Principles of Operation
P/N 7010-1004
1-3
Principles of Operation
Surveying with a professional-grade GNSS receiver can provide users
with accurate and precise positioning; a fundamental requirement for
any surveying project.
This section gives an overview of existing and proposed Global
Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and receiver functions so that
basic operating principles can be applied.
GNSS Overview
Currently, two Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
1
offer
line-of-sight radio navigation, positioning, and timing services on a
global, all-weather scale to any user equipped with a GNSS tracking
receiver:
• GPS - the Global Positioning System maintained and operated by
the United States Department of Defense. For information on the
status of this system, visit the US Naval Observatory website
(http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/) or the US Coast Guard website
(http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/).
• GLONASS - the GLobal NAvigation Satellite System maintained
and operated by the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense. For
information on the status of this system, visit the Coordinational
Scientific Information Center website (http://www.glonass-
ianc.rsa.ru/).
Despite the numerous technical differences in the implementation of
these systems, both satellite positioning systems have three essential
components:
• Space - GPS and GLONASS satellites orbit approximately
12,000 nautical miles above Earth, and are equipped with an
atomic clock and a radio. These satellites broadcast ranging
signals and various digital information (ephemerides, almanacs,
time and frequency corrections, and so forth).
1. GALILEO navigation satellite system currently being built by the
European Union (EU) and European Space Agency (ESA).
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