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What is GPS?

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense. GPS was originally intended for military applications, but in the 1980s, the government made the system available for civilian use. GPS works in any weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day. There are no subscription fees or setup charges to use GPS. How it works GPS satellites circle the earth twice a day in a very precise orbit and transmit signal information to earth. GPS receivers take this information and use triangulation to calculate the user's exact location. Essentially, the GPS receiver compares the time a signal was transmitted by a satellite with the time it was received. The time difference tells the GPS receiver how far away the satellite is. Now, with distance measurements from a few more satellites, the receiver can determine the user's position and display it on the unit's electronic map.

A GPS receiver must be locked on to the signal of at least three satellites to calculate a 2D position (latitude and longitude) and track movement. With four or more satellites in view, the receiver can determine the user's 3D position (latitude, longitude and altitude). Once the user's position has been determined, the GPS unit can calculate other information, such as speed, bearing, track, trip distance, distance to destination, sunrise and sunset time and more. How accurate is GPS? Today's GPS receivers are extremely accurate, thanks to their parallel multi-channel design. Garmin's 12 parallel channel receivers are quick to lock onto satellites when first turned on and they maintain strong locks, even in dense foliage or urban settings with tall buildings. Certain atmospheric factors and other sources of error can affect the accuracy of GPS receivers. Garmin GPS receivers are accurate to within 15 meters on average.

Newer Garmin GPS receivers with WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) capability can improve accuracy to less than three meters on average. No additional equipment or fees are required to take advantage of WAAS. Users can also get better accuracy with Differential GPS (DGPS), which corrects GPS signals to within an average of three to five meters. The U.S. Coast Guard operates the most common DGPS correction service. This system consists of a network of towers that receive GPS signals and transmit a corrected signal by

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beacon transmitters. In order to get the corrected signal, users must have a differential beacon receiver and beacon antenna in addition to their GPS.

The GPS satellite system The 24 satellites that make up the GPS space segment are orbiting the earth about 12,000 miles above us. They are constantly moving, making two complete orbits in less than 24 hours. These satellites are travelling at speeds of roughly 7,000 miles an hour. GPS satellites are powered by solar energy. They have backup batteries onboard to keep them running in the event of a solar eclipse, when there's no solar power. Small rocket boosters on each satellite keep them flying in the correct path. Here are some other interesting facts about the GPS satellites (also called NAVSTAR, the official U.S. Department of Defense name for GPS): o The first GPS satellite was launched in 1978. o A full constellation of 24 satellites was achieved in 1994. o Each satellite is built to last about 10 years. Replacements are constantly being built and launched into orbit. o A GPS satellite weighs approximately 2,000 pounds and is about 17 feet across with the solar panels extended. o Transmitter power is only 50 watts or less. What's the signal? GPS satellites transmit two low power radio signals, designated L1 and L2. Civilian GPS uses the L1 frequency of 1575.42 MHz in the UHF band. The signals travel by line of sight, meaning they will pass through clouds, glass and plastic but will not go through most solid objects such as buildings and mountains. A GPS signal contains three different bits of information - a pseudorandom code, ephemeris data and almanac data. The pseudorandom code is simply an I.D. code that identifies which satellite is transmitting information. You can view this number on your Garmin GPS unit's satellite page, as it identifies which satellites it's receiving. Ephemeris data, which is constantly transmitted by each satellite, contains important information about the status of the satellite (healthy or unhealthy), current date and time. This part of the signal is essential for determining a position. The almanac data tells the GPS receiver where each GPS satellite should be at any time throughout the day. Each satellite transmits almanac data showing the orbital information for that satellite and for every other satellite in the system.

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Sources of GPS signal errors Factors that can degrade the GPS signal and thus affect accuracy include the following: o Ionosphere and troposphere delays - The satellite signal slows as it passes through the atmosphere. The GPS system uses a built-in model that calculates an average amount of delay to partially correct for this type of error. o Signal multipath - This occurs when the GPS signal is reflected off objects such as tall buildings or large rock surfaces before it reaches the receiver. This increases the travel time of the signal, thereby causing errors. o Receiver clock errors - A receiver's built-in clock is not as accurate as the atomic clocks onboard the GPS satellites. Therefore, it may have very slight timing errors. o Orbital errors - Also known as ephemeris errors, these are inaccuracies of the satellite's reported location. o Number of satellites visible - The more satellites a GPS receiver can "see," the better the accuracy. Buildings, terrain, electronic interference, or sometimes even dense foliage can block signal reception, causing position errors or possibly no position reading at all. GPS units typically will not work indoors, underwater or underground. o Satellite geometry/shading - This refers to the relative position of the satellites at any given time. Ideal satellite geometry exists when the satellites are located at wide angles relative to each other. Poor geometry results when the satellites are located in a line or in a tight grouping. o Intentional degradation of the satellite signal - Selective Availability (SA) is an intentional degradation of the signal once imposed by the U.S. Department of Defense. SA was intended to prevent military adversaries from using the highly accurate GPS signals. The government turned off SA in May 2000, which significantly improved the accuracy of civilian GPS receivers. How does the Global Positioning System work ? Updated 26th June 2011

