Technical Documentation
It is the official policy of the U.S. government to provide open, free access to the information necessary to develop and build equipment to use the civil services of GPS and its augmentations. Learn more...
This section of the website provides easy access to all of the relevant technical documentation. Some links on this page lead to content in the Portable Document Format (PDF) and may require you to install PDF software. Get software...
- Interface Control Documents These documents provide detailed information on the civil GPS signals and codes broadcast at the L1, L2, and L5 frequencies. Enter to access current versions of the GPS Interface Specifications, as well as information about ongoing efforts to update the documents through the Interface Control Working Group (ICWG). View...
- Performance Standards & Specifications These documents specify the levels of technical performance that users can expect from GPS and related systems. Enter to access current and past versions of the performance standards for the civil GPS service (SPS), military GPS service (PPS), Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), and U.S. GPS monitoring capabilities. View...
- Federal Radionavigation Plan The Federal Radionavigation Plan (FRP) is the official source of radionavigation policy and planning for the federal government. It covers both terrestrial and space-based, common-use, federally operated radionavigation systems, including GPS and GPS augmentations. This link opens a PDF of the 2010 FRP at the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center website. View...
- Semi-Codeless/Codeless GPS Access Commitments These documents describe U.S. government commitments to support semi-codeless/codeless civilian access to the current P(Y) signals and the transition to the modernized L2C and L5 signals. Enter to access the 2008 Federal Register notice on semi-codeless GPS, a public letter from Air Force Space Command, and a link to the specification defining the phase relationship of L2C. View...
- GPS Satellite Simulator Control Working Group The Satellite Simulator Control Working Group (SSCWG) is a forum for disseminating technical information to manufacturers of GPS constellation simulators. View...