Ionospheric-Delay Correction from BeiDou & GPS Systems for Northern Hemisphere

What is it about?

The range delay caused by the ionosphere layer is the major current source of error for GNSS users with single-frequency receivers. GNSS advice users to correct this type of error using ionospheric models whose coefficients are sent in their navigation messages. GPS-users use the Klobuchar model to correct this type of error. GPS navigation message contains the model’s eight coefficients which vary on the basis of seasonal ionospheric variations and average solar flux. The correction accuracy of Klobuchar model is about 50% (rms) of the ionospheric range delay. Beidou system calculates and broadcast 8 parameters of Klobuchar model based on continuous monitoring stations. BeiDou system updates the ionospheric coefficients every two hours. GPS-Klobuchar model uses completely different coefficients than BeiDou-Klobuchar model. This research demonstrates a comparison study between the Klobuchar model using the GPS broadcast coefficients and the same model using BeiDou-coefficients. The correction accuracy offered by the two models has been judged using the most accurate International GNSS Service-Global Ionospheric Maps (IGS-GIMs) for three different-latitude stations along northern hemisphere, one station in low-latitude region, the second station is in mid-latitude region and the third station is in high-latiude region to reflect models’ behaviour in different geographic regions. The study was applied over three different months of the year 2017 that each of them reflects a different activity state for the ionosphere layer. The study proves that BeiDou model is able to show the ionosphere’s day-to-day fluctuations while GPS model can’t. It can be concluded that GPS model offers better behaviour than BeiDou model in correcting range delay in low-latitude and high-latitude geographic regions under any activity state for the ionosphere. BeiDou model offers better correction accuracy than GPS model in mid-latitude under any activity state for the ionosphere.

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Why is it important?

The Ionospheric delay is the major source of error for single-frequency GNSS users.