Article by Darren Griffin Introduction When I first wrote this article back in 2002, consumer grade GPS was very new, very expensive and very rare! Consequently most of those who chose to invest in GPS hardware had a vested interest in discovering how this marvel of technology worked. Back in 2001 when map based GPS navigation first arrived, new users could not believe that the system was fee free with no service plan and no contract, what was the catch they all asked? And so the seed of an idea that became this explanation was born. 6+ years on GPS is mainstream, a commodity item that is no longer amazing or to be marveled at. We just open the box, switch on and use it with little thought to the technology that drives it. But it is still worth explaining how a small black box sat on your dashboard or held in your hand can know where you are anywhere on the surface of the planet to an accuracy of about 10m for consumer grade and 10mm for survey grade devices! That device on your dash is receiving a signal from a satellite orbiting above you at an altitude of over 11,000 miles! Not bad for a device that is not connected to a 2m dish! Background - Navstar The Global Positioning System (GPS) network we all use is called Navstar and is paid for and operated by the US Department of Defence (DoD). This Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is currently the only fully operational system but Russia has GLONASS, China has COMPASS and the EU has GALILEO each at varying stages of development or testing. As a military system, Navstar was originally designed and reserved for the sole use of the military but civilian users were allowed access in 1983. Back then, accuracy for civilian users was intentionally degraded to +/- 100m using a system known as Selective Availability (SA) but this was eliminated in May 2000. The Satellite Network The GPS satellites transmit signals to a GPS receiver. These receivers passively receive satellite signals; they do not transmit and require an unobstructed view of the sky, so they can only be used effectively outdoors. Early receivers did not perform well within forested areas or near tall buildings but later receiver designs such as SiRFStarIII, MTK etc have overcome this and improved performance and sensitivity markedly. GPS operations depend on a very accurate time reference, which is provided by atomic clocks on board the satellites.

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The Navstar GPS Constellation Each GPS satellite transmits data that indicates its location and the current time. All GPS satellites synchronize operations so that these repeating signals are transmitted at the same instant. The signals, moving at the speed of light, arrive at a GPS receiver at slightly different times because some satellites are further away than others. The distance to the GPS satellites can be determined by estimating the amount of time it takes for their signals to reach the receiver. When the receiver estimates the distance to at least four GPS satellites, it can calculate its position in three dimensions. There are at least 24 operational GPS satellites at all times plus a number of spares. The satellites, operated by the US DoD, orbit with a period of 12 hours (two orbits per day) at a height of about 11,500 miles traveling at 9,000mph (3.9km/s or 14,000kph). Ground stations are used to precisely track each satellite's orbit. Here is an interesting comparison. The GPS signals are transmitted at a power equivalent to a 50 watt domestic light bulb. Those signal have to pass through space and our atmosphere before reaching your satnav after a journey of 11,500 miles. Compare that with a TV signal, transmitted from a large tower 10 - 20 miles away at most, at a power level of 5-10,000 watts. And compare the size of your TV's roof mounted antenna with that of your GPS, often hidden inside the case itself. A wonder then that it works as well as it does and when the occasional hiccup occurs you will at least understand the reasons why.

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Signals from multiple satellites are required to calculate a position How Position is Determined A GPS receiver "knows" the location of the satellites because that information is included in the transmitted Ephemerisdata (see below). By estimating how far away a satellite is, the receiver also "knows" it is located somewhere on the surface of an imaginary sphere centred at the satellite. It then determines the sizes of several spheres, one for each satellite and therefore knows the receiver is located where these spheres intersect. GPS Accuracy The accuracy of a position determined with GPS depends on the type of receiver. Most consumer GPS units have an accuracy of about +/-10m. Other types of receivers use a method called Differential GPS (DGPS) to obtain much higher accuracy. DGPS requires an additional receiver fixed at a known location nearby. Observations made by the stationary receiver are used to correct positions recorded by the roving units, producing an accuracy greater than 1 meter. How Is The Signal Timed? All GPS satellites have several atomic clocks. The signal that is sent out is a random sequence, each part of which is different from every other, called pseudo-random code. This random sequence is repeated continuously. All GPS receivers know this sequence and repeat it internally. Therefore, satellites and the receivers must be in synch. The receiver picks up the satellite's transmission and compares the incoming signal to its own internal signal. By comparing how much the satellite signal is lagging, the travel time becomes known. What does the signal consist of? GPS satellites transmit two radio signals. These are designated as L1 and L2. A Civilian GPS uses the L1 signal frequency (1575.42 MHz) in the UHF band. The signals travel by line of sight, meaning they will pass through clouds, glass, plastic etc but will not travel through solid objects such as buildings and mountains. The GPS signal contains data and ephemeris data. three different bits of information a pseudo random code, almanac

