Research Progress

The "BDS/GNSS Time Monitoring and Assessment System" contributes to the improvement of BeiDou timing performance

Author:       ArticleSource:       Update time:2025/01/16

In response to the significant demand for high-precision timing in the BeiDou Satellite Navigation System (BDS), the "BDS/GNSS Time Monitoring and Assessment System", which is based on the national standard time UTC(NTSC), has been routinely applied to the operation and maintenance of BDS timing services. This system regularly provides monitoring data and evaluation results on the performance of BDS timing services, supporting the optimization of the system's timing performance.

In 2024, the timing accuracy of the BDS which is characterized with the UTCOE indicator(UTC offset error, abbreviated as UTCOE) was 4.9ns (95%) (as shown in Figure 1), representing a significant improvement from 14.1ns in 2023. For the first time, the timing performance of the BDS surpassed that of Galileo and was far superior to GLONASS.

"Since 2008, our team members,Dr. Zhu Lin, Dr.Zhu Feng etc. ,have been dedicated to researching GNSS system time offset monitoring and prediction methods based on receiving GNSS space signals. They have overcome key technologies such as multi-system receiver delay calibration and established the first domestic automated, long-term, continuous, stable BDS/GPS/GLONASS/Galileo satellite navigation time difference monitoring and timing performance assessment system," said Prof. Zhang Huijun, one of the core researchers of this system.

This system was in operation since 2014, supporting the construction of the BDS. It has successively completed tests such as the timing difference monitoring and timing performance assessment of the BDS, the timing performance assessment of BDS experimental satellites, and the timing performance assessment before the opening of the basic system of the BDS-3, effectively promoting the improvement of high-precision timing services of BDS. The system also provides UTCOE monitoring and assessment results of the BDS for the ICG-iGMAS international joint monitoring and evaluation task, promoting the internationalization of BDS timing services.


Figure 1. Four comparison curves on BDS/GPS/GLONASS/Galileo timing performance(UTCOE) in 2024 (Imaged by NTSC)


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