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What are the differences between GPS and GLONASS? Which is best?

Submitted by Divya on

Mobile phone has the specifications like GPS and GLONASS, what are the differences between them?

Which one is prefered?

Recent android smart phones comes with GLONASS navigation support. What does it mean?

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Mac and Other systems

Submitted by Karthik on May 25, 2014 - 17:33

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GPS

  • Abbreviation: Global positioning system
  • Service provided by the network of American satellites
  • There are 32 satellites in a complete constellation.
  • Each satellite takes 12 hrs to revolve around the earth.
  • It has 6 orbital planes
  • Uses CDMA encoding
  • Old and matured system provides accuracy 5 to 20 m.

GLONASS

  • Abbreviation :  "Globalnaya navigatsionnaya sputnikovaya sistema" or "Global Navigation Satellite System"
  • Service provided by the network of Russian satellites
  • There are 24 satellites in a complete constellation. Currently (as on 26 March 2014) there are 29 satellites (3 – spare, 1 – commissioning, 1 – testing phase)
  • Each satellite takes 11 hrs 15 mins to revolve around the earth.
  • It has 3 orbital planes
  • Uses FDMA & CDMA encoding
  • Provides accuracy up to 50 to 70 m, but on high latitude areas (north or south pole) GLONASS provides better accuracy than GPS

 

Modern devices & mobile phones use both technologies to fix the location quickly.