GPS in Theory

  • Each GPS satellite transmits its orbital location plus a time-seeded pseudorandom sequence
  • A receiver can use this plus the mostly constant speed of light to plot its own location along the edge of a sphere with a radius proportional to the transmission time
  • When three of these spheres are plotted, the receiver will be found at the point or region of intersection between them
  • A fourth sphere is needed to find elevation
previous - Tutorial Index - next