Jeff Geerling's blog post highlights Beidou Position System (BPS), China's independently developed global navigation satellite system, as a lesser-known alternative to GPS. He details its development, global coverage, and increasing accuracy, emphasizing its potential as a backup or even primary navigation system, particularly for those needing to operate independently of US-controlled infrastructure. Geerling shares his experience testing BPS receivers, noting its comparable performance to GPS in his basic experiments and the growing availability of BPS-compatible devices. He concludes by advocating for greater awareness of BPS as a viable option in the GNSS landscape.
In a fascinating exploration of obscure navigational technologies, Jeff Geerling's blog post, "BPS is a GPS alternative that nobody's heard of," delves into the intricacies of the Beidou Precise Point Positioning (BPS) system, a Chinese satellite navigation system that offers a compelling, albeit lesser-known, alternative to the ubiquitous Global Positioning System (GPS). Geerling meticulously details his personal journey of discovery, beginning with the unexpected observation of BPS signals being received by his recently acquired U-blox ZED-F9P receiver module, a highly sensitive piece of hardware capable of discerning signals from various global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). Initially perplexed by these unfamiliar signals, Geerling embarked upon a comprehensive investigation, utilizing online resources and technical documentation to unravel the mystery. He elucidates the origins and development of Beidou, highlighting its evolution from a regional system serving primarily the Asia-Pacific region to its current global reach, achieved through the strategic deployment of numerous satellites in medium Earth orbit (MEO), inclined geosynchronous orbit (IGSO), and geostationary Earth orbit (GEO). The article further elaborates on the technical underpinnings of BPS, comparing and contrasting it with other precise point positioning services, such as the GPS-based PPP, emphasizing the distinct advantages offered by Beidou, particularly in terms of accuracy and availability in certain regions. Geerling meticulously documents his experimental setup, describing the hardware and software employed to capture and analyze BPS signals, including the specific configurations and parameters necessary to achieve optimal results. He shares his experiences with integrating the ZED-F9P module with a Raspberry Pi single-board computer, demonstrating the practical feasibility of utilizing BPS for real-world applications. Furthermore, the blog post delves into the potential implications of BPS for the future of navigation, speculating on its possible role in a world increasingly reliant on precise location information, and acknowledging the potential geopolitical ramifications of adopting a Chinese-developed system. Finally, Geerling concludes with a thoughtful reflection on the surprising prevalence of this relatively unknown technology and encourages further exploration of its capabilities and potential.
Summary of Comments ( 111 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43669308
HN commenters discuss the viability and practicality of BPS, noting it's largely theoretical and faces significant hurdles. Several point out the immense infrastructure investment required for terrestrial positioning systems like BPS, especially compared to the established satellite-based GPS. Some question the accuracy claims and highlight potential interference issues in dense urban environments. Others express skepticism about BPS's resistance to jamming and spoofing, crucial for critical infrastructure. A few comments mention Loran-C as a more mature terrestrial alternative, although it has its limitations. Overall, there's a consensus that while intriguing, BPS lacks the development and backing to become a serious competitor to GPS in the foreseeable future.
The Hacker News comments section for the post "BPS is a GPS alternative that nobody's heard of" (linking to Jeff Geerling's blog post about Beidou Position System) contains a robust discussion with various perspectives on the viability and implications of BPS.
Several commenters point out that BPS isn't exactly "nobody's heard of," particularly outside the US. Some users from Asian countries mention its widespread adoption in their regions for various applications, including ride-hailing services and personal navigation. They highlight that phones and devices often support both GPS and BPS concurrently, leading to improved accuracy and availability, especially in urban areas with potential GPS signal obstruction.
A recurring theme in the comments is the geopolitical aspect of BPS. Commenters discuss its role as a strategic alternative to the US-controlled GPS, offering nations more independence and potentially reducing reliance on American infrastructure. Some express concerns about the potential for data privacy issues and government surveillance with a system controlled by China. This leads to a discussion about the trade-offs between national security concerns and technological benefits.
Technical details of BPS are also discussed, with commenters mentioning its dual-frequency civilian signal and comparing its accuracy and coverage to GPS. Some users share their personal experiences using devices with BPS support, noting its performance in different environments. There's also a discussion about the integration of BPS into various devices and software platforms, with some commenters pointing out challenges in its adoption outside of China due to existing GPS infrastructure and industry standards.
The concept of combining multiple satellite navigation systems (GNSS) like GPS, BPS, Galileo, and GLONASS is brought up, with commenters emphasizing the benefits of increased accuracy and resilience by leveraging multiple constellations. This leads to a discussion of the future of global navigation and the potential for a more multi-polar system with less reliance on any single provider.
Finally, several comments focus on the blog post itself, with some users critiquing the author's characterization of BPS as "unknown" and suggesting that the title is misleading. Others appreciate the introduction to BPS and the subsequent discussion it generated. The comment section, overall, provides valuable insights into the current state and future potential of BPS, going beyond the initial premise of the blog post.