Gps

2014
Daniyal Ali
BAT11362
4/2/2014
Global Positioning System (GPS)
A Research on Global Positioning System
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Department of Engineering and Technology

Appropriate Task:
What is GPS? How it works?
A research on Global Positioning System (GPS). What is the working principle of GPS? What are the
advancement in GPS?
Prepared By:
Daniyal Ali (BAT11362)
Submitted To:
Prof. W/C Muhammad Shakeel
Discipline:
BS-Aviation Technology
Submition Date:
02-04-2014

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Table of Contents
Cover Page
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgement
GPS? A Brief Overview6
Usage of GPS6
How the Global Positioning System Works...6
How GPS Determines a Position7
Using a GPS Receiver10
Variants.14
References...18

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Preface
As Man is the best creature of Allah Almighty. HE gave the emotions and intelligence to the Man. Man
has surplus over all the creatures by his intelligence. He is honored with this blessings to make his paths
in his life & to pursue his desires by following the right paths.
Everyone in this world is trying to pursue something. Some are trying to get best studies, some are in the
favor to earn more and more and some are those who want to do something to satisfy their utter one
desire. We are few of them.

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Acknowledgement
This project would not have been possible without the support of my professor. I wish to express my
gratitude to his supervision, Prof. W/C Muhammad Shakeel, who was abundantly helpful and
offered invaluable assistance, support and guidance. The knowledge about my project is really
interesting and technical. During this project i learnt many new things and different aspects of GPS.

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Global Positioning System (GPS)
GPS? A Brief Introduction:
In recent years, satellite navigation systems have revolutionized the concept of instrument
navigation. Developed as military systems by the United States and the Soviet Union, coupled
with the computer systems which have developed at the same time, they allow much more
accurate and available position fixing for aircrew. ICAO refers to them as 'global navigation
satellite systems' or 'GNSS'.
The United States system, called 'Global Positioning System', or GPS, is the most commonly
available. However, the Soviet, now Russian, 'Glonass' system is also commercially available
with suitable receiver equipment. Receivers have been produced which can accept signals
from both systems, and other countries are considering developing new systems either on their
own or in conjunction with others.
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite based navigation system that can be used
to locate positions anywhere on earth. Designed and operated by the U.S. Department of
Defense, it consists of satellites, control and monitor stations, and receivers. GPS receivers
take information transmitted from the satellites and uses triangulation to calculate a users
exact location.

Usage of GPS:
GPS is used on incidents in a variety of ways, such as:
To determine position locations; for example, you need to radio a helicopter pilot the
coordinates of your position location so the pilot can pick you up.
To navigate from one location to another; for example, you need to travel from a lookout
to the fire perimeter.
To create digitized maps; for example, you are assigned to plot the fire perimeter and
hot spots.
To determine distance between two points or how far you are from another location.

How the Global Positioning System Works?
The basis of the GPS is a constellation of satellites that are continuously orbiting the earth.
These satellites, which are equipped with atomic clocks, transmit radio signals that contain
their exact location, time, and other information. The radio signals from the satellites, which are
monitored and corrected by control stations, are picked up by the GPS receiver. A GPS
receiver needs only three satellites to plot a rough, 2D position, which will not be very
accurate. Ideally, four or more satellites are needed to plot a 3D position, which is much more
accurate.

Three Segments of GPS
The three segments of GPS are the space, control, and user

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Space Segment Satellites orbiting the earth
The space segment consists of 29 satellites circling the earth every 12 hours at 12,000 miles in
altitude. This high altitude allows the signals to cover a greater area. The satellites are
arranged in their orbits so a GPS receiver on earth can receive a signal from at least four
satellites at any given time. Each satellite contains several atomic clocks. The satellites
transmit low radio signals with a unique code on different frequencies, allowing the GPS
receiver to identify the signals. The main purpose of these coded signals is to allow the GPS
receiver to calculate travel time of the radio signal from the satellite to the receiver. The travel
time multiplied by the speed of light equals the distance from the satellite to the GPS receiver.
Control Segment The control and monitoring stations
The control segment tracks the satellites and then provides them with corrected orbital and
time information. The control segment consists of five unmanned monitor stations and one
Master Control Station. The five unmanned stations monitor GPS satellite signals and then
send that information to the Master Control Station where anomalies are corrected and sent
back to the GPS satellites through ground antennas.
User Segment The GPS receivers owned by civilians and military
The user segment consists of the users and their GPS receivers. The number of simultaneous
users is limitless.

