SATELLITE COMMUNICATION

SYSTEMS

Presented
by
Bikash Kumar Panigrahi
 Topics of Presentation
CONFIG
OF
SATCOM
SYS TYPES
INTRODUCTION
AND OF
HISTORY ORBITS

TRENDS l i t e s
l
Sate FREQ
BANDS

VSAT LINK
ADVs
& BUDGET
DIS-
ADVs
 Birth of SATCOM
 Satellite communications are the outcome of research in the area of
communications and space technologies.

 The Second World War stimulated the expansion of two very distinct
technologies—missiles and microwaves.

 The expertise eventually gained in the combined use of these two

techniques opened up the era of satellite communications.

 In 1945, Arthur C Clarke, the renowned science fiction novelist, in his

book, “ Extra Terrestrial Relays, proposed a reflector in space for radio
communication.

 He had calculated the distance of the geostationary orbit and had

contended that three satellites would be sufficient to provide worldwide
connectivity.
 History of SATCOM
 1945 :- Arthur C. Clarke publishes an essay

about “Extra Terrestrial Relays“ .

 1957 :- First satellite by USSR SPUTNIK -I.

 1958 :- Fist satellite by USA Explorer-I

 1960 :- First reflecting communication satellite ECHO – I,II.

 1961 :- INTELSAT organization was set up

 1963 :- First geostationary satellite SYNCOM.

 1965 :- first commercial geostationary satellite “Early Bird”

(INTELSAT I) having 240 duplex telephone channels or 1TV Photo courtesy NASA

channel. Sputnik 1, the first

 1976 :- Three MARISAT satellites for maritime communication .
satellite, shown with
four whip antennas
 1982 :- First mobile satellite telephone system INMARSAT-A

 1988 : First satellite system for mobile phones and data

communication INMARSAT-C .
Configuration of SATCOM System
The satellite system
is composed of
three segments:-

1. A Ground Segment

2. A Control Segment

3. A Space Segment
 Ground Segment
 Collection of facilities, users and applications.

FSS – Fixed Satellite Service MSS – Mobile Satellite Service

Earth Station = Satellite Communication Station (Air, Ground or Sea, Fixed or
Mobile).

6
 Earth Station Configuration
Any earth station consists of four main sub-systems
- Transmitter
- Receiver
- Antenna
- Tracking Equipment

Other sub-systems are

- Terrestrial Interface Equipment
- Power Supply.
 Multiplexing Equipment
Trans Side.

BB-1
Terrestrial M
Link U
D X
From Echo M E
2W-4W Suppress U M
or X U M
X U
X BB-2
 Multiplexing Equipment
Receive Side.

D BB-1
Terrestrial E
Link M
D U
To Echo E X
M
2W-4W Suppress M
U
or U
X D
X
E BB-2
M
U
X
 Transmit Chain
IF
Baseband Baseband Up-
Modulator To HPA
Processing converter
&
Unit
Equalizer

Pilot ESC ED

HPA

HPA To Diplexer
HPA Combiner for Emission

HPA
 Receive Chain
RF Divider
To Beacon
Receiver From
6 GHz Antenna
To LNA TRF Feed/
Receive Diplexer
Chain

IF From
Baseband Baseband Down-
Demodulator , RF
Processing Converter
Filter & Divider
Unit
Equalizer

Pilot ESC ED
Functional Block Diagram of Earth
Station
 Auto Tracking System

Control Signal RF Divider

to Antenna
Servo Auto Beacon
Control System Tracking Receiver
Sub System
From
LNA

Antenna Direction
Info from Servo
Control System
Auto Tracking System
 Control Segment
• TT&C – Tracking, Telemetry and Command Station

• Establishes a control and monitoring link with satellite.

• Tracks orbit distortions and allows correction planning.

• Distortions caused by irregular gravitational forces from

non-spherical Earth and due to the influence of Sun and
Moon forces.
 Space Segment
• A satellite consists of a payload and a platform.

• Payload consists of the receiving and transmitting

antennas and all the electronic equipment which
supports the transmission of the carriers
(Transponders).

• There are two types of payload organisation:-

 Transparent payload (sometimes called a ‘bent

pipe’ type payload)

 Regenerative payload
Transparent Payload
Regenerative Payload
 Platform
- The platform consists of all subsystems which support the operation of
payload.
SUB-SYSTEMS PRINCIPAL FUNCTIONS

Attitude & Orbit Control Attitude stabilisation, orbit determination

System(AOCS)

Propulsion Provision of velocity increments

Electric Power Supply Provision of electrical energy

Telemetry, Tracking & Exchange of housekeeping information

Command (TTC)

Thermal Control Temperature maintenance

Structure Equipment support
 Attitude & Orbit
Control System(AOCS)

 Early satellites used:-

- Spin Stabilisation

 Modern satellites use:-

-Reaction Wheel Stabilisation
 Spin Stabilisation
 Satellite rotates around its own
vertical axis, spinning like a top.
 This keeps the satellite's
orientation under control.
 It is a very simple way to keep
the satellite pointed in a certain
direction
 The disadvantage is that the
satellite cannot use large solar
arrays to obtain power from the
Sun .Thus , it requires large
amount of battery power.
Reaction Wheel Stabilisation
 Satellites have small spinning
wheels, called reaction wheels or
momentum wheels, that rotate
so as to keep the satellite in the
desired orientation in relation to
the Earth and the Sun.