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The pseudo random code is simply an I. D. code that identifies which satellite is transmitting information. You can often view this number on your GPS unit's satellite information page, the number attached to each signal bar identifies which satellites it's receiving a signal from. 2. Almanac data is data that describes the orbital courses of the satellites. Every satellite will broadcast almanac data for EVERY satellite. Your GPS receiver uses this data to determine which satellites it expects to see in the local sky. It can then determine which satellites it should track. With Almanac data the receiver can concentrate on those satellites it can see and forget about those that would be over the horizon and out of view. Almanac data is not precise and can be valid for many months. 3. Ephemeris data is data that tells the GPS receiver where each GPS satellite should be at any time throughout the day. Each satellite will broadcast its OWN ephemeris data showing the orbital information for that satellite only. Because ephemeris data is very precise orbital and clock correction data necessary for precise positioning, its validity is much shorter. It is broadcast in three six second blocks repeated every 30 seconds. The data is considered valid for up to 4 hours but different manufacturers consider it valid for different periods with some treating it as stale after only 2 hours. Cold Starts & Warm Starts Explained Often manufacturers and reviews will refer to Factory, Cold and Warm Start times. Understanding the above, these can be simply explained as follows: Factory Start o All data is considered invalid. Cold Start o Almanac data is current but Ephemeris is not or has expired. Warm Start o Both Almanac and Ephemeris data is current. To compute a PVT (position velocity time) solution the receiver will look for satellites based on where it 'thinks' it is roughly located and the almanac if current. If it finds one or more of the satellites it expects to see it will lock onto that satellite and begin downloading ephemeris data. Once data from three satellites has been received an accurate positional fix is calculated. If you are moving whilst trying to obtain a fix this process may take much longer than it would if you were stationary. Your receiver must complete reception of ephemeris data without error, this data is transmitted in three packets. Should any one packet not be received completely without error then it must start over again. Clearly doing this whilst moving leads to much higher error rates and longer fix times. Considerably less than a second of interruption is enough to mean the receiver will have to wait for the next transmission. If you are attempting a lock having re-located more than a couple of hundred miles since your last fix then the ephemeris data will in most cases no longer be valid. The receiver will be looking for satellites in the sky above that cannot be seen because of your re-location. In this case the receiver will initiate a factory start and begin downloading both almanac and ephemeris data. This will extend the initial time to lock considerably. This is why your GPS is so slow to calculate a fix when you switch it on in your hire-car at the airport! QuickFix Explained QuickFix is a feature provided by some manufacturers/devices. To understand what QuickFix is you need to understand in detail how a GPS calculates your position. For the initial position calculation your GPS chipset needs to find at least 4 satellites with a strong enough signal (28 dBHz or more) and it must keep those satellites and the signal strength for approximately one minute in order that it can download the data from the satellites that is essential for calculating your position (this it the ephemeris data explained earlier). If at any time the GPS receiver loses the signal of any satellite or the signal drops below 28 dBHz then it has to start all over again and track that satellite for another minute. In a real life scenario for example, you may be driving between high buildings (urban canyons, see below) and the received GPS signal keeps changing all the time. The QuickFix file you download from the internet is part of a solution from your GPS chip manufacturer. SiRF call their solution Instant Fix (I Edition) or A-GPS (assisted GPS). The file contains specially prepared ephemeris data that is valid for 7 days that your GPS chip uses instead of the the data received from satellites for calculating your first fix. 1.

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This allows the chip to skip the "download ephemeris from satellite" step and instead to start calculating your position immediately after powering on. This takes around 5-15 seconds on average. The signal strength required for downloading ephemeris data from satellites is 28dbHZ whereas the signal strength required for calculating your position once your GPS has received the ephemeris data is much lower at only 15 dBHz. So a valid QuickFix file allows your device to calculate your position in 5-15 sec rather than the minute it would otherwise take (if stationary), and lowers the minimal signal strength required for calculating your position from 28 dBHz to 15 dBHz. If at any time your GPS chipset finds the Quickfix ephemeris data is invalid or very old it defaults to calculating your position the traditional way, i.e. tracking a minimum of 4 satellites with 28dbHz signal continuously for around a minute. Sources of GPS signal Factors that can degrade the GPS signal and thus affect accuracy include the following: error

