Satellite Communications

Overview
 Basics of Satellite
 Basic Satellite Communication Link
 Types of Satellite
 Frequency Bands
 Antennae
 Power Amplifiers
Basics of Satellite
Basics….
 Satellite
 A smaller object orbiting a larger one. Communications
satellites receives radio signals from earth stations and
retransmit them to other earth stations.

 Transponder
 A unit in a satellite that receives an uplink signal, converts its
frequency, amplifies it and retransmits it to the ground.
Communications satellites generally have 10 to 40
transponders.
Basics….
 Earth Station
 Ground equipment used in conjunction with an antenna for
receiving or transmitting radio frequency signals to or from a
satellite.
 Uplink
 Transmission of signal from an earth station to the satellite.
 Downlink
 The retransmission of a signal received by a satellite
transponder back down to earth stations.
 Antenna
 Device that concentrates a beam of electromagnetic waves so
as to send and receive signals.
Basics….
 Azimuth
 The angle of rotation (horizontal) that a ground based
parabolic antenna must be rotated through to point to a
specific satellite in a geosynchronous orbit.
 Elevation
 The upward tilt to a satellite antenna measured in degrees
required to aim the antenna at the communications satellite.
When. aimed at the horizon, the elevation angle is zero. If it
were tilted to a point directly overhead, the satellite antenna
would have an elevation of 90 degrees.
Basics….
 Polarization
 A technique used by the satellite designer to increase the
capacity of the satellite transmission channels by reusing the
satellite transponder frequencies.
 Beacon
 Low-power carrier transmitted by a satellite which supplies the
controlling engineers on the ground with a means of
monitoring telemetry data, tracking the satellite, or conducting
propagation experiments.
Basics….
 Amplifier
 A device used to boost the strength of an electronic signal.
 Aperture
 A cross sectional area of the antenna which is exposed to the
satellite signal.
 Apogee
 The point in an elliptical satellite orbit which is farthest from
the surface of the earth.
 Attenuation
 The loss in power of electromagnetic signals between
transmission and reception points.
Basics….
 Beam width
The angle or conical shape of the beam the antenna projects.
 Feed horn
A satellite TV receiving antenna component that collects the
signal reflected from the main surface reflector and channels
this signal into the low-noise amplifier (LNA).
 Gain
A measure of amplification expressed in dB
 LNB
 A combination Low Noise Amplifier and down converter built
into one device attached to the feed.
Basic Satellite Communication Link
How it works
 Satellite communications are comprised of 2
main components:
 1.The Satellite
 The satellite is composed of three separate units, namely the
fuel system, the satellite and telemetry controls, and the
transponder.
 The transponder includes the receiving antenna to pick-up
signals from the ground station, a broad band receiver, an
input multiplexer, and a frequency converter which is used to
reroute the received signals through a high powered amplifier
for downlink. The primary role of a satellite is to reflect
electronic signals.
How it works…
 2. The Ground Station
 This is the earth segment. The ground station's job is two-
fold. In the case of an uplink, or transmitting station,
terrestrial data in the form of baseband signals, is passed
through a baseband processor, an up converter, a high
powered amplifier, and through a parabolic dish antenna up to
an orbiting satellite. In the case of a downlink, or receiving
station, works in the reverse fashion as the uplink, ultimately
converting signals received through the parabolic antenna to
base band signal.
Why we use Satellite
 Two Stations on Earth want to communicate through radio
broadcast but are too far away to use conventional means.
 The two stations can use a satellite as a relay station for their
communication
 One Earth Station transmits the signals to the satellite. Up
link frequency is the frequency at which Ground Station is
communicating with Satellite.

 The satellite Transponder converts the signal and sends it

down to the second earth station. This is called a Downlink.
Consider the light bulb
example:
Advantages of Satellites
 The advantages of satellite
communication over terrestrial
communication are:
 The 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.
 Satellite to Satellite communication is very precise.
 Higher Bandwidths are available for use.
Disadvantages of Satellites
 The disadvantages of satellite
communication:
 Launching satellites into orbit is costly.
 Satellite bandwidth is gradually becoming used up.
 There is a larger propagation delay in satellite
communication than in terrestrial communication.
How Satellites are used
 Service Types
 Fixed Service Satellites (FSS)
Example: Point to Point Communication
 Broadcast Service Satellites (BSS)
Example: Satellite Television/Radio
Also called Direct Broadcast Service (DBS).
 Mobile Service Satellites (MSS)
Example: Satellite Phones
Types Of Satellites
 Satellite Orbits
 GEO
 LEO
 MEO

