ECE/MAE 4150
Global Positioning System Theory and Design

Course Description

Students derive and implement the various algorithms needed to determine the location and motion of the GPS satellites and a GPS receiver. Error sources and their impacts are explored and analyzed. Additional topics include differential GPS, GPS modernization and other GNSS systems, GPS for ionospheric study, and more.

Course Details

ECE 4150 is appropriate for juniors, seniors, or graduate students interested in GPS, GPS receivers, and applications of GPS. The course consists of lectures and 8 labs during the first 9 weeks of the semester. Laboratories will use a receiver developed in part by the GPSL. During the last weeks of the semester students will choose a topic for the final design project. A variety of GPS receivers, differential receivers, and simulators are available for this project.

Labs will make extensive use of MATLAB and experience with MATLAB is helpful (though not a prerequisite). Course notes and labs are available for purchase from the campus book store (hopefully at negligible cost). These consist of text sections covering the week's lectures, homework problems, lab exercises, and analysis. MATLAB templates will be provided online for the labs. In these templates, lines of code will be filled in with material from the readings and lectures.

Course grades will primarily be based on lab grades and the design project. There are usually two in-class exams during the course of the semester, with a final report on the design project in place of a final exam.

Course Scheduling

ECE 4150 is offered every Fall semester at Cornell University. The lectures are every Tuesday and Thursday from 1010 to 1115. Labs are offered Tuesday through Friday from 1400 to 1630. For more information, please contact Dr. Mark Psiaki.

Equipment - Receivers

Zarlink/Plessey Engine (GP2021) on Aerospace Innovations PCI card

CASES receivers

Magellan Handheld Portable Receivers

Novatel Dual Frequency Receiver

Optional Textbooks

"Global Positioning System: Signals, Measurements, and Performance" by Pratap Misra and Per Enge (2nd edition).

GPS: Theory and Practice, Hofmann-Wellenhof, Lichtenegger & Collins, Springer-Verlag, 1994.

Global Positioning System, Volume 1, The Institute of Navigation, 1980.

Global Positioning System, Parkinson & Spilker, ed., AIAA, 1996.

Understanding GPS Principles and Applications, Kaplan & Hegarty, ed., Artech House, 2006.