October
2000 , Issue 123
Navigating
With GPS
by
Jeff Stefan
If
you’re going to be heading out with a minivan
full of little ghosts and goblins this Halloween,
you may want to brush up on some GPS navigation background
info. Luckily, Jeff has all the details that you’ll
need to find your way.
Global
Positioning System (GPS) receivers are abundant and
cheap, paving the way for anyone to write a simple yet
powerful navigation program. All you need is a C compiler,
a laptop or small computer, and a couple navigation
formulae. Seems simple? It is if you know what data
to use, what conversions to make, and which formulae
to use. This article reveals the twists and turns required
to put your GPS receiver to work and get you navigating
quickly. The application program and functions I’ll
present allow you to calculate the distance and heading
from your current position to any other position on
earth. The distance and bearing functions provide the
heart of a dynamic and useful navigation system.
