GPS Fundamentals

GPS Fundamentals © Copyright 2009, Trimble Navigation Limited

Chapter Objectives
• Identify and describe the 3 segments of
GPS

• Identify the acceptable number of satellites

for an accurate position

• List and explain the sources of

environmental errors that affect GPS data
accuracy
GPS Fundamentals © Copyright 2009, Trimble Navigation Limited

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 GNSS and GPS Acronyms
• GNSS – Global Navigation Satellite
System – generic term for all satellite
navigation systems

• GPS – Global Positioning System (US

Dept of Defense)

• GLONASS – GLObal NAvigation Satellite

System (Russian System)
GPS Fundamentals © Copyright 2009, Trimble Navigation Limited

GPS System Segments

Space

Control User

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Control Segments
• Monitors satellites’ orbits
• Receives Information, Transmits Information

GPS Fundamentals © Copyright 2009, Trimble Navigation Limited

Space Segment
Min 24 Satellites
• Orbit with a 55°
55 rotation
• 20,200 km orbit (approx.)
• 1 revolution per 12 hours

High Orbit Provides:

• Longer Satellite Survival
• Better Coverage
• Higher Accuracy

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 User Segment
Multiple Applications
• GIS Data Capture
• Vehicle Tracking
• Marine/Vehicle Navigation
• Surveying
• Emergency Services
• Aviation
• Photogrammetry
• Recreation (hiking etc.)
• Many more… and more to
follow

GPS Fundamentals © Copyright 2009, Trimble Navigation Limited

Why Satellites for Mapping

ƒ Line of site not required
ƒ Accurate and rapid positioning

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 Satellite Ranging
Measuring the distance from a satellite
• Measuring the travel time of radio signals
• Radio signals travel at the speed of light

Distance D = Speed of light ×Time

GPS Fundamentals © Copyright 2009, Trimble Navigation Limited

Satellite Ranging
• Each satellite transmits a different code
• The receiver ggenerates matching g codes at the exact
same time
• The receiver compares the satellite and receiver
generated code to determine the ‘travel time’. This is
used to calculate the distance between the satellite and
GPS receiver
measure time difference between same part of code

From satellite

From receiver

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GPS by Trilateration
• GPS doesn’t provide 3 perfect measurements
• 4th satellite is used to resolve timing offsets

GPS Fundamentals © Copyright 2009, Trimble Navigation Limited

Clock Offset
Three GPS ‘signal’ spheres will not intersect:
3 milliseconds out

5 milliseconds out

15 milliseconds out

Need a fourth satellite to eliminate timing offsets

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 Alamanac
Gives the general location of all satellites

• Stored on GPS receiver Useful for:

• GPS receiver can download a new Almanac in Project planning
12 ½ minutes (continuous logging) Rapid acquisition
• Also
Al available
il bl on www.trimble.com
t i bl

GPS Fundamentals © Copyright 2009, Trimble Navigation Limited

Ephemeris
• Transmitted in GPS signal
• Exact orbit information of individual satellite
• Required to determine the satellite range

your location is:

37° 23.323’ N
122° 02.162’ W

GPS Fundamentals © Copyright 2009, Trimble Navigation Limited

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 Summarizing GPS Positioning
• Trilateration
GPS satellites
Four signals is
get tracked
used
required
for for by
an
the receiver
positioning
accurate 3D–
and3the
but
GPS position
satellites
travel
time
aren’t
to eliminate
is used to
calculate
accurate
timing offsets
the
enough
distanceto
create an
intersection

GPS Fundamentals © Copyright 2009, Trimble Navigation Limited

Differential GPS
• Two receivers track the SAME signals and errors
at the SAME time
• They both compute imperfect positions
• Base differences applied to Rover

Base

Rover

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 Sources of error in GPS

• Obstruction

• Multipath

• Atmospheric delay

GPS Fundamentals © Copyright 2009, Trimble Navigation Limited

Obstruction
GPS signals cannot travel through physical objects – this
will reduce position yield, and less satellites can mean less
accuracy y

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Multipath
• GPS signals are reflected and the wrong signal can be
used – changing the GPS position significantly

GPS Fundamentals © Copyright 2009, Trimble Navigation Limited

Atmospheric Delay
• GPS signals are delayed as they pass through
the atmosphere

Ionosphere

Troposphere

Base Rover Base

< 10 km > 10 km

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Carrier Phase
• Carrier phase measurements are more accurate
– The carrier signal has a higher frequency
freq enc than the
transmitted digital Code, resulting in smaller
measurement errors.

