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Impact of the frequency- related compass errors on marine navigation

Conference Paper · April 2004

DOI: 10.13140/2.1.3363.9364

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Andrzej Felski Mariusz Mięsikowski

Polish Naval Academy Polish Naval Academy
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GNSS 2004 Conference - Rotterdam

Impact of the frequency- related

compass errors
on marine navigation
ANDRZEJ FELSKI, Mariusz Mięsikowski
Gdynia Naval University

ABSTRACT

The paper presents some results of investigation of marine compass

errors with Fourier transforms. Some example of different errors occurred in
ship’s heading measurement are shown.

1. INTRODUCTION
Commonly used in navigation com-
passes have errors that result from both
design solutions of a specific compass and
the effect of ship's motion. In the case of
shipboard compasses, instability of ship’s
motion is a significant error factor, especially
yawing. Classic gyrocompasses are addi-
tionally affected by forces connected with
the occurrence of linear accelerations (so
called dynamic deviations). This phenome-
non is especially significant during rapid
maneuvers in speed or heading and after
their completion. This means that gyrocom-
passes are instruments that maintain dy-
namic balance of measuring element.
Therefore a change in outer conditions
causes transient processes in the meas-
urement system, i.e. varying in time errors in
readings.
To determine fully and explicitly error
values as well as the degree of their de-
pendence on vessel’s motion it would be
necessary to compare the directions meas-
ured with a reference direction determined
with other method. It is known that discus-
sion concerning variation of these errors can
not be described in deterministic way. This
information would be the most desirable for
a navigator aboard a ship, but because of
the known trouble in describing the process
in the time domain an attempt has been
made to describe them in the frequency
domain.

2. REFERENCE SYSTEM
One of the basic problems related to
the conduct of investigations of compass
errors is the selection of the reference sys-
tem, which could be used to compare with
the heading defined by means of the com-
passes under investigation. Such system
should provide both high accuracy and high
resistance to environmental conditions, es-
pecially ship’s maneuvers. To check the the accuracy of measurement can be many
accuracy of a shipboard compass for con- times higher than the accuracy offered by
stant errors commonly used are methods known compasses. In addition this technol-
consisting in comparing the direction defined ogy is free of dynamic errors characteristic
with it, with the direction of a leading mark, of compasses based on mechanical meas-
or with the azimuth of a specific celestial urement elements.
body. Leaving aside the fact that they are Further in the paper some examples of
little accurate and dependent on many fac- recording of heading, measured with two
tors, which, among others, include visibility, different compasses as well as with a plat-
sea state, helmsman’s ability to keep the form composed of three RTK-GPS receiv-
ship accurately in line with the leading mark, ers, will be shown. Differences between the
they provide comparison for single or short two recordings will also be discussed. Dur-
periods of observation. Therefore the meth- ing the investigation, along with recording
ods described can only be used to deter- the readings of all GPS receivers, which can
mine constant corrections (magnetic com- be referred to as radio platform, the read-
pass deviation error - ME, gyrocompass ings of ship’s headings determined with a
error - GE), but not to investigate their accu- gyrocompass and a magnetic compass
racy in dynamic conditions. were computer-recorded. In the experiment
In recent years some publications have described recorded were readings of con-
appeared that present some investigations stant headings from a gyrocompass with
of possibilities of using satellite systems to external correction, and fluxgate magnetic
determine heading [Comp, 1993], [Ueno et compass. Differences between the gyro-
all, 1997], [Mięsikowski, Felski 1999]. In- compass heading (GH), magnetic compass
struments for such applications are also heading (MH) and the reference heading
available on market. Using such technology (TH) were recorded.

0,4

0,2

0,0
from reference heading ( TH ) [degrees]
Compass heading (GH, MH ) deviation

-0,2

-0,4

-0,6

-0,8

-1,0

-1,2

-1,4

-1,6
0:00 0:20 0:40 1:00 1:20 1:40 2:00 2:20 2:40 3:00 3:20 3:40 4:00 4:20 4:40 5:00 5:20 5:40 6:00 6:20 6:40
Time after completion of turn [m:ss]

GE ME Trend (GE) Trend (ME)

Fig. 1. Comparison of compass heading deviations from reference heading on constant heading
at speed V=10 knots, after completion of turn.

