Global Positioning System

Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation

system and position determining which is owned and operated by the
United States. The system is designed to provide position, velocity, and
time information or other parameters continuously all around the world
without intruding by weather or the topographic. GPS has 24 satellites in 6
orbital plane. The orbital plane is more than 20.000 km above the Earth.
There are three segments of GPS. First segment is the Satellite
which is the main segment. The satellite will transmit signal to the user.
The signal is also called metadata, consists of satellite position, distance
between satellite and user, time information, satellite health, and other
information. Second segment is Control segment. The GPS control
segment has responsibility for maintaining the GPS satellites and their
proper functioning. Third segment is User. Users need GPS receiver to
convert the GPS signal into readable. By observing the signals from
enough number of satellites, the user can derive its position and velocity,
obtain precise time information, and can also estimate other parameters.
According to their function, there are several types of GPS receiver,
namely GPS receiver for timing and GPS receiver for positioning. GPS
receiver for timing is used to determine time which has the nanosecond
accuracy. GPS receiver for positioning is divided into three categories
which are Navigation (Civilian and Military), Mapping, and Geodetic. They
have their own category and specialty.
GPS receiver for Navigation is a handheld device. It transforms the
GPS signals into absolute position right away. Its accuracy is 2 – 5 meters
for the military type and 5 - 10 meters for the civilian type. GPS receiver
for Mapping is a backpacked device. It is similar to Navigation type, it can
give you the absolute position. But, it has an advantage that we can
record the data and download it later to be processed into the minimum
accuracy which is 1 – 2 meters. Geodetic type is the most sophisticated,
pricey, precision among of all. It is only used in application in which the
millimeter and centimeter order of accuracy needed, such as geodetic
control points, deformation observe, and geodynamic studies.
GPS has been applied in any kind of major such as :
• Military Applications
• Surveying And Mapping (Land, Sea)
• Construction And Mining
• Geodinamics, And Deformation Studies
• Navigation & Transportation (Land, Air, Sea)
• Tropospheric & Ionospheric Studies
• Cadastral, Agriculture, Forestry
• Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing
• GIS (Geographic Information System)
• Oceanographic Studies (Current, Wave, Tides)
• Sport And Recreative Applications

GPS is very interesting, because

• It can give you information about position, time, and velocity
anytime, anywhere, in any kind of weather.
• Those information above can be calculated in static or
kinematic condition.
• It is able in any kind of platform (cars, mobile phone, vessel,
train, etc)
• It is available for everyone and take no charge.
• More and more people use it.

GPS is a man-made, so it has its limitation. GPS limitations are

• GPS can not be used in the places where GPS signal can not
reach the antenna, as inside the room, inside the tunnel, or
underneath the water.
• In term of vertical component, GPS can only directly provide
the ellipsoidal height, and not the orthometric height which is
used in practice.
• GPS signals are not free from errors and biases, obstructions,
and interferences.
 Reference : Abidin, Hasanudin Z. 2006. Penentuan Posisi
dengan GPS dan Aplikasinya. Jakarta : PT. Pradnya Paramita