Unit-4

GPS SURVEYING

Present by
S.SEKAR,AP/CIVIL
Basic Principles of GPS
Global Positioning System (GPS)
• Satellite-based navigation and positioning system,
original developed for military purposes by the US
Department of Defense in 1972
• Applied in many fields as diverse as geodesy, GIS,
precise cadastral mapping, cartography, vehicle
guidance and atmospheric research
• The phenomenal progress in receiver hardware is
continuously widening the scope of applications
of this unique technique.
Advantages of GPS as Surveying
Tool
• Transmission of signals that can be "seen" over a
far larger area than ground-based systems (no line
of sight necessary)
• Weather (transmission signals through cloud and
rain) and day-time independent
• They recognise no national boundaries, and hence
can be used globally wherever they are visible, on
the ground, in the air and at sea.
 Three segments

SPACE SEGMENT
comprising the satellites themselves, transmitting the signals
necessary for the system to operate.

CONTROL SEGMENT
ground facilities carrying out the task of satellite tracking, orbit
computations, telemetry and supervision necessary for the daily
management of the Space Segment.

USER SEGMENT
entire spectrum of applications equipment and computational
techniques that provide the users with the position results.
 Quality of GPS measurements
controllable by user
• Number of satellites (at least 4)
• Configuration of satellites (PDOP)
• Short travel time through atmosphere (avoid
use of low satellites)
• Number of independent observations per
station
• Time of Measurement