There are many causes for position errors or low signal 1. Ionosphere and troposphere delays The satellite signal slows as it passes through the atmosphere. The GPS system uses a built-in model that calculates an average amount of delay to partially correct for this type of error. 2. Signal multi path This occurs when the GPS signal is reflected off objects such as tall buildings or large rock surfaces before it reaches the receiver. This increases the travel time of the signal, thereby causing errors. 3. Receiver clock errors A receiver's built-in clock is not as accurate as the atomic clocks onboard the GPS satellites. Therefore, it may have very slight timing errors. 4. Orbital errors Also known as ephemeris errors, these are inaccuracies of the satellite's reported location. 5. Number of satellites visible The more satellites a GPS receiver can "see," the better the accuracy. 6. Buildings, terrain, electronic interference, or sometimes even dense foliage can block signal reception, causing position errors or possibly no position reading at all. GPS units typically will not work indoors, underwater or underground. 7. Satellite geometry/shading This refers to the relative position of the satellites at any given time. 8. Ideal satellite geometry exits when the satellites are located at wide angles relative to each other. 9. Poor geometry results when the satellites are located in a line or in a tight grouping. 10. Intentional degradation of the satellite signal Selective Availability (SA) is an intentional degradation of the signal once imposed by the U.S. DoD. SA was intended to prevent military adversaries from using the highly accurate GPS signals. The government turned off SA in May 2000, which significantly improved the accuracy of civilian GPS receivers. Some Satellite Facts Here are some other interesting facts about the GPS satellites: There are some 2,500 satellites of all types and purpose orbiting the earth. There are over 8,000 foreign objects orbiting the earth consisting of items like nose cones and panels from old satellites, an astronaut's glove, spanner and more! The first GPS satellite was launched in 1978. A full constellation of 24 satellites was achieved in 1994. Each satellite is built to last about 10 years. Replacements are constantly being built and launched into orbit.

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A GPS satellite weighs approximately 2,000 pounds and is about 17 feet across with the solar panels extended. Transmitter power is a mere 50 watts or less. For more information about satellites and GPS satellites in particular, visit NASA's web site where you will find a GPS Satellite tracker applet similar to below that allows you to track all of the 2,500 plus satellites that currently orbit our planet but more specifically you can track the Navstar network of satellites and see which ones are currently flying over your location.

2500 Satellites orbit the Earth GPS - NMEA sentence information Contents 19 Interpreted sentences 6 Garmin proprietary sentences with 4 interpreted All $GPxxx sentence codes and short descriptions Format of latitudes and longitudes References [ Top ] [Glenn's GPS Contents Page] 19 Interpreted sentences $GPBOD - Bearing, origin to destination $GPBWC - Bearing and distance to waypoint, great circle $GPGGA - Global Positioning System Fix Data $GPGLL - Geographic position, latitude / longitude $GPGSA - GPS DOP and active satellites $GPGSV - GPS Satellites in view $GPHDT - Heading, True $GPR00 - List of waypoints in currently active route $GPRMA - Recommended minimum specific Loran-C data $GPRMB - Recommended minimum navigation info $GPRMC - Recommended minimum specific GPS/Transit data $GPRTE - Routes $GPTRF - Transit Fix Data $GPSTN - Multiple Data ID

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$GPVBW - Dual Ground / Water Speed $GPVTG - Track made good and ground speed $GPWPL - Waypoint location $GPXTE - Cross-track error, Measured $GPZDA - Date & Time There is a full list of $GPxxx sentence codes available, without links to format details. [Top] $GPBOD Bearing Origin to Destination eg. BOD,045.,T,023.,M,DEST,START 045.,T bearing 045 degrees True from "START" to "DEST" 023.,M breaing 023 degrees Magnetic from "START" to "DEST" DEST destination waypoint ID START origin waypoint ID Example 1: $GPBOD,099.3,T,105.6,M,POINTB,*01 Waypoint ID: "POINTB" Bearing 99.3 True, 105.6 Magnetic This sentence is transmitted in the GOTO mode, without an active route on your GPS. WARNING: this is the bearing from the moment you press enter in the GOTO page to the destination waypoint and is NOT updated dynamically! To update the information, (current bearing to waypoint), you will have to press enter in the GOTO page again. Example 2: $GPBOD,097.0,T,103.2,M,POINTB,POINTA*52 This sentence is transmitted when a route is active. It contains the active leg information: origin waypoint "POINTA" and destination waypoint "POINTB", bearing between the two points 97.0 True, 103.2 Magnetic. It does NOT display the bearing from current location to destination waypoint! WARNING Again this information does not change until you are on the next leg of the route. (The bearing from POINTA to POINTB does not change during the time you are on this leg.) $GPBWC Bearing and distance to waypoint, great circle eg1. $GPBWC,081837,,,,,,T,,M,,N,*13 BWC,225444,4917.24,N,12309.57,W,051.9,T,031.6,M,001.3,N,004*29 225444 UTC time of fix 22:54:44 4917.24,N Latitude of waypoint 12309.57,W Longitude of waypoint 051.9,T Bearing to waypoint, degrees true 031.6,M Bearing to waypoint, degrees magnetic 001.3,N Distance to waypoint, Nautical miles 004 Waypoint ID eg2. $GPBWC,220516,5130.02,N,00046.34,W,213.8,T,218.0,M,0004.6,N,EGLM*11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 220516 timestamp 2 5130.02 Latitude of next waypoint 3 N North/South 4 00046.34 Longitude of next waypoint 5 W East/West 6 213.0 True track to waypoint 7 T True Track 8 218.0 Magnetic track to waypoint 9 M Magnetic 10 0004.6 range to waypoint 11 N unit of range to waypoint, N = Nautical miles 12 EGLM Waypoint name 13 *11 checksum $GPGGA Global Positioning System Fix Data Name Sentence Identifier Example Data Description $GPGGA Global Positioning System Fix Data

