Working Principle of GPS

Dr.Y.L.P.Rao ylprao@hotmail.com

The Position of Satellites

The Global Positioning System satellites are floating around 20200km up in space.' Due to high altitude satellites will orbit according to very simple mathematics without the drag and friction of atmosphere. The US Department of Defense has placed each GPS Satellite into a very precise orbit according to the GPS master plan. All GPS receivers have an almanac programmed into their computer that tell them where in the sky each satellite is, moment by moment.
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Constant monitoring
The GPS satellites are constantly monitored by the DoD, through very precise RADARS to check each satellite's exact altitude, position and speed. The errors they are checking for are called "Ephemeris errors", because they affect the satellite's orbit, caused by gravitational pulls from the moon and the sun and by solar radiation pressure. The errors are usually very slight, but if high accuracy is required, they must be taken into account. Once the DoD has measured a satellite's exact position, they relay that information back to the satellite itself. The satellite then includes this new corrected position information in its signal. So a GPS signal is more than a pseudo-random code for timing purposes, It also contains a Message with 'ephemeris" info.
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SATELLITE RANGING
All GPS positions are based on measuring the distance from the satellite to the GPS receiver on earth. The GPS receiver can determine the distance to each satellite. Basic idea of determination of position is that of resection or trilateration, which many surveyors use in their daily work. If one knows the distance to three points relative to his own position, then he can determine his position relative to those "three points.
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Observation Principle and Signal Structure

Signal travel time between the satellite and receiver is observed and the range distance is calculated , through the knowledge of signal propagation velocity . Since the satellite and receiver clocks are not synchonized , the observed signal travel is biased with systematic synchronization error. Simultaneous observations of four pseudoranges are necessary to determine X,Y,Z of user antenna and clock bias. Positioning through GPS signal is possible by modulating carrier frequency with Pseudo random Noise ( PRN ) codes. P- Code ( Precision or protected ) and C/A Code ( clear / acquisition or Coarse acquisition ) are in use
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Observation Principle and Signal Structure

Satellites can be identified by their unique one week segment This is called code division multiple access ( CDMA ) C/A code has a length of only one millisecond ;its chipping rate is 0.023 MHz with wavelength of 300 m , C/A code is only transmitted on L1 carrier . GPS receiver has a copy of the code sequence. For determining the signal propogation time ; this code sequence is phase shifted in time step by step and correlated with the received code signal until maximum correlation is achieved. The necessary phase-shift in the two sequences of codes is a measure of the signal travel time between the reciver antennas , called as code phase observation. For precise geodetic applications , the psedoranges should be derived from phase measurements on the carrier signals because of much higher resolution .

SATELLITE RANGING
From the distance to one satellite it can be known that the position of the receiver must be at some point on the surface of an imaginary sphere of radius equal to that distance and origin at the satellite. By intersecting three imaginary spheres the receiver position can be determined. In order to calculate the 'distance to each satellite, one of Sir Isaac Newton's laws of equation is used: Distance = Velocity x Time
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SATELLITE RANGING
The GPS receiver calculates the distance from the receiver to the satellite. The Velocity is the velocity of the radio signal. Radio signal travels at a speed of 290000km per second. The time is the time taken for the radio signal to travel from the satellite to the GPS receiver. This time calculation is difficult, since it requires the precise" time when the radio signal left the satellite and when it reached the receiver.
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SATELLITE RANGING
For solving this distance problem the type, of radio signal and its code must be studied." Each GPS satellite has several very accurate atomic clocks on board. The Clock operates at a fundamental frequency of 10.23 MHz. This is used to generate the signals that are broadcast from the satellite.

SATELLITE RANGING
The satellite broadcast two carrier waves. The GPS satellites communicate all the information to receivers by codes. Codes are carried by these two carrier waves. For example the music received from an AM radio station is placed on the carrier wave by Amplitude Modulation during transmission. The information on a signal from a FM radio station is placed on a carrier wave by Frequency Modulation during transmission.

