Tech Recon GPS and Precision Timing
GPS and IRIG: . Critical Tools for Precision Timing From missile telemetry to advanced communications, GPS as a precision timing resource and IRIG Time Code format are key parts of today’s timing-critical military applications.
Ad Index 30 operational satellites in the constella-
ellite by multiplying the time delay by the tion, which could grow to the maximum of speed of light. The trilateration technique 32 in the near future. This system provides essentially uses the computed distance to a lthough indispensable these days as continuous worldwide coverage for navi- draw a sphere from each satellite. The point Get Connected with technology and a tool for determining location in gational well as solutions for timenow and frequency that the four spheres intersect is the exact companiesasproviding today’s military and commercial ap- Get users. By observing at leastforfour Connected is a new resource furthersatellites exploration location of the GPS receiver. plications, the Global Positioning System intosimultaneously, a and GPS receiver can your autoproducts, technologies companies. Whether goal is to research the latest datasheet from company, speak directly (GPS) is also vital as a source of precise matically determine its aown location and Atomic Frequency Standards Keep with an Application Engineer, or jump to a company's technical page, the time and frequency. A precision GPS syn- time by using trilateration or triangulation GPS in Synch goal of Get Connected is to put you in touch with the right resource. chronized time code generator gets pre- level techniques. Naturally computing distance to a satWhichever of service you require for whatever type of technology, cise time information from the Get Navstar Each satellite broadcasts Connected will help you connect with the companiesalmanac, and products ellite requires accurate time, since the satelyou are searching for. GPS satellite system and can provide time ephemeris, time and status. The almanac lites are all in constant motion and the satelwww.cotsjournalonline.com/getconnected with an accuracy of better than 100 nano- is a collection of orbital information of lite positions receive only a report of where seconds relative to the international time all the satellites so a GPS receiver can effi- the satellite was at a specific time. Once standard, Coordinated Universal Time ciently know what satellites to look for and the user’s position has been determined, a (UTC), as maintained by the U.S. Naval track. The ephemeris data is a precise set of precise time transfer can be accomplished, Observatory. parameters of the respective transmitting with the time at the user’s location corThe GPS system provides the ultimate that with allows accurate determinarected to within Getsatellite Connected technology and companies providing solutions now 100 nanoseconds relative in accuracy to both the navigator and timtion of theis satellite’s position a pointinto in products, to thetechnologies 1 pulse-per-second epoch Get Connected a new resource for furtheratexploration and companies.(PPS) WhetherUTC your goal is to research ing user. The GPS satellite constellationdatasheet is time. receiver computes position maintained by the U.S. Naval fromAa GPS company, speak directly with anits Application Engineer, or jump to a company's technical page,Observatory. the goal of Get Connec in touchand with the rightby resource. Whichever of service you requireEvery for whatever of technology, comprised of a minimum of four satellites time measuring thelevel time of arrival GPStype satellite carries multiple cesium Get Connected will help you connect with the companies and products you are searching for. in each of six orbital planes for a total of 24 of signals from at least four satellites and and/or rubidium-based atomic clocks. It www.cotsjournalonline.com/g satellites. Currently (Dec 2006) there are then determining the distance to each sat- is essential to the accuracy of the navigational solution that the time and frequency of these devices be controlled to the maximum extent possible. A one-nanosecond error in timing represents about one foot in navigational error. Both the U.S. Naval Observatory and GPS monitoring stations throughout the world monitor each satellite’s time and position continuously and provide this inSymmetricom
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Figure 1
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[ 26 ] COTS Journal December 2006 Get Connected with companies mentioned in this Get Connected with companies and products featured in this section.
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