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Time Latitude Longitude Fix 0 1 - 2 = DGPS fix = = 170834 4124.8963, N Quality: Invalid 1 GPS fix 05 280.2, M blank blank *75 17:08:34 Z 41d 24.8963' N or 41d 24' 54" N

08151.6838, W 81d 51.6838' W or 81d 51' 41" W Data is from a GPS fix 5 Satellites are in view Relative accuracy of horizontal position 280.2 meters above mean sea level -34.0 meters No last update No station id Used by program to check for transmission errors

Number of Satellites Altitude Time since last DGPS update DGPS reference station id Checksum

Horizontal Dilution of Precision (HDOP) 1.5 Height of geoid above WGS84 ellipsoid -34.0, M

Courtesy of Brian McClure, N8PQI. Global Positioning System Fix Data. Time, position and fix related data for a GPS receiver. eg2. $--GGA,hhmmss.ss,llll.ll,a,yyyyy.yy,a,x,xx,x.x,x.x,M,x.x,M,x.x,xxxx hhmmss.ss = UTC of llll.ll = latitude of a = N or yyyyy.yy = Longitude of a = E or x = GPS Quality indicator (0=no fix, 1=GPS fix, 2=Dif. xx = number of satellites in x.x = horizontal dilution of x.x = Antenna altitude above M = units of antenna altitude, x.x = Geoidal M = units of geoidal separation, x.x = Age of Differential GPS data xxxx = Differential reference station ID eg3. $GPGGA,hhmmss.ss,llll.ll,a,yyyyy.yy,a,x,xx,x.x,x.x,M,x.x,M,x.x,xxxx*hh 1 = UTC of Position 2 = Latitude 3 = N or S 4 = Longitude 5 = E or W 6 = GPS quality indicator (0=invalid; 1=GPS fix; 2=Diff. GPS fix) 7 = Number of satellites in use [not those in view] 8 = Horizontal dilution of position 9 = Antenna altitude above/below mean sea level (geoid) 10 = Meters (Antenna height unit) 11 = Geoidal separation (Diff. between WGS-84 earth ellipsoid and mean sea level. -=geoid is below WGS-84 ellipsoid) 12 = Meters (Units of geoidal separation) 13 = Age in seconds since last update from diff. reference station 14 = Diff. reference station ID# 15 = Checksum $GPGLL Geographic Position, Latitude / Longitude and time. eg1. $GPGLL,3751.65,S,14507.36,E*77 eg2. $GPGLL,4916.45,N,12311.12,W,225444,A 4916.46,N Latitude 49 deg. 16.45 min. North 12311.12,W Longitude 123 deg. 11.12 min. West 225444 Fix taken at 22:54:44 UTC

position position S position W GPS fix) use precision mean-sea-level meters separation meters (seconds)

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A Data valid

eg3. $GPGLL,5133.81,N,00042.25,W*75 1 2 3 45 1 5133.81 Current latitude 2 N North/South 3 00042.25 Current longitude 4 W East/West 5 *75 checksum $--GLL,lll.ll,a,yyyyy.yy,a,hhmmss.ss,A llll.ll = Latitude of position a = N yyyyy.yy = Longitude a = E hhmmss.ss = UTC A = status: A = valid data $GPGSA GPS DOP and active satellites eg1. $GPGSA,A,3,,,,,,16,18,,22,24,,,3.6,2.1,2.2*3C eg2. $GPGSA,A,3,19,28,14,18,27,22,31,39,,,,,1.7,1.0,1.3*35 1