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SATELLITE RANGING
The two GPS carrier waves are radio waves. These carrier waves are in the L-Band (used for radio), called LI and L2 derived from the fundamental frequency of 10.23 MHz, generated by a very precise atomic clock, and travel to earth at the speed of almost light. The bandwidth of L-Band is from 390Mhz to 1550Mhz
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SATELLITE RANGING
These high frequency transmission from the satellite travel in straight lines and they are of Very low power. The power of the transmission from the satellite is about 50 watts. Hence it is essential that the antenna of the GPS receiver have a direct view of the satellite.

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SATELLITE RANGING
The LI carrier is broadcast at 1575.42 MHz.(10.23 x 154). The L2 carrier is broadcast at 1227.60 MHz. (10.23 x 120). LI and L2 frequencies are measured in MHz (Mega Hertz, the unit of the frequency which is million cycles per second).

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SATELLITE RANGING
The L1 carrier has two codes modulated upon it. First one the Coarse /Acquisition code usually known as the C/A code modulated at 1.023MHz (10.23 / 10) and Second one, the precision code usually know as the P-code modulated at 10.23 MHz.

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GPS Signal

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SATELLITE RANGING
The L2 carrier has only one code modulated upon it, which is the L2 P-code, modulated at 10.23 MHz. The main purpose of these coded signals is the calculation of the travel time of radio signals from the satellite to the GPS receivers on earth. The travel time is also called the Time of Arrival.
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SATELLITE RANGING
The travel time multiplied by the velocity y of radio signals equals the satellite range, distance from the satellite to the GPS receiver. The Navigation Message contains the satellite orbital and clock information and general system status messages and an ionospheric delay model. The navigation code has a low frequency of 50Hz and is modulated both on the LI and L2 carriers.

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SATELLITE RANGING
GPS receivers use different codes, to distinguish between satellites. The codes can also be used as a basis for making Pseudorange measurements which enables calculation of position. Pseudo-Random Code: GPS codes are binary, strings of zeros and ones, the language of computers. The three basic codes in GPS are the precise code or the P-code, the Coarse/Acquisition code or the C/A code, and the navigation code.

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Pseudo-Random Code
The modulated C/A code and P-code are referred to as Pseudo-Random Noise (PRN)code. This pseudo-random code is actually a sequence of very precise time marks that permit the ground receivers to compare and compute the time of transmission between the satellite and ground station.
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Pseudo-Random Code
From this transmission time, the range to the satellite can be derived. This is the basis behind GPS range measurements. The C/A-code pulse intervals are approximately every 300 m in range and the more accurate P-code every 30 m.

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Importance of Pseudo-Random Code

There are several important reasons for the complexity of "Pseudo-Random" code. The complex pattern helps to make sure that the receiver doesn't accidentally synchronize with some other signal. The patterns are so complex that it's highly unlikely that a stray signal will have exactly the same shape.
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Importance of Pseudo-Random Code

Each satellite has its own unique PseudoRandom code. This complexity guarantees that the receiver won't accidentally pick up another satellite's signal. So all the satellites can use same frequency without signal jamming. Also, this makes it more difficlt for a hostile force to jam the system. Pseudo-random code gives the DoD a way to control the access to the system.

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Importance of Pseudo-Random Code

Another important reason for the complexity of the Pseudo random code is that it makes the GPS economical. The codes made it possible to use "information theory" to "amplify" the GPS signal. And that is why GPS receivers do not need big satellite dishes to receive the GPS signals. If a satellite were right overhead an observer, the travel time of signal would be about 0.06 seconds
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Pseudorange
Pseudorange is a -measure of the apparent signal propagation time from GPS satellite to the GPS receiver antenna, scaled into distance by speed of light. The apparent propagation time is the difference between the time of signal reception and the time of emission. Hence pseudorange is the time delay between the satellite clock and the receiver clock, as determined from C/A-code or P- code pulses. This time difference gives the range measurements.
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Pseudorange
It is called a pseudo-range since at the time of the measurement; the receiver clock is not synchronized to the satellite clock. In most cases, an absolute 3D real-time navigation position can be obtained by observing at least four simultaneous pseudo-ranges. Pseudorange differs from the actual range by the influence of satellite orbital errors, user clock error, ionospheric delays etc.,
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Standard Positioning Service (SPS)

The Standard Positioning Service uses the less precise C/A-code pseudo-ranges for real-time GPS navigation.

