Review

GPS Lecture 2
Anatomy of a GPS : What can you remember
Satellites, control stations, from last week’s lecture?
and receivers

GE 1 Earth Trek
Lecturer: Ariel C. Blanco, Dr.Eng.
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Users of GPS GPS Navigation

Government
– Military
– Agencies (e.g. survey, mapping)

Industry
– Fishing
– Agriculture
– Transportation
– Construction

General Public
– Recreation
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– Security reasons

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Application of GPS
What you will learn today:
Technology

Location - determining a basic position
Componentsof GPS

Navigation - getting from one location to
another
How GPS works

Tracking - monitoring the movement of
people and things

Mapping - creating maps of the world

Timing - bringing precise timing to the
world

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NAVSTAR GPS Components of GPS

Navigation Satellite
Timing and Ranging
Global Positioning
System

Funded and controlled
by the US Department
of Defense

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 The Space Segment
Space segment

24 satellite vehicles
(nominal)

Six orbital planes
– Inclined 55o with respect to
equator
– Orbits separated by 60o

20,200 km elevation
above Earth

Orbital period of 11 hr 55
min

Five to eight satellites
visible from any point on Block I Satellite Vehicle
Earth
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The GPS Constellation

Four atomic clocks
Three nickel-cadmium batteries
GPS Satellite

Two solar panels
– Battery charging
Vehicle
– Power generation
– 1136 watts

S band antenna—satellite
control

12 element L band antenna—
user communication

Block IIF satellite vehicle

(fourth generation)

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The User Segment Handheld GPS Receivers

GPS antennas &
Examples:
receiver/processors

Garmin eTrex

Position

Velocity

Precise timing
Garmin-12

Used by
– Aircraft
Casio GPS
– Ground vehicles wristwatch
– Ships
– Individuals

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The Control Segment GPS Ground Control Stations

Master control station

– Schreiver AFB, Colorado

Five monitor stations

Three ground antennas

Backup control system

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How does GPS work?
How does GPS work?

Satellite ranging
– Satellite locations
– Satellite to user distance
– Need four satellites to determine position

Distance measurement
– Radio signal traveling at speed of light
– Measure time from satellite to user

Measurements collected from 4 satellites are
processed to solve for the 3D position,
velocity and time.
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Calculating a Position
How does GPS work? SIGNALS
Pseudo-Random Code Satellites send out signals at different frequencies

Complex signal (L1/L2)

Unique to each Codes are used to transmit time
satellite The receiver uses this information to calculate a

All satellites use position through the following steps:
same frequency
1. Determine distance
2. Position of satellites (orbit/ephemeris)
3. Triangulate
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 1. Determine Distance
How does GPS work? DISTANCE = VELOCITY X TIME DELAY

Distance to a satellite is determined by The signals travel through radio waves, therefore, they
measuring how long a radio signal takes to reach travel the speed of light!
us from that satellite.

To make the measurement we assume that both
the satellite and our receiver are generating the Velocity = Speed of light (3 x 108 m/s)
same pseudo-random codes at exactly the same
time. The measured delay between the transmitted code and

By comparing how late the satellite's pseudo-
random code appears compared to our receiver's
the received code is the TIME DELAY.
code, we determine how long it took to reach us.

Multiply that travel time by the speed of light and Now the receiver can calculate the distance to the satellite.
you've got distance. BUT…WHERE are the satellites?

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1. Determine Distance
How does GPS work?

Accurate timing is the key to measuring
distance to satellites.

Satellites are accurate because they have
four atomic clocks ($100,000 each) on
board.

Receiver clocks don't have to be too
accurate because an extra satellite range
measurement can remove errors.

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 2. Position of Satellites
Where are the satellites in space?
The satellites send information about its:
1. Orbital Path (ephemeris) – indicates its position in its
elliptical path around the earth.
2. This is used to determine the position of the satellites
exact position relative to the earth (x,y,z)
Now the receiver has distance to satellites and position. It
needs to triangulate!
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3. Triangulation
A receiver will need the distance and position of at
least three satellites to get the position.
D1
D2
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How does GPS work?

To use the satellites as references for range
measurements we need to know exactly where
they are.

GPS satellites are so high up their orbits are very
predictable.

All GPS receivers have an almanac programmed
into their computers that tells them where in the
sky each satellite is, moment by moment.

Minor variations in their orbits are measured by
the Department of Defense.

The error information is sent to the satellites, to
be transmitted along with the timing signals.
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3. Triangulation
A receiver will need the distance and position of at
least three satellites to get an accurate position.
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 3. Triangulation
A receiver will need the distance and position of at A receiver will need the distance and position of at
least three satellites to get an accurate position.
position.
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GPS Position Determination System Performance
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3. Triangulation
least three satellites to get an accurate position.
position.
EARTH
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Standard Positioning
System
– 100 meters horizontal accuracy
– 156 meters vertical accuracy
– Designed for civilian use
– No user fee or restrictions

Precise Positioning
System
– 22 meters horizontal accuracy
– 27.7 meters vertical accuracy
– Designed for military use
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System Performance System Performance
Selective availability

Intentional degradation of signal
The earth's ionosphere and atmosphere
cause delays in the GPS signal that

Controls availability of system’s full
translate into position errors.
capabilities

Some errors can be factored out using

Set to zero May 2000
mathematics and modeling.

Reasons

The configuration of the satellites in the
– Enhanced emergency response
sky can magnify other errors.
– Car navigation

Differential GPS can reduce errors.
– Adoption of GPS time standard
– Recreation
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Other Navigation Systems Russian GLONASS

Russian GLONASS

The Russian Global Navigation Satellite
System (GLONASS) is managed for the
Russian Federation Government by the
Russian Space Forces

GLONASS is very similar to the NAVSTAR
GPS

This is an all weather global navigation
system

There are 21 operational satellites with 3
spares
– The satellite mass is about 1,300 kg GLONASS Satellite, Russian Federation Ministry of
– The size is 2.35 m diameter 35 Defense 36

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Russian GLONASS
Integration of GLONASS with GPS

Integration of GLONASS may be possible
with GPS
– Several applications use both now

This would allow extra coverage during poor
visibility

However, there are problems:
– Two different coordinate frames used

GPS uses WGS 84 system

GLONASS uses Earth Parameter System 1990 (PZ-90)
– Because of different reference times, this difference
drifts
– This problem could be solved by considering the
time error as an additional variable for solution
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Other Navigation Systems
European Galileo

The European Global Satellite Navigation
System (GNSS), or Galileo, will be a
European civil controlled satellite system

Europe’s reason for development is for a
navigation system not dependant on the
U.S. NAVSTAR system.

The venture is a joint public and private
partnership

There will be two types of service:
– A free, basic service
– A premium chargeable service with
additional features 38

European Galileo European Galileo

Development Development

The Galileo development plan has three
phases:
– The definition phase that ended in 2000
– The development and validation phase, that
began in 2001, to include:

Ground control infrastructure

Prototype satellites

Communication allocation
– Constellation deployment began in 2006

Galileo should be available by 2013/2014,
with additional ground control and satellite
improvements

The European Geostationary Navigation
Overlay System (EGNOS) will augment the
system

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Other Navigation Systems
Chiness Regional Satellite Navigation
System (Beidou)
That’s all for today!

China has launched two navigation satellites Thanks!

These geostationary orbits are at 36,000 km
altitude

These are intended for land and marine
transportation

The second generation system is being
planned

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