Evaluation of single frequency GPS precise point positioning assisted with external ionosphere sources

Single frequency code and single frequency code and phase GPS precise point positioning scenarios using various ionospheric sources are evaluated by assessing their performances with respect to dual frequency solutions. These include Canadian regional and global vertical total electron content (VTEC) maps produced by Natural Resources Canada and different International GNSS Service (IGS) coordination or analysis centres. Furthermore, two of the most commonly used single layer ionospheric mapping functions applied for conversion of VTEC to slant TEC are evaluated with each and every one of the ionospheric VTEC sources. Results show that the quality of code only solutions depends on ionospheric activity level, and the TEC map and mapping function selected. Code and phase single frequency solutions are also improved when assisted with an external ionosphere source.