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Precise Positioning Service (PPS)

In Precise Positioning Service pseudo-ranges are obtained using the higher pulse rate P-code on both frequencies (LI and L2), hence the higher accuracy. Real-time 3D accuracies at sub meter level can be achieved with PPS. The P-code is encrypted to prevent unauthorized civil or foreign use. This encryption will require a special key to obtain the accuracy in PPS. Real-time 3D accuracies below 10m horizontal can be achieved with PPS
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Carrier phase measurements

Carrier frequency tracking measures the phase differences between the Doppler shifted satellite and receiver frequencies. The phase differences are continuously changing due to the changing satellite earth geometry. However, such effects are resolved in the receiver and subsequent data postprocessing.
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Carrier phase measurement

When carrier phase measurements are observed and compared between two stations, Baseliner vector accuracy between the stations below the centimeter level is attainable in three dimensions. New receiver technology and processing techniques have allowed for carrier phase measurements to be used in real time centimeter positioning.

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GPS Broadcast Messages and Ephemeris Data

Each NAVSTAR GPS satellite periodically broadcasts data concerning Clock corrections, system and satellite status, and most critically, its position or ephemeris data. There are two basic types of ephemeris data the broadcast and the precise.

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Broadcast ephemeredes
The broadcast ephemeredes are actually predicted satellite positions broadcast within the navigation message that are transmitted from the satellites in real time. A receiver capable of acquiring either the C/Aor P-code can acquire the ephemeredes in real time. The broadcast ephemeredes are computed using past tracking data of the satellites
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Broadcast ephemeredes
The satellites are -tracked continuously by the monitor stations to obtain more recent data to be used for the orbit predictions. The data are analyzed by the Master Control Stations, and new parameters for the satellite orbit are transmitted back to the satellites. This upload is performed daily with new predicted orbital elements transmitted every hour by the navigation message.
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Precise ephemeredes
The Precise ephemeredes are based on actual tracking data that are post-processed to obtain the more accurate satellite positions. These ephemeredes are available at a later date and are more accurate than the broadcast ephemeredes because they are based on the actual tracking data and not predicted data. For most survey applications, the broadcast ephemeredes are adequate to obtain the needed accuracies.
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Broadcast Ephimerides Explanation

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GPS Satellite Ephemeris and Clock Data Samples

GPS Satellite Ephemeris and Clock Parameters Decoded from Subframes 1, 2, and 3 of GPS Data Bit Frames ,Gathered 4/18/95 21:36:00

EPHEMERIS FOR SATELLITE 2 : PRN number for data .................. 2 Issue of ephemeris data .............. 224 Semi-Major Axis (meters) ............. 2.65603E+07 C(ic) (rad) .......................... 1.88127E-07 C(is) (rad) .......................... -1.00583E-07 C(rc) (meters) ....................... 321.656 C(rs) (meters) ....................... 87.6875 C(uc) (rad) .......................... 4.36418E-06 C(us) (rad) .......................... 2.70829E-06 Mean motion difference (rad/sec) ..... 5.04521E-09 Eccentricity (dimensionless) ......... 0.0139305 Rate of inclination angle (rad/sec) .. 4.11089E-10 Inclination angle @ ref. time (rad) .. 0.950462 Mean Anomaly at reference time (rad) . -2.62555 Corrected Mean Motion (rad/sec) ...... 0.000145859 Computed Mean Motion (rad/sec) ....... 0.000145854

