Basics of GPS

GPS Basics

GPS - Global positioning system

You have probably used or benefited from a GPS receiver. They are found in most smartphones, many new automobiles, and they are used to track
commerce all over the globe. These tiny devices can instantaneously get
your exact position and time, almost anywhere on the planet, for free! Al
you need is a GPS receiver, and receivers are getting less expensive a
smaller every day. Don’t take these tiny, inexpensive modules for granted. There are decade of engineering that went in to giving you accurate position anytime,
anywhere.

 Dozens of GPS satellites, all containing extremely accurate atomic clocks, have been launched since the late 70’s, and launches continue to this day. The satellites continuously send data down to earth over dedicated RF frequencies. Our pocket-sized GPS receivers have processors and antennas that directly receive the data sent by the satellites and compute your position and time on the fly. Simply amazing.

There are some concepts that this tutorial build need to know or prepare before starting:

• Logic Levels

• Connector Basics

• Binary (used in the configuration section

• Serial Communication

• Serial Terminal Basics
  
  

  How Does GPS Work

  GPS receivers use a constellation of satellites and ground stations to compute position and time almost anywhere on earth.

  

  The moving point on the globe and the number of visible satellites.

  
  

  At any given time, there are at least 24 active satellites orbiting over 12,000 miles above earth. The positions of the satellites are constructed in a way that the sky above your location will always contain at most 12 satellites. The primary purpose of the 12 visible satellites is to transmit information back to earth over radio frequency (ranging from 1.1 to 1.5 GHz). With this information and some math, a ground based receiver or GPS module can calculate its position and time.