The GPS

The Global Positioning System

How GPS
works ?

GPS works in five logical

steps:

1. The basis of GPS = "triangulation" from satellites

2. To "triangulate" = measurement of distance using
the travel time of radio signals
3. To measure travel time, GPS needs very accurate
timing which it achieves with some tricks.
4. Along with distance, we need to know exactly
where the satellites are in space. High orbits and
careful monitoring are the secret.
5. Finally you must correct for any delays the signal
experiences as it travels through the atmosphere.

Step 1:
Triangulating from Satellites

 Locul geometric al punctelor n care se

poate afla GPS-ul este o sfer avnd
centrul n satelit i raza de 11000 mile.
(o infinitate de puncte !)
Intersecia a dou sfere este un cerc.
(o infinitate de puncte !).

Trei sfere se intersecteaz n dou puncte !

Soluie:
- unul din cele dou puncte este imposibil!
- se face o a patra msurtoare.

Concluzii:
1. Poziia GPS-ului rezult din msurarea distanelor pn la satelii

2. Din punct de vedere matematic avem nevoie de 4 distane

(satelii) pentru a determina poziia exact a GPS-ului.

Step 2:
Measuring distance from a
satellite

Distana pn la satelit se determin prin msurarea

timpului de propagare al semnalului emis de satelit pn la
GPS (se consider ca mediu de propagare vidul):

Viteza de propagare = aprox. 300 000 km/s

Timpul de propagare = 50 ms

Distana satelit - GPS = 15 000 km

Necesitatea existenei :
- unei referine de clock identic la satelit i GPS
&
- unui semnal digital (secven pseudoaleatoare)
transmis de satelit si receptionat de GPS.

Secvena pseudoaleatoare
Secvena emis de
satelit i generat
interior de GPS

Secvena recepionat
de GPS

Step 3:

Getting perfect timing

Satellites are accurate because they have

atomic clocks on board.

Receiver clocks don't have to be too

accurate because an extra satellite range
measurement can remove errors

Extra Measurement Cures Timing Offset

Extra Measurement Cures Timing Offset

Since any offset from universal time will affect all of our
measurements, the receiver looks for a single correction factor that it
can subtract from all its timing measurements that would cause them
all to intersect at a single point.
That correction brings the receiver's clock back into sync with
universal time, and bingo! - you've got atomic accuracy time right in
the palm of your hand.
Once it has that correction it applies to all the rest of its measurements
and now we've got precise positioning.

Receiver clocks don't have to be too

accurate because an extra satellite
range measurement can remove errors.

Step 4:
Knowing where a satellite is in
space

Constant monitoring adds precision

"ephemeris errors- caused by gravitational pulls
from the moon and sun and by the pressure of solar
radiation on the satellites

Getting the message out

The error information is
sent to the satellites, to be
transmitted along with the
timing signals.

Step 5:
Correcting errors

Rough trip through the atmosphere

Particles of the ionosphere and
the water vapor in the
troposphere determinate delays
of the signals !

SOLUTION Modeling technic

Rough trip on the ground

local obstructions
multipath error

SOLUTION signal rejection techniques

Problems at the satellite

Atomic clocks are very, very
precise but they're not perfect
Ephemeris" errors can occur between
monitoring times

No SOLUTION !

Some angles are better than others

"Geometric Dilution of Precision"

Close together in the sky

Widely separated

SOLUTION Choose the satelits which give

the lowest GDOP !

All these erors can be significantly

reduce by using

Differential GPS

Necessary tools :
MapInfo
Geotrack (utilitar from MapInfo)