How GPS Determines a Position
The GPS receiver uses the following information to determine a position.
Precise location of satellites
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When a GPS receiver is first turned on, it downloads orbit information from all the satellites
called an almanac. This process, the first time, can take as long as 12 minutes; but once this
information is downloaded, it is stored in the receivers memory for future use.
Distance from each satellite
The GPS receiver calculates the distance from each satellite to the receiver by using the
distance formula:
Distance = velocity x time
The receiver already knows the velocity, which is the speed of a radio wave or 186,000 miles
per second (the speed of light). To determine the time part of the formula, the receiver times
how long it takes for a signal from the satellite to arrive at the receiver. The GPS receiver
multiplies the velocity of the transmitted signal by the time it takes the signal to reach the
receiver to determine distance.
Triangulation to determine position
The receiver determines position by using triangulation. When it receives signals from at least
three satellites the receiver should be able to calculate its approximate position (a 2D position).
The receiver needs at least four or more satellites to calculate a more accurate 3D position.
The position can be reported in latitude/longitude, UTM, or other coordinate system.

Sources of Errors
The GPS is not a perfect system. There are several different types of errors that can occur
when using a GPS receiver, for example:
User mistakes
User mistakes account for most GPS errors; and a GPS receiver has no way to identify and
correct these mistakes. Common examples of user mistakes include:
Inputting incorrect information into a GPS receiver, such as the datum, and when
creating a waypoint.
Unknowingly relying on a 2D position instead of a 3D position for determining
position coordinates. This mistake can result in distance errors in excess of a
mile. The signal from the satellite may be blocked by buildings, terrain, electronic
interference, and sometimes dense foliage. A GPS receiver needs a fairly clear
view of the sky to operate.
The human body can cause signal interference. Holding a GPS receiver close to
the body can block some satellite signals and hinder accurate positioning. If a
GPS receiver must be hand held without benefit of an external antenna, facing to
the south can help to alleviate signal blockage caused by the body because the
majority of GPS satellites are oriented more in the earths southern hemisphere.
Multipath interference
Multipath interference is caused by the satellite signal reflecting off of vehicles, buildings,
power lines, water and other interfering objects (Figure 5-2). Multipath is difficult to detect and
sometimes impossible for the user to avoid or for the receiver to correct. When using a GPS
receiver in a vehicle place the external antenna on the roof of the vehicle to eliminate most
signal interference caused by the vehicle. If the GPS receiver is placed on the dashboard there
will always be some multipath interference.

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Satellite and receiver clock errors
These can be slight discrepancies in the satellites atomic clocks which may cause slight
position errors in the GPS receiver. Errors are monitored and corrected by the Master Control
Station.
Orbit errors
Satellite orbit pertains to the altitude, position, and speed of the satellite. Satellite orbits vary
due to gravitational pull and solar pressure fluctuations. Orbit errors are also monitored and
corrected by the Master Control Station.
Satellite geometry
The location of GPS satellites in relation to a GPS receiver on the ground can impact the
receivers ability to triangulate a 3D position. The quality of a receivers triangulated position
improves the further apart GPS satellites are located from each other in the sky above the
receiver. The quality decreases if the satellites are grouped close together in the sky above the
receiver.
Atmospheric interference
The atmosphere can slow or speed up the satellite signal. Fortunately, error caused by
atmospheric conditions (ionized air, humidity, temperature, pressure) has been reduced with
the implementation of the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS).
Selective Availability
Selective Availability is the intentional degradation (limits accuracy of satellite signals) of the
GPS system by the U.S. Department of Defense for security reasons. At this time there is no
Selective Availability in force; however, it can be reactivated without notice to GPS users.
Correction systems
Correction systems have been designed to reduce some of the sources of error with GPS.
Real-time Differential GPS
Real-time Differential GPS (DGPS) employs a second, stationary GPS receiver at a precisely
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measured spot, usually established through traditional survey methods (Figure 5-3). This
receiver corrects or reduces errors found in the GPS signals, including atmospheric distortion,
orbital anomalies, Selective Availability (when it existed), and other errors. A DGPS station is
able to do this because its computer already knows its precise location, and can easily
determine the amount of error provided by the GPS signals. DGPS cannot correct for GPS
receiver noise in the users receiver, multipath interference, and user mistakes. In order for
DGPS to work properly, both the users receiver and the DGPS station receiver must be
accessing the same satellite signals at the same time.

