Update: December 8, 2006
«©NCSX» In the 1980s, the U.S. Department of Defense opened the Global Positioning System up for civilian use. Before that, the system was limited to military applications where a network of satellites in orbit provided information on a user's location on the planet. In essence then, an individual outfitted with a receiver can triangulate his whereabouts anywhere in the world. How it works
A network of 24 GPS satellites orbit the Earth two times a day and transmit data to the ground. Anyone with a GPS receiver can lock onto this data and use the process of triangulation to determine his/her location. The GPS receiver essentially calculates the time that a signal was sent by a satellite with the time that it was received. By calculating this difference in time, the receiver is able to determine the distance of the satellite. Couple the distance information from at least two additional satellites (triangulate... get it?), the receiver is able to determine its latitude and longitude on the planet. Throw in some more information from additional satellites and you're able to calculate latitude, longitude, and attitude. Once locked in, additional variables about the receiver can be determined including heading, speed, and track. Playstation Portable GPS
Sony's GPS receiver is remarkably small. The photo looks big but it's not to scale. Plug it into the USB port on top of the PSP and you're outfitted with a Global Positioning receiver. Although there is no software included with the accessory, there is already software available in the market which takes advantage of the GPS and more is on the way. Some selections that are in stock and available at NCS' shop: Minna no Chizu: Map software for the PSP
Homebase Portable: Planetarium software for the PSP Upcoming games and software that will support the GPS include: Maplus Portable Navi
Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops
Minna no Golf Portable
Manufacturer Specifications
Trade name: GPS receiver
Trade SKU: PSP-290
Sale day: 2006 December 7th
Retail price: 6,000 Yen
Reception frequency: 1575.42MHz (L1 band, C/A cord/code)
Reception method: Channel 20
Reception sensitivity: Pursuit: - 153dBm; Capture: - 140dBm
Determination renewal time: Approximately 1 second
Determination precision: 5m (2DRAMS, - 130dBm)
External size: Approximately 45 × 41 × 17mm (width x height x depth)
Mass: Approximately 16g
Contents: GPS receiver × 1; Private case ×1 Questions and Answers
1) Is there a subscriber fee to use GPS?
No, it is an open system that is free of charge. U.S. tax payers footed the bill for its construction and its current maintenance but it is otherwise gratis and available to anyone with a GPS receiver. 2) If 1 million PSP owners buy the GPS receiver and use it, won't that bog down the system?
No, the satellites just beam information down to the Earth. There is no feedback or load on the satellites if the amount of users increase. The satellites just send data and the receivers receive... sort of like how a television signal doesn't get bogged down if the amount of televisions sold increases exponentially. Think along those lines and you're good to go. Jan Code: 4948872411165 This document is ©NCSX 2006. All rights reserved. No reproduction in whole or in part of this document may be made without express written consent of National Console Support, Inc.
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