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The Global Positioning System

Professor Terry Moore

Professor of Satellite Navigation
Institute of Engineering Surveying and Space Geodesy
The University of Nottingham

Version 0909
Global Positioning System
Concept

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• User measures distance to four satellites
• Satellites transmit their positions in orbit
• User solves for position (X,Y,Z or , h) and
clock error t
Global Positioning System

• 24 Satellites

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• 6 Orbital planes
• 55° Inclination
• 20200 km above the Earth
• 12 hour orbits
GPS Range Measurement

• One-way range (distance) between satellite and receiver

• Measurement of time-of-flight of coded signals

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• Each satellite has a unique code (Gold Codes)
• Assume synchronised clocks in receiver and satellites
• Receiver attempts to match received code with its own code
• Pseudo-range
Pure geometrical range corrupted by
Clock offsets
Atmospheric errors
Other error sources
Pseudo-Range Observation

001010101001010001101101
Transmitted code
from satellite

© IESSG Replica of
Travel satellite code
Time generated in the
receiver

Pseudo-Range = Travel Time x Speed of Light

Global Positioning System
Concept

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• User measures distance to four satellites
• Satellites transmit their positions in orbit
• User solves for position (X,Y,Z or , h) and
clock error t
GPS Signal Structure

• Two L band carriers

L1 1575.42 MHz

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L2 1227.60 MHz
(L5 1176.45 MHz)
• Two spread spectrum modulated timing codes
C/A code 1.023 MHz 1ms L1 only
P code 10.23 MHz 38 weeks L1 and L2
• Navigation message
50 bps
25 pages, 5 subframes
GPS Signal Structure

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GPS Pseudo-range
Observable

• Main navigation observable

• Code correlation of timing codes

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• Very simple, very robust
• Stand alone positioning
• Standard Positioning Service
Coarse/Acquisition (C/A) code 100 metres (with SA)
No SA, new signal specification < 10 metres

• Precise Positioning Service

Precision (P/Y) code 20 metres
Selective Availability
and Anti-Spoofing

• Selective Availability (SA)

– Method of denying unauthorised real-time use of full accuracy

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of the Precise Positioning Service (PPS)
– Intentional degradation of clock (and possibly ephemeris)
– SPS horizontal accuracy - nominally 100m (95%)
– SA degradation removed 2nd May 2000

• Anti-Spoofing (AS)
– Method of protecting against hostile imitation of pps signals
– Encryption of P-code to give the Y-code
End of Selective Availability

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Differential GPS

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DGPS
reference
Differential receiver
transmitter DGPS corrections
Differential GPS (DGPS)

• Relative Positioning using pseudo-ranges

• Receiver at a known location
• Real-time

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– Transmit measured errors in pseudo-ranges to remote
(mobile) user
• Post-processing
– Single difference of pseudo-ranges
• Removes most ephemeris, atmospheric and
satellite clock errors (including SA)
GPS Carrier Phase
Observable

• Main surveying (high precision) observable

• Phase measurement on carrier signals (L1 & L2)

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• 19cm or 24cm wavelength - resolution few mm
• Integer ambiguity
• Relative positioning
• Single difference / double difference
• More difficult to access, measure and process
• Static and kinematic processing
Carrier Phase
GPS

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Carrier Phase Tracking

Integer Ambiguity

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Integer Ambiguity

Carrier Phase

Carrier Phase

At Lock-on At a Later Epoch

Double Difference
Phase Observable
I J

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A B

Observable = (JB-JA) - (IB-IA)

Removes ephemeris, clock and atmospheric errors
GPS Carrier Phase
Observable

• Main surveying (high precision) observable

• Phase measurement on carrier signals (L1 & L2)

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• 19cm or 24cm wavelength - resolution few mm
• Integer ambiguity
• Relative positioning
• Single difference / double difference
• More difficult to access, measure and process
• Static and kinematic processing
GPS Pseudo-Range
Positioning

• Absolute Positioning
Pseudo-ranges measured at one receiver
Standard Positioning Service 5 - 10m (used to be 100m)

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Precise Positioning Service a few m
Time averaging - over one day ~ 1m
• Differential GPS
Pseudo-range measurements at two (or more) points
One receiver at know ‘reference station’
Cancels common errors
Relative positioning
Data link - terrestrial or satellite
Real time accuracy of ~ 1 - 5m
GPS Carrier Phase
Surveying
• Static GPS
Measure carrier phase simultaneous at two or more points
Static surveying (an hour for each line, now a few mins)

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Relative positioning of few cm and few ppm

• Kinematic GPS surveying

Carrier phase at two or more receivers
One receiver stationary, one mobile from point to point
Fast / On-the-fly initialisation
Centimetres in seconds - Precise Navigation
GPS Operational Control
Segment

Ground Monitor
Antenna Station

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Master Control
Station (Schriever AFB)

 Master Control Station (MCS): satellite control, system operations

 Alternate Master Control Station (AMCS, Vandenberg AFB, 2004)
 Monitor Station (MS): Collect range data, monitor navigation signal
 NIMA Tracking Station (TS): Collect range data, monitor nav signal
 Ground Antenna (GA): Transmit data/commands, collect telemetry
GPS Status
September 2009

• 32 satellites on-orbit (31 operational)

– 12 Block IIA, 12 Block IIR, 7(+1) IIR-M
• 2 satellites launched in the last year (Block IIR-M)

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– SVN49, IIR-M-7, PRN 01, 24 Mar 09, B2
– SVN50, IIR-M-8, PRN 05, 17 Aug 09, E6 (now operational)
– Both being commissioned at the moment
• Upcoming Launches
– First IIF within next year.
– Expected three launches per year
– Launch on expected requirement
(not to upgrade capability)
Contact Details

Professor Terry Moore

IESSG

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The University of Nottingham
University Park
Nottingham
NG7 2RD
United Kingdom

• Telephone: +44 (0) 115 951 3886

• Fax: +44 (0) 115 951 3881
• Email: terry.moore@nottingham.ac.uk
• WWW: www.nottingham.ac.uk/iessg