Where Am I? GPS Points the Way

Originally exclusive to the military, then primarily for commercial aircraft and large ships, Global Positioning System (GPS) hardware is now widely available for an ever-growing list of applications. Thanks to the proliferation of GPS-enabled devices, the cost of the hardware has dropped at the same time that accuracy, functions and features have improved. While GPS is quickly becoming ubiquitous, it?s also probably the least understood of today?s technical wonders.

Contrary to the widely-held myth, GPS satellites don?t ?track? anything or anybody. All the satellites do is send out a very accurate time code, and a signal containing the satellite?s current position. A GPS receiver uses the signals from three or more of the satellites to determine that receiver?s position, virtually anywhere on or above the surface of the Earth. To enable remote tracking, the GPS receiver?s position must be separately transmitted to the remote location via any number of terrestrial or satellite data communication links.

Early GPS receivers were about the size of a lunch-box and only provided basic functionality, but the receiver portion of today?s GPS-enabled devices has been reduced to a size where it only takes up a fraction of the space inside a pocket-sized wireless phone. Not coincidently, the ability to integrate a GPS receiver into a wireless phone has enabled a wide range of cost-effective tracking and navigation services. Amongst the hundreds, if not thousands, of GPS-enabled products currently available, the hardware can be grouped into the following three categories:

At the entry level, one easy path is to start out by trying a few of the consumer-grade portable navigation systems, or GPS-enabled wireless phones. These two options minimize the initial investment, are independent of specialized proprietary software, and require zero installation. They also provide the option to only deploy the gear where/when needed, and to phase in the deployment over time.

Similar in operation to a GPS-enabled wireless phone, on-board tracking and monitoring systems use a small GPS receiver, a long-life battery, and a wireless communications link to provide location and other vehicle data (cargo temperature, door status, etc.) to a remote location at predetermined intervals, and/or on demand.

Topping out the GPS spectrum are multi-role on-board systems that incorporate navigation, remote tracking, data communications and other fleet management capabilities into one integrated system. Although the falling cost of the core GPS hardware has helped lower the initial cost of these multi-role systems, the high level of integration with the truck and the expanding list of features makes these systems the highest cost option for GPS deployment.

Many truck OEMs are combining these dash-mounted GPS navigation systems with other functions, including the radio, HVAC controls, blind-spot cameras and other functions to leverage the costly video screen across a larger number of features.

Source: http://www.everytruckjob.com/TruckingNews/where-am-i-gps-points-the-way/

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