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How does a GPS receiver work?

Updated: 8/11/2023
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11y ago

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A GPS (short for "Global Positioning System") is an electronic device that measures its distance to three or more satellites to determine its precise location. There are 24 such satellites in fixed orbits around the world. All of the satellites are perfectly synchronized, and send out digital radio transmissions broadcasting the current time. Your GPS receiver receives three or more of these signals, where the distance to the satellite will delay the signal just a tiny bit. The GPS receiver uses the relative delays to determine its precise location.

GPS receivers are available from Garmin, Magellan, Tom Tom, and a number of other companies. Many newer cellphones also have a built-in GPS receiver.

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13y ago
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14y ago

Each GPS satellite transmits data that indicates its location and the current time. All GPS satellites synchronize operations so that these repeating signals are transmitted at the same instant. The signals, moving at the speed of light, arrive at a GPS receiver at slightly different times because some satellites are further away than others. The distance to the GPS satellites can be determined by estimating the amount of time it takes for their signals to reach the receiver. When the receiver estimates the distance to at least four GPS satellites, it can calculate its position in three dimensions

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14y ago

The mechanics behind a GPS receiver are simple. There is a mechanism in your receiver that picks up a satellite signal. It then interprets the angle of the signal to pinpoint your location. The satellite itself is in a fixed position in space so that you are the one moving in relation to its position.

A GPS Receiver uses a mathimatical equation called trilateration. The Gps requires clear skies, receiver and satillites. With a gps receiver and a clear sky a signal is sent from a receiver to at least four satillites, this is were trilateration comes in. this equation determines the distance between the four satilliates and sends that information back to the receiver that uses your location as a marking point, and then determins where in the world you are.

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13y ago

it uses satellite technology on a battery

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