How far the vehicle moves between updates
At 160 km/h the vehicle travels 44.44 metres per second. Divide that speed by the update rate:
| Rate | Interval | Distance at 100 km/h | Distance at 160 km/h | Distance at 240 km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Hz | 1.00 s | 27.8 m | 44.4 m | 66.7 m |
| 10 Hz | 0.10 s | 2.8 m | 4.4 m | 6.7 m |
| 25 Hz | 0.04 s | 1.1 m | 1.8 m | 2.7 m |
These are distances travelled between timestamps, not positional error circles. Interpolation can draw a smooth line between sparse points without creating new measurements.
Sample rate is not accuracy
GPS.gov explains that user accuracy depends on satellite geometry, blockage, atmospheric effects and receiver design. On track, antenna position, heated or metallised windscreens, roof structure, nearby barriers and multipath can all matter. A noisy 25 Hz receiver can still produce a worse path than a well-positioned lower-rate unit.
Rate
How often a navigation solution is delivered or stored.
Accuracy
How close a fix is to the vehicle’s true position, normally under stated confidence and test conditions.
Precision and filtering
How repeatable points are and how firmware smooths or predicts them. Strong filtering can make a trace look clean while delaying rapid changes.
What rate should you choose?
- 1 Hz
- Acceptable for route context and coarse speed history; poor for detailed line or braking work.
- 10 Hz
- A practical baseline for track-day lap timing and broad line comparison.
- 25 Hz
- More temporal detail for fast transitions, provided antenna placement and fix quality are also good.
A sensor may calculate internally at one rate, broadcast live at another and save or export at a third.
Sources
- GPS.gov: GPS accuracyOfficial US government reference; environmental and receiver factors
- RaceBox Mini technical specificationsOfficial 25 Hz device example
- AiM Solo 2 technical sheetOfficial 25 Hz motorsport logger example