Wide Area Augmentation System
The Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) is an experimental system designed to
enhance and improve aircraft flight approaches using GPS and WAAS satellites. The WAAS
can be considered an advanced real-time differential GPS. It uses its own geo-stationary
satellites positioned over the equator to transmit corrected GPS signals to receivers capable of
receiving these signals.
Problems with WAAS include poor signal reception under dense tree canopy and in canyons,
as well as decreased capability in northerly latitudes. Many GPS receivers are now capable of
receiving the WAAS signal. However, WAAS should not be considered a consistently reliable
source for improving the accuracy of GPS until the technology improves.

Using a GPS Receiver
There are several different models and types of GPS receivers. Refer to the owners manual
for your GPS receiver and practice using it to become proficient.
When working on an incident with a GPS receiver it is important to:
Always have a compass and a map.
Have a GPS download cable.
Have extra batteries.
Know memory capacity of the GPS receiver to prevent loss of data, decrease in
accuracy of data, or other problems.
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Use an external antennae whenever possible, especially under tree canopy, in canyons,
or while flying or driving.
Set up GPS receiver according to incident or agency standard regulation; coordinate
system.
Take notes that describe what you are saving in the receiver.

Inputs
Each time you use a GPS receiver, you will need to input information such as:
Position format units (example: UTM 11T 0557442m E 4836621m N).
This input determines the way positions are displayed on the receiver screen. For example,
sometimes you may want to use latitude/longitude coordinates and other times it may be better
to use UTM coordinates.
Map datum (example: WGS 84, NAD 27 and NAD 83).
This input ensures that your GPS receiver and map are both using the same datum, which is
extremely important for accuracy.
Distance units (feet, miles, meters).
Elevation units (feet or meters).
North reference (true, magnetic, or grid).
Time format (12 or 24 hour) and time zone.

Waypoints
A waypoint is a position based on geographic coordinate values, such as latitude/longitude and
UTM, stored in the GPS receivers memory. They are sometimes referred to as landmarks.
Once the waypoint is saved it remains static in the GPS receivers memory until edited or
deleted.

How Waypoints are Determined
A waypoint can either be a saved position fix or can be created by manually entering
coordinates into the receiver.
To turn a position location into a waypoint is simply a matter of saving the receivers
current position as a waypoint. The receiver will give the position coordinates an alpha-
numeric name or the user can designate a name. Once a position fix is saved, it
becomes a waypoint with static coordinates saved in the receivers memory.
Users can enter waypoints into the GPS receiver. For example, coordinates on a map
or coordinates radioed in from a remote location can be entered into a GPS receiver.

Naming Waypoints
The GPS receiver will automatically name waypoints with an alpha-numeric name; however, it
is best if you designate a unique name for each waypoint so you will know exactly what the
waypoint is referring to. Use short descriptive designations because long names can be hard
to read when they are downloaded. You can make up your own names as long as you know
what they are. Some possible designations include:
D1, D2, D3 for different dozer lines
HL1, HL2, HL3 for different handlines
DP1, DP2, DP3 for different drop points
H1, H2, H3 for different helispots
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A1, A2, A3 for different access points
Record a description of each waypoint in your notes, otherwise it will be difficult to remember.

