Electronics and Communications Engineering Program

ECE422: Advanced Electronic Systems

Lecture 7

▪ Global Positioning System (GPS)

Dr. Sawsan Abdellatif 1

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➢ Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is a general term describing any
satellite constellation that provides positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT)
services on a global or regional basis.

➢ The original GNSS was the U.S.’s Global Positioning System (GPS) developed
by the US Department of Defense (DoD) for use in military operations. It is now a
dual-use system, used for both military as well as civilian applications
(development start in 1973 and fully functional in 1994)

➢ The GPS, also known as Navstar, is a satellite-based navigation system that can
be used by anyone with an appropriate receiver to determine 3D-location in
terms of the latitude and longitude on earth as well as the altitude above sea
level.

NAVSTAR: Navigation Satellite Timing and Ranging 3

➢ The GPS consists of three major segments:

1) Space segment: constellation of 24 satellites

2) Control segment: provide ground-based facilities

3) User segment: calculate its position

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➢ The space segment is the network of satellites orbiting above the earth with
transmitters that send highly accurate timing information to GPS receivers on
earth (the receivers can be at land, sea, or air).

➢ The Navstar consists of 24 main operational satellites plus

multiple active spare satellites. The satellites are arranged in
six orbits, each orbit containing three or four satellites.

➢ MEO orbits inclined at different angles to the equator, between

–55° +55° at an altitude of 10,898 mile (20,200 km).

➢ The orbital period for each satellite is approximately 12h.

➢ GPS satellites send timing pulses and set of codes that defines its precise
location at any given time (on L-band downlink).
➢ The satellite’s position data is updated once a day by the ground control
stations to ensure accuracy. 5
➢ The control segment of the GPS refers to the various ground stations that monitor
the satellites and provide control and update information.

➢ The control segment of the GPS system comprises a worldwide network of five
monitor stations, four ground antenna stations and a master control station.

➢ Master control station (MCS) located in Colorado (USA) controls the overall network

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Fig. GPS control segment
➢ Each monitor station is provided with high fidelity GPS receivers to continuously
track all GPS satellites in view (collect range information).
➢ Data from these stations is sent to the MCS which computes precise information
on satellite orbit and clock status every 15 minutes.
➢ This updated tracking information is uploaded to GPS satellites through ground
antenna stations once or twice per day for each satellite using S- band signals.
➢ The ground antenna stations are also used to transmit commands to satellites
and to receive satellite telemetry data.

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➢ A GPS receiver is a complex microwave receiver designed to pick up the GPS
signals, decode them, and then compute the location of the receiver.

➢ GPS receivers are not only communication receivers but also sophisticated
computers to compute the receiver position from the received data.

➢ GPS receivers use Trilateration to determine its

location.

➢ When it gets signals from at least 3 GPS satellites, the

receiver should be able to calculate its approximate
position (2D). Determining 3D position needs receiving
signals from at least four satellites.

➢ The location determination is based on determining the

Fig. Trilateration method
distance to each satellite. to locate a GPS receiver
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➢ Assume three satellites A, B, and C. The receiver first computes the distance
from the receiver to satellite A. The distance from A is on a circle.

➢ Then the receiver calculates the distance to satellite B. That distance is defined
along another circle.

➢ The two circles intersect at two points. One of those is the exact location, but we
don’t know which until we get a third satellite reading.

➢ The distance from satellite C intersects with the other circles at only one point.
That is the location of the receiver.

Distance to 1 satellite Distance to 2 satellites Distance to 3 satellites 9

➢ Actually, the distance is defined along a sphere not circle and using a fourth
satellite enables determining the altitude (3D position).

Intersection of Equivalency Result

Two spheres circle circle
Three spheres circle ∩ sphere two points
Four spheres two points ∩ sphere one point
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 ➢ The distance to each satellite is measured by measuring the time of arrival of the
satellite signals and then computing distance based on the speed of radio waves
[3 × 108 m/s] (with correction factors).

Ex: If a signal leaves a satellite at time

“ 𝑡0 ”, and picked up by the GPS
𝒕𝟎
receiver at time “𝑡0 +3”, this means it
takes 3 seconds to reach the GPS unit.

𝒕𝟎 + 𝟑 The distance between satellite and

GPS unit is 3 times the speed of light.
Fig. Measuring distance between satellite and GPS receiver.
➢ Correction factors: There is a difference between the clock frequency in the
GPS receivers and the clock in the satellite, therefore, the distance measurement
must be corrected to account for the internal clock error.
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 𝑅2 𝑅3

𝑅1 𝑅4

Once the calculation has been made, the

microprocessor converts that information to
the latitude, longitude, and altitude data, 12
 In our course, for simplification , neglect clock bias
Example:

Find the location of point B ((x,y)), given location

of three points A, C, and D and distances
between the three known points and B are:
𝑑𝐴 ≅ 5.1 km
𝑑𝐶 ≅ 4.5 km
𝑑𝐷 ≅ 7.1 km

(assume A,B,C, and D lie in the same horizontal

plane)

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Solution:

Equations of 3 circles:
(𝑥 − 𝑥𝐴 ) 2 +(𝑦 − 𝑦𝐴 ) 2 = (𝑑𝐴 ) 2 Line 2

(𝑥 − 𝑥𝐶 ) 2 +(𝑦 − 𝑦𝐶 ) 2 = (𝑑𝐶 ) 2
(𝑥 − 𝑥𝐷 ) 2 +(𝑦 − 𝑦𝐷 ) 2 = (𝑑𝐷 ) 2
Substitute:
Eq1: (𝑥 − 2) 2 +(𝑦 − 2) 2 = (5.1) 2

Eq2: (𝑥 − 5) 2 +(𝑦 − 11) 2 = (4.5) 2

Line 1
Eq3: (𝑥 − 8) 2 +(𝑦 − 2) 2 = (7.1) 2
Subtracting any two circle equations gives a linear equation for the line passing
through their intersection points.
e.,g., Eq1-Eq3: gives line 1
Eq2-Eq3: gives line 2
Line 1 and Line 2 are intersected at the required point B. So, solving their equations
will give (x,y) position of B. [check your answer: (3,7) ] 14
➢ A well-designed GPS receiver can achieve a horizontal accuracy of 3 meters or
better and vertical accuracy of 5 meters or better 95% of the time. Augmented
GPS systems can provide sub-meter accuracy.

➢ Clock Errors: The receiver clock is not as accurate as the atomic clock on GPS
satellites. Also, slight discrepancies in each satellite’s four atomic clocks lead to
range error. Errors are monitored and corrected by the Master Control Station.

➢ Orbit Errors: Satellite orbits vary due to gravitational pull and solar pressure
fluctuations. Orbit errors are also monitored and corrected by the Master Control
Station (MCS)

➢ Atmospheric interference : The troposphere and ionosphere can change the

speed of propagation of a GPS signal. Due to atmospheric conditions, the
atmosphere refracts the satellite signals as they pass through it. 15
➢ Multipath interference : caused by reflected radio signals
from surfaces near the GPS receiver. Multipath is difficult to
detect by MCS.

➢ Selective Availability: (S/A) was the intentional degradation

of the satellite signals by a time varying bias. S/A is controlled
by the U.S Department of Defense to limit accuracy for non -
U.S. military and government users and was originally
instituted for security reasons.

➢ Number of satellites visible: The more satellites the receiver can “see”, the
better the accuracy. The clearer the view, to the receiver the better the reception.

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➢ Satellites geometry: This refers to the relative position of the satellites at any
given time. Ideal satellite geometry exists when the satellites are located at wide
angles relative to each other. Poor geometry exists when the satellites are located
in a line or in a tight grouping.

➢ This effect of the geometry of satellites on position error is called ‘geometric

dilution of precision’ (GDOP).

Good satellite geometry

Bad satellite geometry 17
a number of services have been developed to improve the accuracy of the GPS.

➢ DGPS uses a fixed station with precise known location. This station monitors all
satellites in view and compares location data from the satellite to its known
position. It determines any errors in position and broadcast these errors to GPS
receivers, where the error data updates the received data to give a more
accurate position.

▪ The receiver must be DGPS-enabled

x+5,y-3
to receive the corrective data. Use of
DGPS improves the accuracy with an
error within 3 to 6 ft (0.9 to 1.8 m).

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➢ Can be thought as a highly advanced differential GPS. But instead of using
ground based transmitters to broadcast position correction information, WAAS
uses geosynchronous satellites in fixed orbit.

➢ The WAAS consists of about 25 ground stations around the United States with
precisely known locations and two coastal stations that collect all the data from
the other stations. The collected data is used to determine all errors, and then
differential correction signals are transmitted up to one of two geosynchronous
satellites that in turn transmit the correction signals to GPS receivers.

➢ As with DGPS, the receiver must be WAAS-enabled to receive the corrective

data. Use of WAAS improves the accuracy with an error of less than 3 ft (<0.9m)

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 Aviation
Marine

Farming
Science

Surveying Military

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➢ The success of GPS encouraged other countries to build their own GNSS.

➢ GLONASS (Russia) (official started in 1995) (24 satellites at 11,890 miles).

➢ Galileo (European Union): (started in 2016) (30 satellites at 14,430 miles).

➢ BDS /Compass (China) (official started in 2020) (30 satellites at 13,140 miles
and 5 geostationary satellites).

➢ QZSS (Japan): (regional) (official started in 2018) (3-satellite system that is a

supplement to GPS).

➢ IRNSS/NavIC (India): for coverage mainly around India and the surrounding area
(i.e, regional), (7 geostationary satellites)

➢ All the GNSSs can complement one another to provide increased accuracy.
Many GNSS receivers are capable of receiving both GPS and one or more other
GNSS signals, and combining them for improved precision.

https://www.gps.gov/systems/gnss/ 21
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Create Matlab Function for 3D-Trilateration to calculate the 3D- position
[(x,y,z) coordinates] of certain point where:
▪ The function’s inputs should be the 3D-position of four points (each as vector
x,y,z) and their distances to the required point.

▪ The output should be the 3D-position of the required point.

▪ Call your functions with appropriate inputs and test your output

▪ Write a pdf report to show the Matlab codes and the results you obtained.

▪ Student name should be written as a comment line in the beginning of the

matlab files, and at the cover page of the report.

▪ Upload both source codes and pdf report on the specified link.

▪ Please don’t send compressed folders, only separate files should be

uploaded.
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Thanks for attention

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