How do GPS Recievers Work?
July 10th 2009 13:13
Category: GPS Navigation
The actual GPA receiver that you have in your car locates 4 or more of the satellites and use the information to deduce its own location, using a mathematical principle called trilateration. Trilateration can be tricky but essentially, it's the satellites all read the a destination from a certain point, giving the distance between you and that satellite. Then, when combined together, he GPS receiver takes into account all the satellites and figures where you're at by analyzing high-frequency, low-power signals from the satellite.
The radio waves travel at the speed of light, so the receiver can figure out how fast the signal travels by timing how long it takes for the signal to return to the receiver. This travel time is multiplied by the speed of light to determine how far the signal actually traveled, all assuming that the signal traveled in a straight line.
There is a little margin of error, so it's not always perfectly accurate. I've even seen two different GPS systems looking for the same destinations find two different travel times and mileage, while just standing 5 feet apart.
In general, your GPS receiver can not only place you on a map, but can also trace your path as you move around. Your GPS receiver can determine how far you've traveled, how long you've traveled, your current speed your average speed, an estimated time of arrival to your destination, and a trail showing where you've traveled.
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Whitney