Routes
Routes are just a sequence of waypoints (Figure 5-4). When navigating a route, the GPS
receiver will automatically change the destination waypoint to the next waypoint on the list as it
reaches each waypoint.
Once one waypoint is passed, the GPS receiver will navigate to the next waypoint. When a
route is first activated, the GPS receiver will assume that the first leg is A to B. B is the
waypoint being navigated to and A is the anchor point that defines the first leg of the route.

Terminology
There is a lot of terminology associated with using a GPS receiver. Some of the common
terms are defined below and illustrated in following figure.

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Active from Waypoint
This is the starting waypoint or the receivers last waypoint in an active route.
Active GOTO Waypoint
This is the designated destination in the receiver, whether in an active route or as a single
waypoint.
Active Leg
Active leg is always a straight line between the last waypoint and the GOTO waypoint. A GPS
receiver always plots the most efficient, straight-line course of travel between two points the
active leg. If the receiver is following a route, the active leg will be the desired track between
the last waypoint in the route, and the next waypoint in the route. If the receiver has deviated
from the route, the receiver selects the closest leg to its position and makes it the active leg in
the route (the next waypoint in the route list becomes the GOTO destination waypoint).
Bearing (BRG)/Desired Track (DTK)
In GPS the term bearing is used instead of azimuth. As used in GPS, bearing is the compass
direction (expressed in degrees) from the present position to desired destination waypoint or
the compass direction between any two waypoints.
Course Deviation Indicator (CDI)
This graphically shows the amount and direction of Crosstrack Error.
Course Made Good (CMG) or Course Over Ground (COG)
This is the present direction of travel expressed in degrees from north. It is not necessarily the
most direct path.
Crosstrack Error (XTE)
This is the distance off the desired track (active leg) on either side of the active leg. Its the
linear difference between the Desired Track (DTK) and your actual Course Made Good (CMG).
Desired Track (DTK)
This is a function of GOTO. It is shown in degrees from north. DTK is measured along the
active leg (a straight line between two waypoints in a route) or from your current position to a
designated GOTO waypoint, when not navigating a route.
Estimated Position Error (EPE)
A measurement of horizontal position error in feet or meters based upon a variety of factors
including dilution of precision (DOP) and satellite signal quality.
Estimated Time En Route (ETE)
The time left to destination based upon present speed and course.
Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA)
The time of day of arrival at a destination
Fix
A single position with latitude, longitude (or grid position), altitude, time, and date.
GOTO Function
The GOTO function gives GPS receivers the capability of leading a person to any specified
place. Simply enter the coordinate of desired destination into the GPS receiver as a waypoint
and then, by using the GOTO function, tell the receiver to guide to destination. The receiver
guides to destination using a steering screen. There are several different versions of a steering
screen, but they all point in the direction needed to travel to from present position to the
waypoint selected.
GOTO Waypoint
If traveling from one waypoint to another (using GOTO), then XTE will show the distance of
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deviation of your actual route from the active leg (a straight line) between those waypoints.
Speed Over Ground (SOG)
This is the velocity you are traveling.
Tracking (TRK)/ Heading (HDG)
This is the direction you are actually traveling or heading, expressed in degrees from north.
Track Log
A track log is the GPS units record of travel or where you have been. As you move along, your
every movement is being stored. Receivers with a TracBack feature will allow you to reverse
your route taking you back the same way you originally traveled. As you move along, most
GPS receivers show your track on a map screen.
Velocity Made Good (VMG)
Velocity made good is the speed at which the destination is approached. If you are directly on
course, VMG is the same value as SOG, but if you stray from course, VMG decreases and is
less than SOG.

