pseudo-random noise (PRN) code

A sequence of digital 1s and 0s that appear to be randomly distributed like noise, but that can be exactly reproduced. PRN codes have a low auto-correlation value for all delays or lags except when they are exactly coincident.

The C/A-Code and the P-Code are examples of PRN codes. Each NAVSTAR satellite can be identified by its unique C/A and P pseudo-random noise codes, so a satellite is sometimes identified according to its "PRN number."