Argument of perigee (rad) ............ -2.56865 Rate of right ascension (rad/sec) .... -8.43857E-09 Right ascension @ ref time (rad) ..... 1.75048 Sqrt (1 - e^2) ....................... 0.999903 Sqr root semi-major axis, (m^1/2) .... 5153.67 Reference time ephemeris (sec) ....... 240704 CLOCK FOR SATELLITE 2 : PRN number for data ......... 2 Week number...... ........... 797 Predicted user range accuracy 32 Health of satellite ......... 0 L1 - L2 Correction term ..... 9.31323E-10 Issue of clock data ......... 224 Time of clock data .......... 240704 Clock offset ................ -0.000158074 Clock drift ................. -2.50111E-12 Rate of clock drift ......... 0 EPHEMERIS FOR SATELLITE 4 : PRN number for data .................. 4 Issue of ephemeris data .............. 157 Semi-Major Axis (meters) ............. 2.65616E+07 C(ic) (rad) .......................... 3.72529E-08 C(is) (rad) .......................... -5.96046E-08 C(rc) (meters) ....................... 175.406 C(rs) (meters) ....................... -60.2188 C(uc) (rad) .......................... -3.33972E-06 C(us) (rad) .......................... 1.06301E-05

Mean motion difference (rad/sec) ..... 4.1616E09 Eccentricity (dimensionless) ......... 0.00354898 Rate of inclination angle (rad/sec) .. 7.64318E11 Inclination angle @ ref. time (rad) .. 0.96687 Mean Anomaly at reference time (rad) . 1.41596 Corrected Mean Motion (rad/sec) ...... 0.000145848 Computed Mean Motion (rad/sec) ....... 0.000145844 Argument of perigee (rad) ............ -1.14906 Rate of right ascension (rad/sec) .... -7.79854E09 Right ascension @ ref time (rad) ..... -2.39929 Sqrt (1 - e^2) ....................... 0.999994 Sqr root semi-major axis, (m^1/2) .... 5153.79 Reference time ephemeris (sec) ....... 252000 CLOCK FOR SATELLITE 4 : PRN number for data ......... 4 Week number...... ........... 797 Predicted user range accuracy 32 Health of satellite ......... 0 L1 - L2 Correction term ..... 1.39698E-09 Issue of clock data ......... 669 Time of clock data .......... 252000 Clock offset ................ 2.19094E-05 Clock drift ................. 1.81899E-12 Rate of clock drift ......... 0

 The GPS receiver on the other hand stores the data about the position of the satellites in the space at any given time. This data is called the almanac. This almanac data is received, from the satellites and is stored in the receiver's memory. When the GPS receiver is not turned on for a long time, the almanac get outdated as the latest corrected data is not received by the receiver for a long time.

Almanac Data

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Almanac Data
This condition is called as a cold receiver. When the GPS receiver is cold, it would take longer time to acquire satellites. A receiver is considered warm, when the data has been collected from the satellites within the last four to six hours.

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Almanac Data
While purchasing a new GPS receiver the cold and warm acquisition time specifications must be noted. Once the GPS has locked onto enough satellites to calculate a position, it is ready to begin navigation or for surveying. Perfect timing and the perfect data of satellite's exact location will not make perfect position-calculations due to so many reasons known as the errors.
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Almanac Data Explanation

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GPS Satellite Almanac Data Samples ( Decoded)

ALMANAC FOR SATELLITE 1 : PRN number for data ............. 1 Health of SV .................... 0 Reference Week of Almanac ....... 797 Eccentricity .................... 0.00346661 Corr: inclination angle (rad) ... 0.00388718 Mean Anomaly @ ref time (rad) ... 2.79387 Argument of Perigee (rad) ....... -1.31888 Rate right ascension (rad/sec) .. -8.01176E-09 Right ascension @ ref time (rad) -0.296182 Sqrt semi-major axis (m^1/2) .... 5153.58 Clock correction term 1 ......... 0.000148773 Clock correction term 2 ......... 7.63976E-11 Reference time almanac .......... 466944 Semi-Major Axis (meters) ........ 2.65594E+07 Corrected Mean Motion (rad/sec) . 0.000145862 Inclination angle (rad) ......... 0.95469 ALMANAC FOR SATELLITE 2 : PRN number for data ............. 2 Health of SV .................... 0 Reference Week of Almanac ....... 797 Eccentricity .................... 0.0139475 Corr: inclination angle (rad) ... 0.00254631 Mean Anomaly @ ref time (rad) ... -1.04289 Argument of Perigee (rad) ....... -2.56822 Rate right ascension (rad/sec) .. -8.08034E-09 Right ascension @ ref time (rad) 1.74861 Sqrt semi-major axis (m^1/2) .... 5153.62 Clock correction term 1 ......... -0.00015831 Clock correction term 2 ......... -3.63798E-12 Reference time almanac .......... 466944 Semi-Major Axis (meters) ........ 2.65598E+07 Corrected Mean Motion (rad/sec) . 0.000145858 Inclination angle (rad) ......... 0.950477

