Chapter 1: Overview
5
Figure 1-2: WAAS Coverage Map
The combination of the WAAS, EGNOS and MSAS systems will
provide global satellite based differential GPS augmentation into the
future.
How it Works
The following description is based on WAAS, but the principles apply
equally to the EGNOS and MSAS systems.
WAAS comprises the following components:
•
Ground Reference Stations across the USA
•
Master Stations located at East Coast and West Coast
•
Geostationary Satellites located above the equator
The Ground Reference Stations are located at known positions and
receive data continuously from GPS. The Ground Reference Stations
send their data to the Master Stations which calculate the error of the
GPS-received positions and generate correctional data.
The corrected “differential” signals are then sent to the two
Geostationary Satellites which broadcast the corrected data on the
standard GPS frequency, making it available to the GPS Antenna.
The RC435/435i GPS uses the correctional data transmitted by the
Geostationary Satellites to refine the basic GPS positional data for
greater accuracy.
D4910-1
0˚
15˚N
30˚N
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15˚S
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