 If satellite sensors detect that the

satellite is moving away from the
proper orientation, the spinning
wheels speed up or slow down
to return the satellite to its
correct position.
 Multiple Access Technique
 FDMA: Frequency Division Multiple Access; assigns each
transmitter its own carrier frequency.
f1 = User 1; f2 = User 2; f3 = User 3, …
 TDMA: Time Division Multiple Access; each transmitter
is given its own time slot.
t1=User_1, t2=User_2, t3=User_3
 CDMA: Code Division Multiple Access; each transmitter
transmits simultaneously and at the same frequency and
each transmission is modulated by its own pseudo
randomly coded bit stream .
Code 1 = User 1; Code 2 = User 2; Code 3 = User 3

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 Types of Orbits
Satellite Orbits
 GEO GEO 36,000km
 NGEO
 LEO
 MEO MEO 5,000 –15,000km
 Molniya Orbit
 HEO LEO 500 -1000 km
 Geostationary Orbit
 Satellites are in orbit 35,786 km above the earth’s
surface along the equatorial plane
 Orbital Period = 23 h 56 min. 4.091 sec
 Satellite appears to be stationary over a point on the
equator to an observer
 Radius of orbit, r = 42,164.2 km

 A single satellite can cover 38 % of the earth’s surface

NOTE: Radius = orbital height + radius of the earth

(Average radius of earth = 6,378.2km)

25
 Geostationary Orbit(Contd.)
 Advantages.

-The antennae in the

76°
ground don’t need N
--
equipment to track the --
satellite. EQUATOR F
O
EARTH O --
- Lower cost & complexity. T
--
P
76° RI
- Greater area of coverage S N
T

- Three satellites can cover 42164.2 km

the entire surface of the Geostationary orbit of the satellite.

earth except polar regions

which lie at latitudes
greater than 76º N and
76ºS.
 GEO (cont.)
• Disadvantages.

• Weak Signal and a Time Delay in the signal, which

is bad for point to point communication.

• GEO satellites, centered above the equator, have

difficulty broadcasting signals to near polar regions
 Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
 LEO satellites are much closer to the earth than GEO
satellites, ranging from 500 to 1,500 km above the
surface.

 LEO satellites don’t stay in fixed position relative to

the surface, and are only visible for 15 to 20 minutes
each pass. Orbital period  92 minutes

 A network of LEO satellites is necessary for LEO

satellites to be useful
 LEO (cont.)
 Advantages
 better signal strength
 less of a time delay which makes it better for point to
point communication.

 Disadvantages
 A network of LEO satellites is needed, which can be
costly
 Atmospheric drag effects LEO satellites, causing
gradual orbital deterioration
 Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)
 An MEO satellite is in orbit somewhere between
5,000 km and 15,000 km above the earth’s surface.

 MEO satellites are similar to LEO satellites in

functionality.

 MEO satellites are visible for much longer periods of

time than LEO satellites, usually between 2 to 8
hours.

 MEO satellites have a larger coverage area than LEO

satellites.
 MEO (Cont.)
Advantage.

 A MEO satellite’s longer duration of visibility and wider

footprint means fewer satellites are needed in a MEO
network than a LEO network.

Disadvantage.

 Longer Time Delay and Weaker Signal than a LEO

satellite, though not as bad as a GEO satellite.
 About 7 to 8 satellites will be required to give cover all
time around over the entire globe.
 Other Orbits
 Molniya Orbit Satellites are:-

 Used by Russia for decades.

 Molniya Orbit is an elliptical orbit. The satellite remains

in a nearly fixed position relative to earth for eight hours.

 A series of three Molniya satellites can act like a GEO

satellite.

 Useful in near polar regions.

 Frequency Bands
Frequency Band Frequency Range(GHz) Application

L 1-2 Mobile Satellite Services (MSS)

S 2-4 MSS, NASA Deep Space Research

C 4-8 FSS,TV distribution to cable TV

systems and TV broadcast stations
X 8-12 FSS and in terrestrial imaging, ex:
military and meteorological satellites
Ku 12-18 FSS and BSS, satellite broadband
services to small dishes (1 meter or
less in diameter) and two-way data
communications
Any video, data or voice service can
be provided at Ku Band
Ka 27-40 FSS and BSS (DBS) e.g. Wild blue
and DIRECTV
V 40-51 Up
40-41 Down
 Link Budget
• Parameters.