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Calculating the Time

GPS receiver needs to determine the time. The answer lies in the coded signals, the satellite transmits. The transmitted code is called 'pseudo-random code" because it look like a noise signal. When a pseudo-random code generated by a satellite reaches the GPS receiver, the receiver will also generate the same code and try to match it with the satellite's code.

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Calculating the Time

The receiver then compares the two codes to determine how much it need to delay (or shift) it's code to match the satellite code. This delay time (shift) is multiplied by the speed of light to get distance." (see Fig.2.2). As stated earlier the satellite signal has two codes modulated upon it, the Coarse /Acquisition code and the precision code. The Coarse/Acquisition code is based upon the time given by an accurate atomic cjock. The receiver also contains a clock that is used to generate a matching Coarse/ Acquisition Code. The GPS receiver is able to "match" or correlate the incoming satellite code to the receiver-generated code.

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Calculating the Time

The Coarse/Acquisition code is a digital code that appears to. be random but repeated one thousand times in a second. In (his way, the time taken for the radio signal to travel from the satellite to the GPS receiver is calculated.

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Calculation of time explained in simple form

To understand this, use this goofy analogy. Suppose there was a way to get both the satellite and the receiver to start playing a Chime at precisely 12 Noon. If sound could reach us from space (which of course, is ridiculous) then standing at the receiver we'd hear two versions of the Chime, one from our receiver and the other from the satellite. These two.

versions would be out of synchronization. The version coming from the

satellite would be a little delayed because it had to travel over 20,000 kilometers. If we want to see just how delayed the satellite's version was. we could start delaying the receiver version until they fell into perfect synchronization. The amount we have to shift back the receiver's version is equal to the travel time of the satellite's version. So we just multiply that time times the speed of light and we have got our distance to the satellite.

Only instead of Chime the satellites and receiver use a "Pseudo Random
Code"- which is probably easier to sing than the Chime.
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How Do We Know When the Signal Left the Satellite?

One of the Clever Ideas of GPS: Use same code at receiver and satellite Synchronize satellites and receivers so they're generating same code at same time Then we look at the incoming code from the satellite and see how long ago our receiver generated the same code
measure time difference between same part of code from satellite from ground receiver
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Calculating The Position

There are four unknowns to be determined for the calculation of the Position. They are the position (X, Y, Z) and the time of travel of the signal. Observation to four satellites produces four equations, enabling these unknowns to be determined.

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Calculating The Position

When a GPS receiver gets signal from one satellite, the position of the GPS receiver will be on an imaginary sphere that has satellite at its center with radius equal to the distance of the satellite from earth. As earth is also a sphere, the intersection of these two spheres creates a common circle on the surface of earth.
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Trilateration
One measurement narrows down our position to the surface of a sphere
20,000 Kms

We're somewhere on the surface of this sphere.

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Trilateration
Second measurement narrows it down to intersection of two spheres

Intersection of two Spheres is a circle

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Trilateration
Third measurement narrows to just two points

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Trilateration
Fourth measurement will decide between two points

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Trilateration
In practice 3 measurements are enough because We can discard one point because it will be a ridiculous answer
Out in space Or moving at high speed

But we do need the 4th measurement to cancel out clock errors

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Satellite Ranging
Measuring the distance from a satellite Done by measuring travel time of radio signals

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How Do We Know When the Signal Left the Satellite?