Fig. 1 shows examples of the results of

the experiment as the difference between
GE  GH  TH
(1)
compass heading (GH and MH) and the ME  MH  TH
reference heading (TH):
 Analyzing the distributions in the dia-
grams above some, periodical, deviations
from the real heading, both in the case of
the magnetic compass and the gyrocom-
pass, may be noticed. They are caused
mainly by yawing. The difference in ampli-
tudes of these deviations shows the varying
character of both distributions resulting from
dumping of swinging in the gyro element.
This is confirmed by literature data that
shows that a gyrocompass is more resistant
to short-period swinging than a magnetic
compass.
Another kind of conclusions is drawn
from studying the trend lines in both cases.
Leaning of the trend line is smaller for the
magnetic compass than for the gyrocom-
pass. The only explanation is the effect of
dynamic deviations on the readings of the
gyrocompass. This kind of disturbances, of
long period character, is typical of a gyro-
compass due to the occurrence of inertial
elements.

3. POSSIBILITIES OF USING COMPLEX SPECTRUM TO INVESTIGATE COMPASS

READINGS

The research material obtained during distributions not only in the time domain but
the experiment, in the form of the ship’s also in the frequency domain. One of the
heading determined with different methods, basic tools used in the theory of signal pro-
can be used to analyze the effect of ship’s cessing - Fourier transformation - was used
motion on the accuracy of compass read- for this purpose. This transformation ena-
ings. It was assumed that the main disturb- bles a complete description of any signal
ance having the essential significance with determined in the frequency domain f or
regard to the accuracy of compass readings pulsation   2f .
would be ship’s motion. It should be re-
membered that also the real ship’s heading Signal x(t ) can be presented by means
deviations would result from movement of of the Fourier integration formu-
the ship. In other words the motion men- 
1
X ( )  e jt d (2)
2 
tioned will determine both the real ship’s la. x(t ) 
heading deviation and the errors in measur-
ing it. where X ( ) is Fourier transform of signal
It might seem that the comparison itself x(t ) :
of the compass heading with the reference
heading determined by means of the radio df 
 jt
platform will enable a full analysis of chang-
es caused by ship’s motion. Unfortunately it
X ( )   x(t )  e dt (3)

appears that this kind of comparison will
only provide information on absolute values The investigated distributions of ship’s head-
of heading deviations for specific moments ings have the character of a determined
of observation, giving no information on their discrete signal of periodical character xi in
character. It follows from the synthesis of contrast to the continuous signal x(t ) . The
errors in classic gyrocompasses that ship’s period of sampling for such a signal is,
maneuvering causes long period deviations therefore
in heading readings resulting from dynamic
deviation. On the other hand ship’s yawing
leads to dumping of heading variations that xi  xit  for
it directly causes.
The analysis conducted led to the con- i  0 N  1 (4)
clusion that it is necessary to analyze the
 For this kind of signal mathematical no-
tation with trigonometric functions assumes
the form:
N 1
 Ar cos ' rit   r 
2
xi  A0 
r 1
(5)
where: A0 - initial amplitude of signal;
Ar - amplitudes of components
of harmonic signals;
2
' - pulsation of the main com-
Nt
ponents of harmonic signal (for r=1);
r - phases of components of
harmonic signals.
The dependence (5) presents infor-
mation on what part have the particular
components in the distribution xi , in the form
r- harmonic signals of amplitudes Ar and
phases  r and initial amplitude A0 . The
comparison above is true for odd N. For
even N r should change in the interval
1...N/2. Since there exists a relationship
between evenness of the samples and the
mathematical dependencies presented in
further considerations the analysis of math-
ematical apparatus for odd N elements was
assumed.
To sum up, the Fourier analysis of the
determined signal (5) while enabling study-
ing of its distribution in the frequency do-
main it enables determining the effect of
particular distributions of components of
various characters on the whole signal.
The of amplitude frequency of signal
As is constrained in the lower range by
frequency f ' determined with the whole
period of observation T, in the upper range
with the so called Nyquist frequency
f n  f s / 2 resulting from the theorem on
signal sampling [Otnes, 1978].
The essence of the mathematical anal-
ysis of the ship’s heading distributions that
were obtained consists in finding the effect
of ship’s motion on the amplitude of errors in
these readings. Therefore it is more conven-
ient to study complex spectrum, not heading
distribution H (GH and MH) only, but dis-
turbances, i.e. EH. According to the equal-
ing (1):
EH i  H it   TH it  for
i  0 N  1 (6)
where: TH – true ship’s heading determined
by means of the reference system.
Such procedure was caused mainly by
the fact that the ship’s heading was main-
tained in accordance with the readings from
the gyrocompass, owing to which the
helmsman unintentionally implemented
dumping of long period disturbances (fig.2).
Conducting frequency analysis of the
distributions above a conclusion is drawn
that the heading TH determined with the
reference system and the heading deter-
mined with the fluxgate magnetic compass
MH are less susceptible to the effect of long
period errors than the heading determined
with the classic gyrocompass GH. This ne-
gates our knowledge of principles of func-
tioning of these instruments as the long
period errors are characteristic of the sys-
tems which have inertial elements, of gyro-
compasses in this case.
 272,4