• Disadvantages
– In difficult environments carrier phase measurements
are more difficult to collect than code measurements.
– Also requires Differential techniques (real-time or
postprocessed) to be of use

GPS Fundamentals © Copyright 2009, Trimble Navigation Limited

Satellite Signal Structure

L1 Wavelength = 19 cm
L2 Wavelength = 24 cm
λ
Carrier

Code modulated (0’s and 1’s)

Code within the L1 Carrier signal

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3 Carrier Phase Types
• H-Star technology
– Decimeter to subfoot accuracyy in real time or after
postprocessing with as little as two minutes of carrier data.

• Carrier postprocessing
– Ranging from 30 cm down to 1 cm, with carrier data spanning
from 10 minutes up to 45 minutes.

• Real-time kinematic (RTK) using Survey equipment

– Provides accuracies in the centimeter (sub-inch) range, in real
time.

GPS Fundamentals © Copyright 2009, Trimble Navigation Limited

How Carrier Phase Works

Use a Base Station (with known position) to provide its
carrier measurements (real-time or postprocessed)
Rover receiver uses its Code measurement to approximate
position, and therefore Carrier range to within a few
cycles/wavelengths…
measure time difference
between same part of code

from satellite

from ground receiver

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Range - Carrier Measurement

Integer Ambiguity (N) - is the unknown number of cycles,

but it is limited thanks to the Code measurement

Using each tracked satellite’s

Carrier measurement - search
the possible combinations till
the best set is found
Δλ = First Partial Wavelength
g
N = Integer Ambiguity

GPS Fundamentals © Copyright 2009, Trimble Navigation Limited

Range - Carrier Measurement

Once the ‘matching’ measurements are calculated that
set is ‘locked’
locked until satellite interruption occurs

Δλ = First Partial Wavelength

g
N = Integer Ambiguity

GPS Fundamentals © Copyright 2009, Trimble Navigation Limited

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 Carrier Lock
• Must maintain carrier signal lock to
achieve
hi ttargett accuracy
– Recommended to maintain lock on at least 5
satellites (but not required)
– Loss of lock is caused by obstructions
blocking signal (e.g. body, tree or building), or
receiver disconnection
• In difficult GPS environments Code
corrections may be better accuracy
GPS Fundamentals © Copyright 2009, Trimble Navigation Limited

Accuracy Relationships
Accuracy improves
with:
• Duration of carrier lock
• Baseline length (proximity
to differential source)
Error

• Also dependent on GPS Longer baseline

receiver type
Shorter baseline

Time

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Carrier Blocks
• All data within a Block Block

C i Bl
Carrier Blockk iis 8

A
Useful Carrier data

used for 7

postprocessing

Number of SV’s
5
B C D
4

• All data within a 3

given block will 2

1
Lock lost

be the same
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55
accuracy Time in minutes

GPS Fundamentals © Copyright 2009, Trimble Navigation Limited

Review Questions

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Questions and Answers
1. Define GPS.
A: Dept of Defense satellite constellation transmitting radio signals for
use by GPS receivers to calculate accurate 3D positions

2. What are the 3 GPS segments?

A: Control, Space, User

3. How often do the satellites orbit?

A: Every 12 hours (twice daily)

4. What are 5 GPS applications?

A: Navigation, surveying, GIS data capture, photogrammetry, vehicle
tracking, etc.

GPS Fundamentals © Copyright 2009, Trimble Navigation Limited

Questions and Answers

5. What is the main reason we use
satellites?
t llit ?
A: Line of sight between known and unknown location is not necessary

6. How does the receiver measure its

distance from individual satellites?
A: Satellite Ranging - the measurement is determined by timing how long
it takes a radio signal to reach the GPS receiver from a satellite, and using
that time to calculate the distance.

GPS Fundamentals © Copyright 2009, Trimble Navigation Limited

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Questions and Answers
7. What is a Carrier Block?
A: A block of GPS data where 4 or more Carrier Phase signals have been
continuously recorded (maintained)

8. Carrier phase measurements are more

accurate, but what is a disadvantage
of carrier phase measurements?
A: Requires constant lock onto 5 satellites for a period of time, making it more
difficult to achieve than Code measurements in difficult GPS environments.

Also, requires a differential technique (real-time or postprocessed) to be of use.

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