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GNSS software-defined receiver
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<p>A software GNSS receiver is a <a href="/facts/Satellite_navigation/lVgPlF5v">Global Navigation Satellite System</a> (GNSS) receiver that has been designed and implemented using <a href="/facts/Software-defined_radio/k7qLq1mu">software-defined radio</a>. </p><p>A GNSS receiver, in general, is an electronic device that receives and digitally processes the signals from a navigation satellite constellation in order to provide position, velocity and time (of the receiver). </p><p>GNSS receivers have been traditionally implemented in hardware: a <i>hardware GNSS receiver</i> is conceived as a dedicated chip that has been designed and built (from the very beginning) with the only purpose of being a GNSS receiver. </p><p>In a software GNSS receiver, all digital processing is performed by a general purpose <a href="/facts/Microprocessor/Fx9CaQht">microprocessor</a>. In this approach, a small amount of inexpensive hardware is still needed, known as the <i><a href="/facts/RF_front_end/sDwPRPoX">frontend</a></i>, that digitizes the signal from the satellites. The microprocessor can then work on this <i>raw</i> digital stream to implement the GNSS functionality. </p>