Global Positioning System

(GPS)
AVT 214- Aircraft Communication System

What is GPS?

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a

satellite navigation system providing
location data coupled with time
information worldwide.

The positioning information from GPS

satellites in sent in form of repeating
codes which identify the sending satellite,
give locations of the other satellites
system, and give the navigation data.

GPS Naviagation Message

The codes which from the GPS signal

structure are superimposed upon two
carrier waves in the L band, a frequency
range set aside for satellite communication.
Both carrier frequencies and the signal
frequencies are derived directly from the
onboard atomic clock oscillator frequency of
10.23MHz. The coded signals are repeated
regularly in epochs on the of 15 seconds.

Global Positioning Orbits

The 24 satellites of the GPS are placed in

orbits at about 3.75 times the radius of the
Earth. A GPS receiver, which may be a small
hand-held unit, can triangulate its posistion
on the Earth`s surface within 30 meters or
less with signals from three of the satellites.

The satellites are arranged in six orbital

planes with four satellites in each plane.