GEO-INFORMATICS (GS-250)

Lecture 3

GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS)

Muhammad Tariq Khan

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 Global Positioning System (GPS)
• Also called NAVSTAR (NAVigation System, Timing And Ranging)

• The GPS is a space based satellite navigation system that provides location

and time information in all weather conditions, anywhere or on near the earth

where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites.

• Currently the US GPS system consists of 32 satellites (December 2012).

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 Global Positioning System (GPS)
• The U.S. D.O.D. began the GPS project in 1973 to overcome the limitations
of previous navigation systems. First GPS satellite was launched in February
1978 (37 years ago).

• There are other navigation systems beside GPS including:

- E.U. Galileo Positioning System
- Russian GLONASS (GLObal Navigation Satellite System)
- The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System
- The Chinese BeiDou Navigation Satellite System

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 Global Positioning System (GPS)
• There are quite a number of satellites out there in space.

• They are used for a wide range of purpose: Satellite TV, Military purposes,

Cellular phones, GPS receivers, etc.

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 Determination of a Location using GPS
• In a nutshell, GPS is based on satellite ranging – calculating the distance

between the receiver and the position of 3 or more satellites (4 or more if

elevation is desired).

• As the current location of GPS satellite is known, the location of the

receiver can be calculated by determining the distance from each of the

satellite to the receiver.

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 Current Location of GPS Satellites
• GPS Satellites are orbiting the earth at an altitude of approx. 12500 miles.

• The orbit and the location of satellites are known in advance.

• Each satellite orbits twice in 24 hours and travels at the rate of 7,000 mph

powered by Solar energy.

• GPS receivers store this orbit information for all of the GPS satellites in an

ALMANAC (a file in the GPS receiver which contains positional information

for all the GPS satellites).

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 Current Location of GPS Satellites
• The current GPS consists of 3 major segments. These are the Space Segment
(SS), a Control Segment (CS), and a user Segment (US).

• The Space Segment is composed of the

orbiting GPS satellites. The GPS design
originally included 24 satellites, 6 orbital
planes (4 in each plane).

• The additional 8 satellites improve the

precision of GPS receiver calculation due to
non uniform arrangement of the satellites. 8
 Time Difference
• The GPS receiver compares the time a signal was transmitted by a satellite

with the time it was received.

• This time difference tells the GPS receiver how far away the satellite is by

measuring the amount of time taken by radio signals to travel from the

satellite to the receiver.

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 Time Difference

• Radio waves travel at the speed of light, i.e. about 186,000 miles per second.

• The distance from the satellite to the receiver can be determined by the

formula “Distance = Speed x Time”.

Vxt=S

186,000 mps x 0.067 sec = 12,500 miles

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 Sources of Error
• Line of Sight Transmissions.

• Satellite Geometry (dilution of precision).

• Signals Interference.

• Atmospheric Effects.

• Clock Errors.

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 Line of Sight Transmissions
• Line of sight is the ability to draw a straight

line between two objects without any other

objects getting in the way. GPS

transmissions are line of sight transmissions.

• Obstructions such as trees, buildings or

natural formations may prevent clear line of

sight. 12
 Line of Sight Transmissions
• Natural and artificial features can intercept signals.

• For example Mountains, valleys, hills, buildings, trees, etc.

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 Light Refraction
• Refraction is bending of light as it

travels through one media to

another.

• Sometimes the GPS signal from the

satellite doesn't follow a straight

line.

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 Signal Refraction
• Signals from satellite can be like light.

• When they hit some interference (air patterns in the atmosphere, uneven

geography, etc.) they sometimes bend a little.

• Light is bent in these two regions,

which cause a deviation of 0 to 30

meters from the actual position of

receiver. 15
 Signal Interference
• Sometimes the signals bounce off things before they hit the receivers.
• Natural and artificial features can reflect signals.
• Bouncing of GPS signal due to reflecting surface before reaching to receiver
antenna that can cause a deviation of 0 to 1 meter.

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 Satellite Geometry (Dilution of Precision)
• Dilution of precision is a term used to describe the strength of a satellite

configuration on the accuracy of data collected with GPS receivers.

• When the satellites are bunched together in the same area of the sky view, the

satellite geometry is termed ‘weak.’ The DOP will therefore be high in cases

where satellites are directly overhead (bad), and low when the satellites are

spread apart in the sky (good).

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 Satellite Geometry (Dilution of Precision)
• We want low DOP.

• Satellites that are close to each other result in higher DOP.

- HDOP: horizontal DOP

- VDOP: vertical DOP

- PDOP: positional DOP (combination of HDOP and VDOP)

- GDOP: geometric DOP

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 Satellite Geometry (Dilution of Precision)
Horizontal DOP:

Using satellite from the 4 compass quadrants will provide a good horizontal

solution (low DOP).

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 Satellite Geometry (Dilution of Precision)
Horizontal DOP:

Using satellites from only 1 or 2 quadrants will provide poor horizontal solution

(high DOP).

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 Satellite Geometry (Dilution of Precision)
Vertical DOP:

Using satellites well spread out in the sky will

provide a good vertical solution (low VDOP)

Using only satellites which are located low on

the horizon will result in a poor vertical

solution (high VDOP) 21

 Satellite Geometry (Dilution of Precision)
Positional DOP:

• PDOP is the combination of both horizontal and vertical components of

positon error caused by satellite geometry.

• All of this combines to make the signal less accurate, and gives it what we call

a high PDOP.

• A PDOP < 4 is excellent. A PDOP of 4 – 8 is good. A PDOP of > 8 is poor.

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 Satellite Geometry (Dilution of Precision)
Geometric DOP:

Ideal GDOP: One satellite directly overhead and abundance of additional satellite

spaced evenly around the sky.

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 Satellite Geometry (Dilution of Precision)
Geometric DOP:

• GDOP is the estimate of satellite

condition for a given location and time,

given in distance units (meters or feet).

• It is the satellite position relative to

other satellites.

• Poor GDOP: satellites clustered. 24

 Clock Errors
• These errors are due to different code generations in satellite and receiver

simultaneously.

• Which causes a deviation of 0 to 1.5 m from the actual position of receiver.

• Receiver clock error, i.e. power interrupts, on-board microprocessor failure,

blunders, etc), mostly corrected by software in receiver.

• Compatibility is required between both clocks.

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 Latitude and Longitude
• Latitude and Longitude are spherical
coordinates on the surface of the
earth.
• Latitude is measured North or South
of the equator.
• Longitude is measured East or West
of Prime Meridian.
• GPS uses Latitude and Longitudes to
reference Locations.
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 GPS Data

• GPS units collect data in:

- Points

- Lines

- Areas

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 GPS Uses
• Police and Emergency Medical Services.

• Firefighters.

• Military.

• Map makers / GIS.

• Cars / Phones location services.

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 Other Sat-Nav Systems
• GLONASS (GLObal NAvigation Satellite System) by Russian aerospace

Defense Forces.

• COMPASS.

• GALILEO.

• IRNSS (the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System).

• GPS.

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