) test. All software packages achieved centimeter-level positioning accuracy. GrafNav delivered the best overall performance, recording the lowest horizontal and vertical RMSE values (0.009 m and 0.014 m, respectively) and the highest ambiguity-fixing success rate (99.6%). At the same time, TBC achieved comparable accuracy with faster processing. EZSurv also produced reliable solutions, whereas GNSS Explorer and GeoBon exhibited larger residuals but remained within acceptable surveying tolerances. ANOVA revealed significant differences among the software packages for both horizontal (p = 0.0019) and vertical (p = 0.0007) positioning. The results demonstrate that processing algorithms and ambiguity-resolution strategies significantly influence static GNSS positioning performance and provide practical guidance for software selection in high-precision surveying within tropical environments.