Review of a Must-Read GPS Book

Written by Paul F. Hahn

Created on Saturday, 01 October 2011 14:07

Some months back I was given a book on GPS that I had not yet read.  The title is “GPS. The First Global Navigation Satellite System”.  Published in 2007, by Trimble Navigation Limited, it is a surprisingly easy read even for us non-“rocket scientists”.  Don’t let its title confuse you; it is not out-dated and does cover the nuts and bolts of GNSS as well.  I think it is extremely well-written and user-friendly.  The book covers the basics of GPS positioning and eventually moves on to the more in-depth technical information.   At each step it clearly communicates basic principles, even if you are new to satellite positioning.  I believe it is a good read for neophytes and experienced GPS hands alike.

There is no need to be apprehensive about Trimble’s publishing of this book.  It focuses on the technology not any particular brand or solution.  I could find no information or statements that promoted Trimble over their competitors and Trimble should be applauded for this.

By listing the chapters of the book, I hope to give you some insight into what the book might hold for you:

·       Forward

·       Part 1: GPS. What it is and How it works

·       Part 2: DGPS. What’s the Difference?

·       Part 3: RTK. An Even Bigger Difference

·       Part 4: Today and Tomorrow. GPS and GNSS

·       Part 5: Applications. How GPS is used

·       Appendix A: The Satellites and Their Signals

·       Appendix B: PRN Codes

·       Appendix C: It’s About Time

·       Appendix D: Accuracy Definitions

·       Appendix E:Carrier-Phase Positioning

·       History of GPS

·       Glossary

·       References

As you go down this list you can see the material gets increasingly technical.  I found lots of information that I did not know, and think much of it is essential information for those who use GPS to make a living. 

I found the applications section surprisingly informative.  Are you aware that GPS makes major contributions to time-sensitive enterprises?  These include banking and businesses that require exact time for their transactions.  Wireless communications systems also rely on exact timing and synchronization from GPS, as do weather reporting, movies, electrical power grids and other industries. 

Closer to home, applications for construction machine control, agriculture, mining, marine navigation, aviation, vehicle navigation, mapping and GIS, surveying, mobile resource management and public safety all utilize GPS/GNSS and rely on it for streamlined operations.  Perhaps an eye-opener if you have not been following the ongoing discussions about the interference caused by LightSquared’s broadband service.

For those of us using GPS in our business operations; the information about accuracy definitions in Appendix D is critical, as is an understanding of error sources.  Does everyone know why the horizontal accuracies are better than the vertical accuracy in all GPS manufacturer’ specifications?  The book explains this issue and many more that should comprise a minimum understanding of the technology we employ on the job site. Early in my career, when computers became more and more prevalent and relied upon, I saw a frightening trend start to emerge with younger co-workers.  You can call it the black box syndrome.   Their faith in technology was so complete that they seldom stood back and asked “does this look right?”  I was for losing the slide rules, log tables and scratch pads, but it is very dangerous to utilize technology if one does understand the basic principles.  This book goes a long way in bringing GPS users and operators up to speed in understanding this tool.  If you are responsible for GPS use in your firm, you certainly won’t be able to troubleshoot a technology that you don’t fully understand.  This book does not go as far as to list all the formulas or algorithms that go on inside a receiver’s software, but does go into enough technical explanations that you will better understand the technology and know what to look for if something doesn’t look right.

Again, the book allows you to decide how far you want to go into the technical issues.  If you are at all involved with the use of GPS/GNSS on your job sites, you will want to read the majority of this book.  It will not even require that big of an effort to read the parts you need to know, the book is only 144 pages long.

I think this book is a valuable resource and a must-read if you are a surveyor or machine control user.  It is written in a style that makes it enjoyable to read. If you want to dig deep on the more technical information, you can do that too.  The book was available on Amazon.com but is currently out of stock. You can probably find a source near you by checking Trimble’s web site.  

Editors Note:
Thank you Paul. I checked the web thoroughly and could not find the book for download or purchase. The Coalition to Save Our GPS lists the book but the download does not work. I have sent them an email so hopefully they will remedy soon.  -Randy Noland
Click here for the url

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