or of or of

S position W position

= Mode: M=Manual, forced to operate in 2D or 3D A=Automatic, 3D/2D 2 = Mode: 1=Fix not available 2=2D 3=3D 3-14 = IDs of SVs used in position fix (null for unused fields) 15 = PDOP 16 = HDOP 17 = VDOP $GPGSV GPS Satellites in view eg. $GPGSV,3,1,11,03,03,111,00,04,15,270,00,06,01,010,00,13,06,292,00*74 $GPGSV,3,2,11,14,25,170,00,16,57,208,39,18,67,296,40,19,40,246,00*74 $GPGSV,3,3,11,22,42,067,42,24,14,311,43,27,05,244,00,,,,*4D $GPGSV,1,1,13,02,02,213,,03,-3,000,,11,00,121,,14,13,172,05*67 1 = Total number of messages of this type in this cycle 2 = Message number 3 = Total number of SVs in view 4 = SV PRN number 5 = Elevation in degrees, 90 maximum 6 = Azimuth, degrees from true north, 000 to 359 7 = SNR, 00-99 dB (null when not tracking) 8-11 = Information about second SV, same as field 4-7 12-15= Information about third SV, same as field 4-7 16-19= Information about fourth SV, same as field 4-7 $GPHDT Heading, True. Actual vessel heading in degrees Ture produced by any device or system producing true heading. $--HDT,x.x,T x.x = Heading, degrees True $GPR00 List of waypoint IDs in currently active route eg1. $GPR00,EGLL,EGLM,EGTB,EGUB,EGTK,MBOT,EGTB,,,,,,,*58

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eg2. $GPR00,MINST,CHATN,CHAT1,CHATW,CHATM,CHATE,003,004,005,006,007,,,*05 List of waypoints. This alternates with $GPWPL cycle which itself cycles waypoints. $GPRMA Recommended minimum specific Loran-C data eg. $GPRMA,A,llll.ll,N,lllll.ll,W,,,ss.s,ccc,vv.v,W*hh 1 = Data status 2 = Latitude 3 = N/S 4 = longitude 5 = W/E 6 = not used 7 = not used 8 = Speed over ground in knots 9 = Course over ground 10 = Variation 11 = Direction of variation E/W 12 = Checksum $GPRMB Recommended minimum navigation information (sent by nav. receiver when a destination waypoint is active) eg1. $GPRMB,A,0.66,L,003,004,4917.24,N,12309.57,W,001.3,052.5,000.5,V*0B A 0.66,L Data status A = OK, V = warning Cross-track error (nautical miles, 9.9 max.), steer Left to correct (or R = right) 003 Origin waypoint ID 004 Destination waypoint ID 4917.24,N Destination waypoint latitude 49 deg. 17.24 min. N 12309.57,W Destination waypoint longitude 123 deg. 09.57 min. W 001.3 Range to destination, nautical miles 052.5 True bearing to destination 000.5 Velocity towards destination, knots V Arrival alarm A = arrived, V = not arrived *0B mandatory checksum eg2. $GPRMB,A,4.08,L,EGLL,EGLM,5130.02,N,00046.34,W,004.6,213.9,122.9,A*3D 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 A validity 4.08 off track L Steer Left (L/R) EGLL last waypoint EGLM next waypoint 5130.02 Latitude of Next waypoint N North/South 00046.34 Longitude of next waypoint W East/West 004.6 Range 213.9 bearing to waypt. 122.9 closing velocity A validity *3D checksum

eg3. $GPRMB,A,x.x,a,c--c,d--d,llll.ll,e,yyyyy.yy,f,g.g,h.h,i.i,j*kk 1 = Data Status (V=navigation receiver warning) 2 = Crosstrack error in nautical miles

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3 = Direction to steer (L or R) to correct error 4 = Origin waypoint ID# 5 = Destination waypoint ID# 6 = Destination waypoint latitude 7 = N or S 8 = Destination waypoint longitude 9 = E or W 10 = Range to destination in nautical miles 11 = Bearing to destination, degrees True 12 = Destination closing velocity in knots 13 = Arrival status; (A=entered or perpendicular passed) 14 = Checksum $GPRMC Recommended minimum specific GPS/Transit data eg1. $GPRMC,081836,A,3751.65,S,14507.36,E,000.0,360.0,130998,011.3,E*62 eg2. $GPRMC,225446,A,4916.45,N,12311.12,W,000.5,054.7,191194,020.3,E*68 225446 Time of fix 22:54:46 UTC A Navigation receiver warning A = OK, V = warning 4916.45,N Latitude 49 deg. 16.45 min North 12311.12,W Longitude 123 deg. 11.12 min West 000.5 Speed over ground, Knots 054.7 Course Made Good, True 191194 Date of fix 19 November 1994 020.3,E Magnetic variation 20.3 deg East *68 mandatory checksum eg3. $GPRMC,220516,A,5133.82,N,00042.24,W,173.8,231.8,130694,004.2,W*70 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 220516 Time Stamp A validity - A-ok, V-invalid 5133.82 current Latitude N North/South 00042.24 current Longitude W East/West 173.8 Speed in knots 231.8 True course 130694 Date Stamp 004.2 Variation W East/West *70 checksum

eg4. $GPRMC,hhmmss.ss,A,llll.ll,a,yyyyy.yy,a,x.x,x.x,ddmmyy,x.x,a*hh 1 = UTC of position fix 2 = Data status (V=navigation receiver warning) 3 = Latitude of fix 4 = N or S 5 = Longitude of fix 6 = E or W 7 = Speed over ground in knots 8 = Track made good in degrees True 9 = UT date 10 = Magnetic variation degrees (Easterly var. subtracts from true course) 11 = E or W 12 = Checksum $GPRTE Routes