One of the Clever Ideas of GPS: Use same code at receiver and satellite Synchronize satellites and receivers so they're generating same code at same time Then we look at the incoming code from the satellite and see how long ago our receiver generated the same code
measure time difference between same part of code

from satellite from ground receiver

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Accurate Clocks
Necessary to measure travel time Making sure both receiver and satellite are synchronized Whole system depends on very accurate clocks Satellites have atomic clocks Accurate but expensive Ground receivers just need consistent clocks The secret is in the extra satellite measurement that adjusts the receiver clock
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Need 4 Satellites for 3D Position

If we are looking at the previous slides in 3d then we need 4 satellites for 3d position (X, Y, Z, time) 3 satellites for 2d position (X, Y, time) - user must enter Z value
Problem - if user enters poor Z, then X and Y will be incorrect! Solution - work only in 3D!
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Knowing Where the Satellites Are

They're 20,000 km up High orbit Very stable orbits No atmospheric drag Survivability Earth coverage Monitored by US Defense Department DOD transmits corrections back to satellite Corrections transmitted from satellites to us Status message (Ephemeris)
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Calculating The Position

Suppose a GPS receiver is getting signals from one satellite, which is about 19978 km away, the position of the G.PS receiver would be somewhere on an imaginary sphere that has the satellite at the center with a radius of 19978 km. Let the GPS receiver getting another signals from a second satellite, which is placed at a distance of 19896km. Here the second sphere would intersect the first sphere to create a common circle. On adding a third satellite at a distance of 20,000km(say) the intersection of three spheres will create two common points.
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Calculating The Position

Even though there are two possible positions, they differ greatly in" latitude/longitude and altitude. To determine which of the two common points is the actual position; it is needed to enter the approximate altitude into the GPS receiver. This will allow the receiver to calculate a two dimensional position (latitude, longitude). However, by adding a fourth satellite, the receiver can determine the three dimensional position (latitude, longitude and altitude). If a fourth satellite is available, the fourth sphere will intersect the first three spheres at one common point, creating a precise position.
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Getting Perfect Timing

When the measurement of the travel time of a radio signal is the key to GPS, the ordinary stopwatches will be useless because they are not very precise. When the timing is off by just thousandths of a second, the signal that is traveling at the speed of light "will create almost 350 kilometers of error. On the satellite side, timing is almost perfect because they have incredibly precise atomic clocks on board. But the important point to be remembered is that both the satellite and the receiver must be able to precisely synchronize their pseudo-random codes to make the system work. 61

Getting Perfect Timing

If the receivers are in need of an atomic clock, which costs about 20 lakhs to 50 lakhs, the GPS receivers would be a lame duck technology. Nobody could afford it. Hence the designers of. the GPS came up with a brilliant idea to get a high accuracy in the clock of the receivers. This technique is one of the key elements of the GPS receive. Hence an added side benefit is that every GPS receiver is also an atomic-accuracy clock.

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Getting Perfect Timing

The secret to perfect timing is to make an extra satellite measurement. If three perfect measurements can locate a point in 3 dimensional space, then four imperfect measurements can do the same thing. This idea is so fundamental to the working of GPS.

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Extra Measurement Cures Timing Offset

If the receivers clock were perfect then all the satellite ranges would intersect at a single point (which definitely is not practical). But with imperfect clocks a fourth measurement, done as a crosscheck, will not intersect with the three. So the receivers computer say that "there is a discrepancy in it's measurements, hence it must not be perfectly synchronized with universal time".

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Extra Measurement Cures Timing Offset

Since any offset from universal time will affect 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 synchronization with universal lime, hence the receiver gels the atomic accuracy time. When this correction is applied to all it's measurements, the receiver gets a precise position.
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Extra Measurement Cures Timing Offset

One consequence of this principle is that a GPS receiver will need to have at least four channels so that it can make the four measurements simultaneously. With the Pseudo-Random node and the perfect synchronized universal time, the receiver got everything it need to measure the distance to a satellite in space. But for a triangulation to work the GPS receiver not only need to know distances, but also to know exactly where the satellites are.
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Thank you
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