PCO/PCV – Phase Center Offset / Phase Center Variation

PCO (Phase Center Offset) and PCV (Phase Center Variation) describe the systematic deviations between the physical reference point of a GNSS antenna and its effective electrical phase center, as well as the directional variations of that phase center with respect to the incoming satellite signal.

In geodesy, accurate modeling of PCO and PCV is essential for high-precision GNSS positioning and reference frame realization. Uncorrected antenna phase center effects can introduce millimeter- to centimeter-level errors in station coordinates, satellite orbits, and derived geodetic products. Calibration models for both ground and satellite antennas are therefore a fundamental component of precise geodetic GNSS data analysis.