A gadget such as a GPS receiver for a laptop is a very useful, and sometimes simple and indispensable device. With it, you can easily determine your current position, pave the way to the destination and back. That is, this equipment allows you to turn an ordinary laptop into a full-fledged functional navigator.
What is a GPS receiver?
By this name is understood the global positioning system . At the heart of her work is the reception of signals from several satellites. Their number is on average 6. Based on the data obtained, the current location of the GPS receiver is calculated. This is the principle by which a similar system works.
Also on the market you can find a GPS receiver "GLONASS". Its main difference from the previously considered is statehood. That is, GPS is an American development, and GLONASS is domestic. In the technical aspect, these systems differ in that the movement of the satellites used in Russian technology is not synchronized with the rotation of the Earth. This ensures a higher level of stability of readings. But, unfortunately, the service life of GLONASS satellites is much shorter.
Classification by connection method
USB
This type of device is connected to the laptop with a cable. For this, the USB interface is used, which is available on almost all models of laptop computers. For the receiver does not require additional power.
Bluetooth
An external GPS module is connected to the laptop via a wireless communication channel. The distance between the devices should not exceed 10 meters. The navigation equipment itself works either from a power grid, or from a battery, or from batteries.
How to choose a GPS receiver for a laptop
Do not buy the first gadget that comes across. Correct operation depends on several important parameters.
Firstly, you should pay attention to such an indicator as the cold start time. It displays how long the equipment has been turned on after prolonged inactivity For expensive models, this figure can be only a couple of seconds, while for budget options, its value can reach several minutes.
Secondly, the sensitivity of the receiver is of great importance. If this parameter is low, the device may stop receiving a signal even from changes in weather conditions or when boarding a vehicle. The optimal figure is 150 dbm.
How to use
The first step is to install software for working with navigation equipment. Usually it comes with the device itself. If it is not, then you can download third-party software.
Next, connect the GPS receiver to the laptop. You will need drivers to install it. They usually come with a receiver on disk. But also they can be downloaded from the official website of the manufacturer.
When the drivers are installed, you can start the navigation software. Applications that come with the device usually recognize the GPS equipment themselves. But sometimes this does not happen. Also, this can happen when using third-party software. In this case, you must specify your GPS receiver for the laptop in the application settings manually.