Thursday, March 07, 2024
Meeting Time: 7:00 pm
Online event (via Zoom): Please register on meetup.com to obtain the Zoom link.
Lecture
In Part 1 of this two part series, we will learn the basics of how GPS works.
Satellite navigation systems emerged at the end of the 20th century. The first was the US version known as the Global Positioning System (GPS) which greatly improved the range and accuracy of a position fix when compared to previous navigation systems.
A constellation of satellites and ground control stations are at the heart of the system. Atomic clocks in satellites are synchronized by ground control stations that also monitor the satellite’s exact position. Satellites broadcast their orbital information allowing earth-bound receivers to triangulate their position. While straight forward in principle the implementation of the system is complex requiring advanced orbital mechanics and mathematics that is beyond the scope of this lecture. Basic orbital mechanics will be covered but the focus of the lecture will be the over-all description of the GPS system including its operation and limitations.
Speaker Bio:
Richard Bova is a licensed PE and former embedded systems engineer who recently worked in the satellite communication systems industry. He has also worked as an analog/digital design engineer with hybrid integrated circuits, navigation systems and military ground support equipment. As a former adjunct and full-time professor at the DeVry College of NY, he served as the Chair of the Electrical Engineering Technology program and was a program evaluator for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.
Mr. Bova holds a BSEE and MSEE from the Tandon School of Engineering at NYU (formerly Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn) and is a Life Member of the IEEE. He is currently a volunteer workshop leader in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute program at Stony Brook University where he leads workshops in drawing and technology related subjects.
Notes
There is no cost to attend this meeting, however, if you would like to receive Continuing Education Units (0.2 CEUs/2 PDHs) then payment of a $15 fee is required (a modest increase from last year, but still a bargain). You will also have to properly fill out an Evaluation Form to prove that you attended this lecture. Click here to open the form. Simply fill it out and click on the “Submit” button.
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If paying by Zelle is a problem for you, then please contact John Dunn at ambertec@ieee.org for an alternate payment method.