 Transmitter power at the antenna

 Antenna gain compared to isotropic radiator

 EIRP

 Free space path loss

 System noise temperature

 Figure of merit for receiving system

 Carrier to noise ratio (C/N)

 Link Budget
• Link-power budget calculations take into account all the gains and losses from the
transmitter, through the medium to the receiver in a telecommunication system.
Also taken into the account are the attenuation of the transmitted signal due to
propagation and the loss or gain due to the antenna.
EIRP
• The decibel equation for the received power is:
[PR] = [EIRP] + [GR] - [LOSSES]
Pout Pt
Where:- Lta
[PR] = received power in dBW HPA
[EIRP] = Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power in dBW
[GR] = Receiver Antenna Gain in dB
[LOSSES] = Total Link Loss in dB

• Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) is the amount of power the transmitter
would have to produce if it was radiating in all directions equally which is given as

EIRP = Pt Gt Watts
 Antenna Gain
• Gain of an antenna is defines as increase in power in a
given direction compared to isotropic antenna.

P ( )
G ( ) 
P0 / 4

Where:-
• P() is variation of power with angle.
• G() is gain at the direction .
• P0 is total power transmitted.
 Received Power
2
  
Pr  Pt Gt Gr  
 4R 

• The inverse of the term at the right referred to as

“Path Loss”, also known as “Free Space Loss” (Lp):-
2
 4R  Pr 
Pt Gt Gr
Lp   
   Lp
 Losses
Pt Gt Gr
Pr 
L p La Lta Lra L pol Lother Lr

• Where:-
 La = Losses due to attenuation in atmosphere
 L = Losses associated with transmitting
ta
antenna
 L = Losses associates with receiving antenna
ra
 L = Losses due to polarization mismatch
pol
 L
other = (any other known loss - as much detail as
available)
 Lr = additional Losses at receiver (after receiving
antenna)
 Advantages of Satellites
• Coverage Area of a satellite greatly exceeds that of
a terrestrial system.

• Transmission cost of a satellite is independent of

the distance from the center of the coverage area.

• Inter-satellite Communication is very precise.

• Higher Bandwidths are available for use.

 Disadvantages of Satellites
• Antenna Noise due to energy from
unwanted radiation sources
(stars – galaxies - …etc).
• Free Space Loss. The distance
between an earth station and a satellite
Atmosphere behaves as a resistive
medium.
• Meteors have to be programmed to
avoid any rock or any harmful thing.
• Expensive. Suitable for
government or large organisations.
 Disadvantages of Satellites
• Launching satellites into orbit is costly.

• Satellite bandwidth is gradually becoming used up.

• Propagation Delay is larger in satellite communication

than in terrestrial communication.

• Satellite Footprint. The satellite transmission’s

strength is strongest at the center of the transmission
and decreases farther from the center as free space
loss increases.
 VSAT
• Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) provide SATCOM between
two nodes through a powerful Earth station called a Hub.
• Hub serves as a gateway to the terrestrial telephone network
• Provide reliable communication to remote pilgrimage places,
disaster management, Sub-divisional/ Tehsil HQs, military
applications
• Operating modes are TDM/TDMA, SCPC/ MCPC PAMA & DAMA
• Unicast, Multicast, Broadcast is feasible
• Modulation Types Employed- BPSK, QPSK, MSK
• Frequency Bands:-
• C (Uplink- 5.925 – 6.425 Ghz, Downlink- 3.7-4.2 GHz)
• Ku (Uplink- 14.437, Downlink- 11.637 GHz)
 VSAT Equipment Composition
Two main components of VSATs are: -
1. IDU (Indoor Unit)
2. ODU (Out Door Unit)

IDU (Indoor Unit)

 Demodulator for converting IF to
BB.
 Flexible Interfaces like Ethernet
10/100 Base-T (RJ45), USB port
 High performance satellite terminal
with maximum download speed of
up to 4 Mbps and maximum upload
speed of up to 2 Mbps
 VSAT Equipment Composition
ODU (Out Door Unit)
• Transmit / Receive Dish (Antenna)
(0.75 – 1.8m)
• Block Up-converter (BUC) -
Converts incoming I.F. (from IDU) to
RF transmitting frequency, amplifies it
and passes it to feed.
• Low Noise Block-Down-Converter
(LNB)- Amplifies incoming R.F. (Radio
Frequency) from feed using low noise
amplifier, converts it to I.F. and passes
it to IDU
 V-SAT Network
 Most of V-SATs are
customer based and
support mainly digital
networks. Entire
network can be
controlled from a single
hub through appropriate
commands. The network
can be defined and
operated from the hub.
The hub also takes care
of billing etc.
 VSAT Advantages
• Full or partial independence from terrestrial infrastructure

• Cost savings over terrestrial lines

• Nationwide reach, distance-independent

• Network management from a single point

• Quick deployment, network flexibility

• Consistent and rapid response time

• Increased network availability and reliability

• Inherent broadcast / multicast platform

Current & Future Trends in SATCOM

System Characteristic Current Future

Platform size Large/Heavy Smaller/Light Weight

Orbit GEO LEO and MEO

Constellation One to Several Satellites 10s to 100s of Satellites

Sat/Sat Connectivity Bent-Pipe Operations On-Board Processing

Complexity Primarily on Ground Primarily on Satellite

 Conclusion

Satellites remain to be the best

utilisation for communications due to
their speed, coverage and other
advantages mentioned in this
presentation.