What’s the difference between GNSS and GPS?
GNSS stands for Global Navigation Satellite System, and is an umbrella term that encompasses all global satellite positioning systems. This includes constellations of satellites orbiting over the earth’s surface and continuously transmitting signals that enable users to determine their position.
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is one component of the Global Navigation Satellite System. Specifically, it refers to the NAVSTAR Global Positioning System, a constellation of satellites developed by the United States Department of Defence (DoD). Originally, the Global Positioning System was developed for military use, but was later made accessible to civilians as well. GPS is now the most widely used GNSS in the world, and provides continuous positioning and timing information globally, under any weather conditions.
Besides GPS, the GNSS currently includes other satellite navigation systems, such as the Russian GLONASS, and may soon include others such as the European Union’s Galileo and China’s Beidou.
GNSS is used in collaboration with GPS systems to provide precise location positioning anywhere on earth. GNSS and GPS work together, but the main difference between GPS and GNSS is that GNSS-compatible equipment can use navigational satellites from other networks beyond the GPS system, and more satellites means increased receiver accuracy and reliability. All GNSS receivers are compatible with GPS, but GPS receivers are not necessarily compatible with GNSS.
Both GPS and GNSS consist of three major segments: the space segment (satellites), the ground segment (ground control stations), and the user segment (GNSS or GPS receivers), and the exact location of each satellite is known at any given moment. Satellites are continuously sending radio signals toward earth, which are picked up by GNSS or GPS receivers. The ground control stations that monitor the Global Navigation Satellite System continuously track satellites, update the positions of each and enable information on earth to be transmitted to the satellites.
Currently, GNSS/GPS is being used in a variety of fields where the use of precise, continually available position and time information is required, including agriculture, transportation, machine control, marine navigation, vehicle navigation, mobile communication and athletics.