Variants
GALILEO Satellite System
In 1998, the European Union (EU) decided to pursue a satellite navigation system independent
of GPS designed specifically for civilian use worldwide. When com-pleted, GALILEO will
provide multiple levels of service to users throughout the world. Five services are planned:
An open service that will be free of direct user charges;
A commercial service that will combine value-added data to a high-
accuracy positioning service.
Safety-of-life (SOL) service for safety critical users;
Public regulated service strictly for government-authorized users requiring
a higher level of protection (e.g., increased robustness against
interference or jamming).
Support for search and rescue.

It is anticipated that the SOL service will authenticate the received satellite signals to assure
that they are truly broadcast by GALILEO. Furthermore, the SOL service will include integrity
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monitoring and notification; that is, a timely warning will be issued to the users when the safe
use of the SOL signals cannot be guaranteed according to specifications.

A 30-satellite constellation and full worldwide ground control segment is planned. Figure
depicts a GALILEO satellite. One key goal is to be fully compatible with the GPS system.
Measures are being taken to ensure interoperability between the two systems. Primary
interoperability factors being addressed are signal structure, geodetic coordinate reference
frame, and time reference system. GALILEO is scheduled to be operational in 2008.

Russian GLONASS System
The Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) is the Russian counterpart to GPS. It
consists of a constellation of satellites in medium Earth orbit (MEO), a ground control segment,
and user equipment. At the time of this writing, GLONASS was being revamped and the
system was undergoing an extensive modernization effort. The constellation had decreased to
7 satellites in 1991 but is currently at 14 satellites. The GLONASS program goals are to have
18 satellites in orbit in 2007 and 24 satellites in the 20102011 time frame. A new civil signal
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has been on orbit since 2003. This signal has been broadcast from two modernized satellites
referred to as the GLONASS-M. These two satellites are reported to be test flight satellites.
There are plans to launch a total of 8 GLONASS-M satellites. The follow-on satellite to the
GLONASS-M is the GLONASS-K, which will broadcast all legacy signals plus a third civil
frequency for SOL applications. The GLONASS-K class is scheduled for launch in 2008. As
part of the modernization program, satellite reliability is being increased in both the GLONASS-
M and GLONASS-K designs. Furthermore, the GLONASS-K is being designed to broadcast
integrity data and wide area differential corrections. Figures depict theGLONASS-M and
GLONASS-K satellites, respectively. The Russian government has stated that, like GPS,
GLONASS is a dual-use system and that there will be no direct user fees for civil users. The
Russians are working with the EU and the United States to achieve compatibility between
GLONASS and GALILEO, and GLONASS and GPS, respectively. As in the case with

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GPS/GALILEO interoperability, key elements to achieving interoperability are compatible
signal structure, geodetic coordinate reference frame, and time reference system.

Chinese BeiDou System
The Chinese BeiDou system is a multistage satellite navigation program designed to provide
positioning, fleet-management, and precision-time dissemination to Chinese military and civil
users. Currently, BeiDou is in a semi-operational phase with three satellites deployed in
geostationary orbit over China. The official Chinese press has designated the constellation as
the BeiDou Navigation Test System (BNTS). The BNTS provides a radio determination
satellite service (RDSS). Unlike GPS, GALILEO and GLONASS, which employ one-way TOA
measurements, the RDSS requires two-way range measurements. That is, a system
operations center sends out a polling signal through one of the BeiDou satellites to a subset of
users. These users respond to this signal by transmitting a signal through at least two of the
systems three geostationary satellites. The travel time ismeasured as the navigation signals
loop from operations center to the satellite, to the receiver on the user platform, and back
around. With this time-lapse information, the known locations of the two satellites, and an
estimate of the user altitude, the users location can be determined by the operations center.
Once calculated, the operations center transmits the positioning information to the user. Since
the operations center must calculate the positions for all subscribers to the system, BeiDou
can also be used for fleet management and communications. Current plans call for the BNTS
to also provide integrity and wide area differential corrections via a satellite-based
augmentation system (SBAS) service. At present, the RDSS capability is operational, and
SBAS is still under development. The BNTS provides limited coverage and only supports users
in and around China. The BNTS should be operational through the end of the decade. In the
long term, the Chinese plan is to deploy a regional or worldwide navigation constellation of 14
30 satellites under the BeiDou-2 program. The Chinese did not plan to finalize the design for
BeiDou-2 until sometime in 2005.

