GPS

2 articles

Tech 19 Sep 2026 7 min read

GPS Distance and IMU Balance on ESP32 Measure Different Things

A GPS module and an IMU can both feed an ESP32 with numbers that describe motion, but they observe different physical quantities. Treating them as interchangeable sensors creates bad measurements quickly. A GPS receiver estimates geographic position from satellite signals. Two position fixes can be converted into an approximate distance across Earth’s surface. An IMU such as the MPU-6050 measures acceleration and angular rate along its axes. Those measurements can be used to estimate tilt, rotation, and short-term motion.

ESP32 GPS

Tech 03 Sep 2026 8 min read

How GPS Finds Your Phone Without Mobile Data

A phone can often show your location even when mobile data is turned off. That can seem strange if you normally use GPS through a map app that downloads roads, traffic information, and search results from the internet. The key is that finding your position and downloading a map are separate jobs. Satellite navigation can calculate a position without an internet connection, while many of the services built around that position still need network access.

GPS Smartphones