Introduction to GPS: The Global Positioning System,

2nd Edition

Ahmed El-Rabbany

ISBN 1-59693-016-0
Approx. 246 pages.

NavtechGPS Part #1221

This thoroughly revised edition of the Artech House bestseller, Introduction to GPS: The Global
Position System offers you an up-to-date, easy-to-understand treatment of this tremendously
important technology. The second edition includes a wealth of brand new material, including a
chapter on GPS satellite orbit and new coverage of today’s hottest issues, such as precise point
positioning and location based services. This one-of-a-kind resource offers you the knowledge you
need for your work, without bogging you down with advanced mathematics. It addresses all
aspects of the GPS, emphasizes GPS applications, examines the GPS signal structure, and covers
the key types of measurement being utilized in the field today.

You get an in-depth discussion on the errors and biases that affect GPS measurements, along with
guidance on how to overcome them. Moreover, the book shows how the GPS can be used for a
number of different accuracy levels. Datums, coordinate systems, and map projections are
discussed in a simple manner, offering you a clear understanding of this widely misunderstood
area. This unique reference also examines the integration of the GPS with other systems, and
looks at future GPS modernization. Over 90 illustrations help clarify major topics throughout the
book.

Table of Contents

Introduction – Historical Review. Overview of GPS. GPS Segments. GPS Satellite Generations.
Current GPS Constellation. Control Sites. GPS: the Basic Idea. GPS Positioning Service. Why Use
GPS?

GPS Details - GPS Signal Structure. GPS Modernization. Types of GPS Receivers. Time Systems.
Pseudorange Measurements. Carrier-Phase Measurements. Doppler Measurements. Cycle Slips.
Linear Combinations of GPS Observables.

GPS Satellite Orbit – Ideal (Keplerian) Orbit. The Perturbed Orbit. Satellite Visibility. GPS
Broadcast Orbit. References.

GPS Errors and Biases – GPS Ephemeris Errors. Selective Availability. Satellite and Receiver
Clock Errors. Hardware Delay. Multipath Error. Antenna Phase Center Variations. Receiver
Measurements Noise. Ionospheric Delay. Tropospheric Delay. Satellite Geometry Measures. GPS
Mission Planning. User Equivalent Range Error.
GPS Positioning Modes - GPS Point Positioning. Precise Point Positioning. GPS Relative
Positioning. Static GPS Surveying. Fast (Rapid) Static. Stop & Go GPS Surveying. RTK GPS.
Real-Time Differential GPS. Real-Time vs. Postprocessing. Communication (Radio) Link.

Ambiguity Resolution Techniques - Antenna Swap Method. On-the-Fly Ambiguity Resolution. The
LAMBDA Method.

GPS Data and Correction Services – GPS Data Service. Precise GPS Orbit and Clock Service.
DGPS Radio Beacon Systems. Wide-Area DGPS Service. Wide Area Augmentation System
(WAAS). European Geostationary Navigation Overlay System (EGNOS). Multi-site Real-Time
Kinematic (RTK) System.

Common GPS Standard Formats - RINEX Format. NGS-SP3 format. RTCM SC-104 Standards for
DGPS Services. RTCA Message Format. NMEA 0183 Format.

GPS Integration - GPS/GIS Integration. GPS/LRF Integration. GPS/Signpost (Radio Beacon)

Integration. GPS/Dead Reckoning Integration. GPS/Accelerometers Integration. GPS/INS
Integration. GPS/MEMS-Based INS Integration. GPS/Pseudolite Integration. GPS/Cellular
Integration. GPS/LORAN Integration.

GPS Applications - GPS for Utilities Industry. GPS for Forestry and Natural Resources. GPS for
Weather Forecast. GPS for Precision Farming. GPS for Civil Engineering Applications. GPS for
Monitoring Structural Deformations. GPS for Monitoring Crustal Movements. GPS for Open-Pit
Mining. GPS for Land Seismic Surveying. GPS for Marine Seismic Surveying. GPS for Airborne
Mapping. GPS for Cadastral Surveying. GPS for SeaFloor Mapping. GPS for Measuring Water
Level Variations. GPS for Vehicle Navigation. GPS for Transit Systems. GPS for Traffic Monitoring.
GPS for Maritime Traffic Management. GPS for Pedestrian Navigation. GPS for Retail Industry.
GPS for Cadastgral Surveying. GPS for Stakeout (Waypoint Navigation). GPS for Precise Timing.

Other Global Satellite Navigation Systems - GLONASS System. Chinese Regional Satellite
Navigation System (Beidou System). Future European Global Satellite Navigation System (Galileo
System).

Appendix I: Geodetic Principles: Datums, Coordinate Systems and Map Projections.

Appendix II: GPS Accuracy and Precision Measures.

Appendix III: Some Useful Websites.

Author Bio
Ahmed El-Rabbany is an assistant professor at Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario.
He is also an adjunct professor and an honorary research associate at York University and
the University of New Brunswick, respectively. He holds a Ph.D. degree in GPS from the
University of New Brunswick, Canada.