Understanding the requirements of the frequency standards in GPS

GPS is abbreviated as Global Positioning System which is basically a navigation system that works on a space based satellite. It gives us information regarding the location as well as time of all weather conditions in all over earth wherever there is GPS satellites present to confer their signals. The signals from GPS originate primarily from the on-boards atomic clocks which are monitored by the ground control systems. The G with PS satellites basically transmits the time signals. The receivers using the signals of GPS calculate the time to get the frequency reference. It is controlling both the time signals as well as very important to control both the time signals and the oscillators. Time and frequency are two very important components in this GPS system for the accurate transmission and receiving of the signals in the depiction of the location of the object accurately.

In different domain, the GPS signals are used for a variety of purposes like for the astronomic observations used time in order to record the celestial events and repeating the same observations at distant locations. While in electric power companies, they uses frequency standard to maintain 50-60Hz and the computer networks synchronize the distant nodes for different purposes like billing, communications. Most importantly communication systems use both time and frequency to maintain carrier frequency. Like the military and banking networks, both of them have special timing requirements for synchronization of data encryption and decryption equipment. Frequency standards are also needed for radio and television stations while for tracking purposes like deep sea vehicles requires the proper coordinated observations from the ground stations itself.

All of the above events require accurate combinations of precise time, time interval as well as frequency reference, which is specific for each case. It draws a very important conclusion that both precise time and precise frequency require the precise time intervals which are measured by periodic pulse edges. Earlier people used to face a lot of difficulty in achieving this thing because the oscillators those were available in the market were costly as well people didn’t know their proper usage, but with the course of time they are becoming very friendly for usage and are reliable for precise frequency, time as well as time intervals. They have become much more pocket friendly, useful and providing with more precise information.