272,2

272,0

271,8
Ships' headings [degrees]

271,6

271,4

271,2

271,0

270,8

270,6

270,4
0:00 0:20 0:40 1:00 1:20 1:40 2:00 2:20 2:40 3:00 3:20 3:40 4:00 4:20 4:40 5:00 5:20 5:40 6:00 6:20 6:40
Time t [m:ss]

GH MH TH

o
Fig. 2. Comparison of ship’s headings after turn on GH=271.5 .

0,4

0,35
the direction of the leading mark of 271.5 o [degrees]

0,3
Ships' headings deviation from

0,25

0,2

0,15

0,1

0,05

0
2,49E-03

4,98E-03

7,46E-03

9,95E-03

0,012

0,015

0,017

0,022

0,025

0,027

0,032

0,035

0,037

0,042

0,045

0,047
0,02

0,03

0,04

0,05

Frequency f [Hz]

GH MH TH

Fig. 3. Frequency analysis for distributions presented in Fig. 2 in the interval

of low frequencies (f‘ to f=0.05 Hz, T=20s).

For the purpose of comparison figure 3 were obtained which show that the fluxgate
shows the frequency analysis for deviations magnetic compass, in contrast to the gyro-
EH of compass headings from the real compass, is not susceptible to disturbances
heading, i.e. for real errors in readings of the caused by ship’s motion. Thus they confirm
gyrocompass and magnetic compass for the properties of the direction measuring
frequency band corresponding to long term instruments compared.
disturbances. This way some distributions
 0,3

0,25

from reference heading ( TH ) [degrees]

Compass heading (GH, MH ) deviation 0,2

0,15

0,1

0,05

0
2,49E-03

4,98E-03

7,46E-03

9,95E-03

0,012

0,015

0,017

0,022

0,025

0,027

0,032

0,035

0,037

0,042

0,045

0,047
0,02

0,03

0,04

0,05
Frequency f [Hz]

GE ME Trend (GE)

Fig. 4. Frequency analysis for EH in the interval of low frequencies (f‘ to f=0.05 Hz, T=20s).

4. CONCLUSIONS
The analysis of the ship’s motion in the of errors made by ship’s yawing, which
frequency domain, especially in the case often have to appear in headings records
where there exists a possibility of comparing regardless of the type of measuring instru-
data simultaneously recorded with a few, ment. This also creates a base for analyzing
different instruments or methods, creates the effect of outer factors on the measure-
extremely broad, new research opportuni- ment process. Additionally the frequency
ties. Thus the frequency analysis of marine analysis enables estimating better the effect
compass errors may constitute a useful tool of errors by heading measuring instruments
used to investigate this kind of phenomena. on the process of navigation.
This apparatus especially enables isolation

5. BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Comp C. Optimal Antenna Configura- 3. Otnes R. K., Enochson L. Numerical
tion for GPS Based Attitude Determina- analysis, Wydawnictwo Naukowo-
tion. Proceedings of the ION-GPS. Salt Techniczne, Warszawa 1978.
Lake City, 1993. 4. Ueno M., Santerre R., Babineau S. Im-
2. Mięsikowski M., Felski A. Some As- pact of the Antenna Configuration on
pects of DGPS Based Heading Determi- GPS Attitude Determination. 9th World
nation. Geodezja i Kartografia t.XLVIII, Congress of the International Associa-
z.3-4, Warszawa 1999. tion of the Institutes of Navigation. Am-
sterdam, 1997.

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