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eg. $GPRTE,2,1,c,0,PBRCPK,PBRTO,PTELGR,PPLAND,PYAMBU,PPFAIR,PWARRN,PMORTL,PLISMR*73 $GPRTE,2,2,c,0,PCRESY,GRYRIE,GCORIO,GWERR,GWESTG,7FED*34 1 2 3 4 5 .. 1. Number of sentences in sequence 2. Sentence number 3. 'c' = Current active route, 'w' = waypoint list starts with destination waypoint 4. Name or number of the active route 5. onwards, Names of waypoints in Route $GPTRF Transit Fix Data Time, date, position, and information related to a TRANSIT Fix. $--TRF,hhmmss.ss,xxxxxx,llll.ll,a,yyyyy.yy,a,x.x,x.x,x.x,x.x,xxx hhmmss.ss = UTC of position fix xxxxxx = Date: dd/mm/yy llll.ll,a = Latitude of position fix, N/S yyyyy.yy,a = Longitude of position fix, E/W x.x = Elevation angle x.x = Number of iterations x.x = Number of Doppler intervals x.x = Update distance, nautical miles x.x = Satellite ID $GPSTN Multiple Data ID. This sentence is transmitted before each individual sentence where there is a need for the Listener to determine the exact source of data in the system. Examples might include dual-frequency depthsounding equipment or equipment that integrates data from a number of sources and produces a single output. $--STN,xx xx = Talker ID number, 00 to 99 $GPVBW Dual Ground / Water Speed Water referenced and ground referenced speed data. $--VBW,x.x,x.x,A,x.x,x.x,A x.x = Longitudinal water speed, knots x.x = Transverse water speed, knots A = Status: Water speed, A = Data valid x.x = Longitudinal ground speed, knots x.x = Transverse ground speed, knots A = Status: Ground speed, A = Data valid $GPVTG Track Made Good and Ground Speed. eg1. $GPVTG,360.0,T,348.7,M,000.0,N,000.0,K*43 eg2. $GPVTG,054.7,T,034.4,M,005.5,N,010.2,K 054.7,T 034.4,M 005.5,N 010.2,K True track made good Magnetic track made good Ground speed, knots Ground speed, Kilometers per hour

eg3. $GPVTG,t,T,,,s.ss,N,s.ss,K*hh 1 = Track made good 2 = Fixed text 'T' indicates that track made good is relative to true north 3 = not used 4 = not used 5 = Speed over ground in knots 6 = Fixed text 'N' indicates that speed over ground in in knots 7 = Speed over ground in kilometers/hour 8 = Fixed text 'K' indicates that speed over ground is in kilometers/hour 9 = Checksum The actual track made good and speed relative to the ground.

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$--VTG,x.x,T,x.x,M,x.x,N,x.x,K x.x,T = Track, x.x,M = Track, x.x,N = x.x,K = Speed, Km/hr $GPWPL Waypoint location eg1. $GPWPL,4917.16,N,12310.64,W,003*65 4917.16,N Latitude of waypoint 12310.64,W Longitude of waypoint 003 Waypoint ID When a route is active, this sentence is sent once for each waypoint in the route, in sequence. When all waypoints have been reported, GPR00 is sent in the next data set. In any group of sentences, only one WPL sentence, or an R00 sentence, will be sent. eg2. $GPWPL,5128.62,N,00027.58,W,EGLL*59 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 5128.62 Latitude of nth waypoint on list 2 N North/South 3 00027.58 Longitude of nth waypoint 4 W East/West 5 EGLL Ident of nth waypoint 6 *59 checksum $GPXTE Cross Track Error, Measured eg1. $GPXTE,A,A,0.67,L,N A A 0.67 L N General warning flag V = warning (Loran-C Blink or SNR warning) Not used for GPS (Loran-C cycle lock flag) cross track error distance Steer left to correct error (or R for right) Distance units - Nautical miles degrees degrees Speed, True Magnetic knots

eg2. $GPXTE,A,A,4.07,L,N*6D 12 3 456 1 A validity 2 A cycle lock 3 4.07 distance off track 4 L steer left (L/R) 5 N distance units 6 *6D checksum $GPZDA Date & Time UTC, day, month, year, and local time zone. $--ZDA,hhmmss.ss,xx,xx,xxxx,xx,xx hhmmss.ss xx = Day, xx = Month,

= 01 01 to to

UTC 31 12

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xxxx = xx = Local zone description, xx = Local zone minutes description (same sign as hours) [ Top ] 6 Garmin proprietary sentences with 4 interpreted $PGRME - Estimated Position Error $PGRMF - Position Fix Sentence $PGRMM - Map Datum $PGRMV - Velocity Sentence $PGRMZ - Altitude Information $PSLIB - Differential Control [Top] $PGRME Estimated Position Error eg. $PGRME,15.0,M,45.0,M,25.0,M*22 00 to +/13 Year hours

