ELECTRONIC INDUSTRY

An Analysis of Electronic Industry

An Analysis of Electronic Industry

Introduction

The Global Positioning System (GPS) was developed by the US Department of Defense in the 1970s for use by the military. It is a network of satellites orbiting the earth that transmit signals back to ground stations and GPS receivers, supporting very high accuracy in providing precise user location information. Although created for the military, GPS technology is now in widespread use in a number of commercial applications, both for a variety of industry and personal users. GPS deployment continues to grow, especially in the private (personal user) sector.

On the other hand, Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a technology that has been embraced by governments, manufacturers, and retailers. RFID uses radio waves for identifying and tracking items in the supply chain - or on retailers' shelves. Besides tracking items, RFID is increasingly used to verify a person's identity in government applications such as passports and drivers' licenses. With compliance mandated by public and private organizations, market forecasters see strong revenue growth for RFID products and services over the next decade.

GPS Description

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a network of 24 satellites orbiting Earth at 12,600 miles. Originally established in 1978 by the US Department of Defense, GPS has many military and commercial applications. The US military calls the GPS network NAVSTAR (Navigation System with Timing and Ranging) (Hjorth, 2004). The satellites, which are monitored by five ground stations located worldwide, transmit signals at 1575.42-MHz. These signals are detected by GPS receivers, which can be mounted in ships, planes, and motor vehicles to provide exact position information, regardless of weather conditions. GPS receivers also come in the form of handheld devices or PC Cards for portable computers. GPS enables land, air, and sea users to determine their position, time, and velocity at any time of day from any spot in the world (Garfinkel, 2002).

The National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Executive Committee manages the GPS system.

The combination of GPS information with other resources such as powerful portable computers, wireless links, centralized data bases, and corporate communications networks enables the effective management of transportation equipment, natural resources, agricultural crops, and other environments. GPS can also be used to improve applications such as navigation and mapping.

The GPS system comprises satellites, receivers, and ground (control) systems. The satellites are positioned so that any ground location can always receive signals from six satellites. The GPS control (ground) segment consists of monitor stations in Hawaii, Kwajalein (Pacific Ocean), Diego Garcia (Indian Ocean), and Ascension Island (Atlantic Ocean), with a master ground station at Falcon Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The monitor stations house large ground antenna stations that broadcast signals to the satellites.

GPS receivers can be hand carried or installed in any type of vehicle. They detect, decode, and process GPS satellite signals, providing each satellite's exact, real-time position. There are many receiver models in use. The typical handheld receiver is about the size of a cellular ...