Simulation of ionospheric error on GPS signals due to changes in the direction of mobile station positions in differential GPS

Abstract

Ionospheric propagation delay is one of the major sources of error in global positioning system (GPS) precision. Therefore, accurate estimation of the ionospheric delay is required to correct GPS positional calculations. This study investigates the simulation of ionospheric propagation delays of GPS signals caused by changes in the direction of mobile station positions in differential GPS. A comparison was made between short-distance (≤10 km) differential GPS ionospheric errors at rover stations and those at a single base station located at the University Kebangsaan Malaysia (2˚ 55' N, 101˚46'E). In this simulation, four different baseline orientations were considered: North (0˚), East (90˚), South (180˚) and West (270˚) of the University Kebangsaan Malaysia GPS station. Without consideration of any irregularities, the ionospheric errors at the northern rover station were nearly symmetrical to those at the southern station, which is elevation dependent. Similarly, there were nearly symmetrical ionospheric errors for the following orientation pairs: East (90˚) and West (270˚); Northwest (315˚) and Southeast (135˚); and Northeast (45˚) and Southwest (225˚). To maximize the quality of GPS positioning, all ionospheric errors need be considered so that accurate corrections can be made and precision can be enhanced.