Global Positioning System By T.Srinivas

Contents

• Introduction• GPS Elements• Working of GPS• Sources of GPS signal errors• Differential GPS• Limitations• Applications• Conclusion

Introduction

• The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system developed and operated by the US Department of Defense. GPS permits land, sea and airborne users to determine their three-dimensional position, velocity and time. This service is available to military and civilian users around the clock, in all weather, anywhere in the world.

• A transmitter high above the Earth sending a high-frequency radio wave with a special coded signal can cover a large area and still overcome much of the "noise" encountered on the way to the ground. This is the main principle behind the GPS system.

GPS ElementsGPS has 3 parts:• The space segment• The user segment• Control segment. The space segment consists of 24 satellites, each in its own orbit

11,000 nautical miles above the Earth. The user segment consists of receivers, which you can hold in

your hand or mount in your car. The control segment consists of ground stations (five of them,

located around the world) that make sure the satellites are working properly.

Working of GPS• The principle behind GPS is the measurement of distance (or

"range") between the receiver and the satellites. The satellites also tell us exactly where they are in their orbits above the Earth. Four satellites are required to compute the four dimensions of X, Y, Z (position) and Time. GPS receivers are used for navigation, positioning, time dissemination, and other research.

It works something like this: If we know our exact distance from a satellite in space, we know we are somewhere on the surface of an imaginary sphere with radius equal to the distance to the satellite radius. If we know our exact distance from two satellites, we know that we are located somewhere on the line where the two spheres intersect. And, if we take a third measurement, there are only two possible points where we could be located. By taking the measurement from the fourth satellite we can exactly point out our location.

Sources of GPS signal errors

Ionosphere Troposphere delays Signal multi path Orbital Errors Number of satellites visible Satellite geometry/shading

Differential GPS• The underlying premise of differential GPS (DGPS) is that

any two receivers that are relatively close together will experience similar atmospheric errors.

• Differential GPS involves the cooperation of two receivers, one that's stationary and another that's roving around making position measurements. Since the reference receiver has no way of knowing which of the many available satellites a roving receiver might be using to calculate its position, the reference receiver quickly runs through all the visible satellites and computes each of their errors. Then it encodes this information into a standard format and transmits to the roving receivers.

Implementing DGPS

• Real time DGPS

• Reprocessing real time data

• Postprocessing correction

Limitations

• GPS can provide worldwide, three-dimensional positions, 24 hours a day, in any type of weather. However, the system does have some limitations. There must be a relatively clear "line of sight" between the GPS antenna and four or more satellites. Objects, such as buildings, overpasses, and other obstructions, that shield the antenna from a satellite can potentially weaken a satellite's signal such that it becomes too difficult to ensure reliable positioning. These difficulties are particularly prevalent in urban areas. The GPS signal may bounce off nearby objects causing another problem called multi path interference.

ApplicationsWe can find the uses and applications of GPS in the following fields:

Aircrafts and bombers

Military operations and weapon systems

Police, Fire and Emergency service

Automobile Manufacturers

Mapping and Surveying companies

Conclusion

• GPS, a satellite based navigation system, thus can be used to determine the position of an object on earth. As discussed above, its application field is vast and new applications will continue to be created as the technology evolves. GPS can also interfaced with other similar projects such EU’s GALILEO to account for unpredictable applications. Thus, the GPS constellation, like manmade stars in the sky, can be used for guiding and navigation.

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