Japanese QZSS Program
At the time of this writing, the Japanese were developing an indigenous satellite navigation
augmentation to the U.S. GPS under the QZSS program. The concept has been under
development in Japan for more than 6 years and is the result of several independent
government and industry initiatives. Under current plans, the QZSS constellation will be
designed to support both mobile communications and GPS augmentation services, but the
size and orbit remain incompletely defined. Specifically, the Japanese intend the navigation
services to address shortfalls in GPS satellite visibility in urban canyons and mountainous
terrain, which the Japanese assess to be a problem in 80% of the country. In addition, the
Japanese have expressed the need for an independent regional navigation capability in times
of crisis in order to protect the Japanese economy and its extensive use of GPS.
Originally, the QZSS was an initiative of a joint industry effort under the (then) Japanese
Communications Research Laboratory. A number of national and consortium projects in Japan
have developed concepts for a satellite-based augmentation to GPS with a funding and
marketing base broadened by providing both a navigation and a communications capability.
The QZSS program appears to be the first such program to be moving forward with both
government and industry support. The intent is to bring the navigation service on line in
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coordination with GPS upgrades. A U.S.-Japanese working group was established in October
2002 and is working toward this goal. When the GPS-QZSS Technical Working Group met in
January 2004, problems related to interoperability were addressed through formal documents
on configuration management.

References:
1) Parkinson, B., A History of Satellite Navigation, NAVIGATION: Journal of The Institute
of Navigation, Vol. 42, No. 1, Spring 1995, pp. 109164.
2) GPS Joint Program Office, NAVSTAR GPS User Equipment Introduction, Public
Release Version, February 1991.
3) NAVSTAR GPS Joint Program Office, GPS NAVSTAR Users Overview, YEE-82-009D,
GPS JPO, March 1991.
4) McDonald, K., Navigation Satellite SystemsA Perspective, Proc. 1st Int. Symposium
Real Time Differential Applications of the Global Positioning System, Vol. 1,
Braunschweig, Federal Republic of Germany, 1991, pp. 2035.
5) Global View, GPS World Magazine, February 2002, p. 10.
6) U.S. Department of Defense/Department of Transportation, 1999 Federal
Radionavigation Plan, Springfield, VA: National Technical Information Service,
December 1999.
7) https://gps.losangeles.af.mil/gpslibrary/FAQ.asp.
8) Business in Satellite Navigation, GALILEO Joint Undertaking, Brussels, Belgium,
2003.
9) http://www.geocaching.com.
10) ANSER, Russias Global Navigation Satellite System, Arlington, VA, U.S. Air Force
Contract Number F33657-90-D-0096, May 1994.
11) Kazantsev, V. N., et al., Overview and Design of the GLONASS System, Proc. of Intl.
Conference on Satellite Communications, Volume II, Moscow, Russia, October 1821,
1994, pp. 207216.
12) Technical Description and Characteristics of Global Space Navigation System
GLONASS-MInformation Document, International Telecommunications Union,
Documents 8D/46-E and 8D/ 46(Add.1)-E, November 22, 1994, and December 6, 1994,
respectively.
13) On the Activity on Application of the Global Navigation Satellite System GLONASS,
Russian Federation Governmental Decree 237, March 7, 1995, http://www.glonass-
center. ru/decree.html.
14) Global Navigation Satellite SystemGLONASS, Interface Control Document (Version
5.0), Moscow, 2002, http://www.glonass-center.ru/icd02_e.zip.
15) The Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, Decree 38-RP, February 18,
1999, http://www.glonass-center.ru/38rp_e.html.
16) Declaration of the Government of the Russian Federation, Russian Federation
Governmental
17) Decree 346, March 29, 1999, http://www.glonass-center.ru/decl_e.html.

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