15.0,M Estimated horizontal position error in metres (HPE) 45.0,M Estimated vertical error (VPE) in metres 25.0,M Overall spherical equivalent position error $PGRMM Map datum eg1. $PGRMM,Astrln Geod '66*51 eg2. $PGRMM,NAD27 Canada*2F Currently active horizontal datum $PGRMZ Altitude Information eg1. $PGRMZ,246,f,3*1B eg2. $PGRMZ,93,f,3*21 Altitude in feet Position fix dimensions 2 = user altitude 3 = GPS altitude This sentence shows in feet, regardless of units shown on the display. eg3. $PGRMZ,201,f,3*18 1 23 1 201 Altitude 2 F Units - f-Feet 3 checksum $PSLIB Proprietry Garman (Differential Control) Proprietary sentences to control a Starlink differential beacon receiver. (I assume Garmin's DBR is made by Starlink) eg1. $PSLIB,,,J*22 eg2. $PSLIB,,,K*23 These two sentences are normally sent together in each group of sentences from the GPS. The three fields are: Frequency, bit Rate, Request Type. The value in the third field may be: J = status request K = configuration request blank = tuning message 93,f 3

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When the GPS receiver is set to change the DBR frequency or baud rate, the "J" sentence is replaced (just once) by (for example): $PSLIB,320.0,200*59 to set the DBR to 320 KHz, 200 baud. [ Top ] All $GPxxx sentence codes and short descriptions

$GPAAM - Waypoint Arrival Alarm $GPALM - GPS Almanac Data $GPAPA - Autopilot Sentence "A" $GPAPB - Autopilot Sentence "B" $GPASD - Autopilot System Data $GPBEC - Bearing & Distance to Waypoint, Dead Reckoning $GPBOD - Bearing, Origin to Destination $GPBWC - Bearing & Distance to Waypoint, Great Circle $GPBWR - Bearing & Distance to Waypoint, Rhumb Line $GPBWW - Bearing, Waypoint to Waypoint $GPDBT - Depth Below Transducer $GPDCN - Decca Position $GPDPT - Depth $GPFSI - Frequency Set Information $GPGGA - Global Positioning System Fix Data $GPGLC - Geographic Position, Loran-C $GPGLL - Geographic Position, Latitude/Longitude $GPGSA - GPS DOP and Active Satellites $GPGSV - GPS Satellites in View $GPGXA - TRANSIT Position $GPHDG - Heading, Deviation & Variation $GPHDT - Heading, True $GPHSC - Heading Steering Command

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$GPLCD - Loran-C Signal Data $GPMTA - Air Temperature (to be phased out) $GPMTW - Water Temperature $GPMWD - Wind Direction $GPMWV - Wind Speed and Angle $GPOLN - Omega Lane Numbers $GPOSD - Own Ship Data $GPR00 - Waypoint active route (not standard) $GPRMA - Recommended Minimum Specific Loran-C Data $GPRMB - Recommended Minimum Navigation Information $GPRMC - Recommended Minimum Specific GPS/TRANSIT Data $GPROT - Rate of Turn $GPRPM - Revolutions $GPRSA - Rudder Sensor Angle $GPRSD - RADAR System Data $GPRTE - Routes $GPSFI - Scanning Frequency Information $GPSTN - Multiple Data ID $GPTRF - Transit Fix Data $GPTTM - Tracked Target Message $GPVBW - Dual Ground/Water Speed $GPVDR - Set and Drift $GPVHW - Water Speed and Heading $GPVLW - Distance Traveled through the Water $GPVPW - Speed, Measured Parallel to Wind $GPVTG - Track Made Good and Ground Speed

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$GPWCV - Waypoint Closure Velocity $GPWNC - Distance, Waypoint to Waypoint $GPWPL - Waypoint Location $GPXDR - Transducer Measurements $GPXTE - Cross-Track Error, Measured $GPXTR - Cross-Track Error, Dead Reckoning $GPZDA - Time & Date $GPZFO - UTC & Time from Origin Waypoint $GPZTG - UTC & Time to Destination Waypoint

[ Top ] Format of latitudes and longitudes Where a numeric latitude or longitude is given, the two digits immediately to the left of the decimal point are whole minutes, to the right are decimals of minutes, and the remaining digits to the left of the whole minutes are whole degrees. eg. 4533.35 is 45 degrees and 33.35 minutes. ".35" of a minute is exactly 21 seconds. eg. 16708.033 is 167 degrees and 8.033 minutes. ".033" of a minute is about 2 seconds. [ Top ] References This information on NMEA sentences has been sourced from all over the 'net and I make no apologies for any inaccuracies or errors. Still, it's useful stuff. I wish to thank all the sources, which are listed on my GPS Links page. Please contact me if you know of freely available interpretations of sentences which are not on this page.