What is a Global Positioning System (GPS)?

GPS is position and location tracking technology based on the Global Positioning System (GPS) used for determining and tracking the precise location of a person, vehicle, or any other asset. The system uses a GPS receiver that calculates the distance from multiple satellites by measuring the time it takes for the signals to reach the receiver. The receiver determines its exact location by triangulating this information.

A GPS works by triangulating signals from at least four satellites to calculate a user’s exact position in terms of latitude, longitude, and altitude. It relies on a network of satellites called Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) orbiting the Earth continuously. GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, and NavIC are the most common GNSS constellations.

These tracking systems are used for several purposes, including navigation, mapping, surveying, tracking, and location-based services. The technology has become widespread and is integrated into various devices, such as smartphones, car navigation systems, fitness trackers, and more.

GPS is also employed in industries such as agriculture for tasks, including monitoring crop health, optimizing irrigation, and precisely applying fertilizers and pesticides. This helps farmers increase efficiency and reduce resource usage. It’s also used in scientific research for studying Earth’s movements, tectonic plate shifts, and other geophysical phenomena.

However, the more typical applications include vehicle location monitoring, asset tracking, personal tracking, navigation, fitness tracking, and emergency services. Some well-known GPS systems and brands include Google Maps, Apple Maps, Sygic, TomTom, Waze, HERE WeGo, and Magellan.

Some of the most reputable GPS trackers currently on the market are as follows:

Vyncs and Bouncie are useful for real-time tracking, geofencing, and roadside assistance.
Trak-4 is a budget-friendly real-time tracking system.
Kayo Business Fleet GPS trackers and LandAirSea 54 are well-known vehicle tracking systems.
LandAirSea Overdrive is a real-time tracking system for theft protection.
Tracki is ideal for parental monitoring.

A few other notable GPS tracking services include Apple AirTag, BrickHouse, and Spytec GL300.

It’s possible to build your own GPS tracking systems. What’s required is a decent GPS receiver IC and a well-designed tracker circuit suitable for a given application.

An ideal GPS tracker is small, lightweight, and has a good battery life. The services and interface built around the tracker depend on the circuit design of the tracker and the platform (the website or mobile application hosting the services for it).

In the next article, we’ll discuss some of the top GPS tracker ICs suitable for building commercial applications. The selection of one of these chips for making a GPS tracking system must be based on supported GNSS constellations, power consumption, form factor, and your budget for the project.