GPS Acronyms mostly taken from applied science well before first GPS segment was put into place. Acronyms more commonly used in the science community but rarely understood by average person who is interested in the technology. This list is just a brief intro to most commonly used acronyms that are utilized in the many research papers and other technical literature which deals with GPS technology.
| Acronym |
Meaning behind term |
| BIH |
BUREAU INTERNATIONAL DE L'HEURE |
| bps |
bits per second |
| BPSK |
Bipolar-Phase Shift Key |
| C/A |
Coarse/Acquisition |
| CS |
Control Segment |
| dBi |
Decibels, isotropic |
| dBw |
Decibels, watt |
| DN |
Day Number |
| DOD |
Department of Defense |
| DOP |
Dilution of Precision |
| ECEF |
Earth-Centered, Earth-Fixed |
| FOC |
Full Operational Capability |
| GPS |
Global Positioning System |
| HOW |
Hand-Over Word |
| ID |
Identification |
| IODC |
Issue of Data, Clock |
| IODE |
Issue of Data, Ephemeris |
| LSB |
Least Significant Bit |
| LSF |
Leap Seconds Future |
| Mbps |
Million bits per second |
| MCS |
Master Control Station |
| MSB |
Most Significant Bit |
| NSC |
Non-Standard C/A-Code |
| NTE |
Not-To-Exceed |
| OCS |
Operational Control System |
| PRN |
Pseudo Random Noise |
| RF |
Radio Frequency |
| RHCP |
Right Hand Circularly Polarized |
| RMS |
Root Mean Square |
| SA |
Selective Availability |
| SS |
Space Segment |
| TLM |
Telemetry |
| TOW |
Time of Week |
| TT&C |
Telemetry, Tracking and Commanding |
| UE |
User Equipment |
| URA |
User Range Accuracy |
| URE |
User Range Error |
| USNO |
U.S. Naval Observatory |
| UTC |
Universal Coordinated Time |
| WGS-84 |
World Geodetic System 1984 |
| WN |
Week Number |