 Frequency Bands
Geostationary Earth Orbit(GEO)
 These satellites are in orbit 35,786 km above the earth’s
surface along the equator.
 Objects in Geostationary orbit revolve around the earth
at the same speed as the earth rotates. This means
GEO satellites remain in the same position relative to the
surface of earth.
GEO….
 Advantages
 A GEO satellite’s distance from earth gives it a large
coverage area, almost a fourth of the earth’s surface.
 GEO satellites have a 24 hour view of a particular area.
 These factors make it ideal for satellite broadcast and
other multipoint applications
 Disadvantages
 GEO satellites, centered above the equator, have difficulty for
broadcasting signals to near polar regions
 Launching of satellites to orbit are complex and expensive.
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.
 A network of LEO satellites is necessary for LEO satellites to be
useful
LEO….
 Advantages
 A LEO satellite’s proximity to earth compared to a GEO satellite
gives it a better signal strength and less of a time delay, which
makes it better for point to point communication.
 A LEO satellite’s smaller area of coverage is less of a waste of
bandwidth.
 Disadvantages
 A network of LEO satellites is needed, which can be costly
 LEO satellites have to compensate for Doppler shifts cause by
their relative movement.
 Atmospheric drag effects LEO satellites, causing gradual orbital
deterioration.
 Medium Earth Orbit(MEO)
 A MEO satellite is in orbit somewhere between 8,000 km
and 18,000 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….
 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
 A MEO satellite’s distance gives it a longer time delay
and weaker signal than a LEO satellite, though not as
bad as a GEO satellite.
Frequency Bands
 C band – uplink 5.925-6.425 GHz; downlink
3.7-4.2 GHz
The C band is primarily used for voice and data communications
as well as backhauling. Because of its weaker power it requires
a larger antenna, usually above 1.8m (6ft). However, due to
the lower frequency range, it performs better under adverse
weather conditions on the ground.
Frequency Bands
 X band – uplink 7.9- 8.4 GHz, downlink 7.25 –
7.75 GHz
 The X band is used mainly for military communications and
Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) systems.This band is less
susceptible to rain fade than the Ku Band due to the lower
frequency range, resulting in a higher performance level under
adverse weather conditions.
Frequency Bands
 Ku band– uplink 14 GHz; downlink 10.9-12.75
GHz
 Ku band is used typically for consumer direct-to-home access,
distance learning applications, retail and enterprise
connectivity. The antenna sizes, ranging from 0.9m -1.2m
(~3ft), are much smaller than C band because the higher
frequency means that higher gain can be achieved with small
antenna sizes than C-band. Networks in this band are more
susceptible to rain fade, especially in tropical areas.
Frequency Bands
 Ka band – uplink 26.5-40GHz; downlink 18-20
GHZ
The Ka band is primarily used for two-way consumer broadband
and military networks. Ka band dishes can be much smaller
and typically range from 60cm-1.2m (2' to 4') in diameter.
Transmission power is much greater compared to the C, X or
Ku band beams. Due to the higher frequencies of this band, it
can be more vulnerable to signal quality problems caused by
rain fade.
Antennae
 Introduction
 Definition
 Satellite Antenna
Introduction
 An antenna is an electrical conductor or system
of conductors
 Transmission - radiates electromagnetic energy into
space
 Reception - collects electromagnetic energy from
space
 In two-way communication, the same antenna
can be used for transmission and reception
Definition
 An antenna is a circuit element that provides a transition
form a guided wave on a transmission line to a free
space wave and it provides for the collection of
electromagnetic energy.
 In transmit systems the RF signal is generated,
amplified, modulated and applied to the antenna
 In receive systems the antenna collects electromagnetic
waves that are “cutting” through the antenna and induce
alternating currents that are used by the receiver
Satellite Antenna
 Satellites very often use the same antenna to receive
and transmit RF signals. This idea is practical because
the satellite receives the uplink signal at a higher
frequency and generally sends it back out on the
opposite polarization at a lower frequency. When
receiving a signal, the antenna routes the 500MHz RF to
the appropriate wideband receiver determined by the
band and polarization. When transmitting, the satellites
antenna feed horn determines the polarization of the
signal and directs it onto the antenna to be reflected
back to earth.
Cassegrain Antenna
 Cassegrain antenna is an antenna in which the feed
radiator is mounted at or near the surface of a concave
main reflector and is aimed at a convex subreflector.
Both reflectors have a common focal point. Energy from
the feed unit illuminates the secondary reflector, which
reflects it back to the main reflector, which then forms
the desired forward beam.
 In TV Broadcasting Cassegrain antenna is used.
Cassegrain Antenna
 Picture illustrate parabolic antenna theory
High Power Amplifiers
 The high power amplifier (HPA) in an
earth station facility provides the RF
carrier power to the input terminals of the
antenna that, when combined with the
antenna gain, yields the equivalent
isotropic radiated power (EIRP) required
for the uplink to the satellite.
Types Of Amplifiers
 SSPA (Solid State Power Amplifier)
 TWTA (Travelling Wave Tube Amplifier)
 KPA (Klystron Power Amplifier)
SSPA
 A solid state power amplifier (SSPA) uses a gallium
arsenide (GaAs) metallic semiconductor field effect
transistor (FET) as the amplifier gain element.
 The maximum continuous output power of a single
microwave FET can be from a few watts to several tens
of watts. The limiting factor is the generation of heat.
 A typical GaAs FET at C-band might have a maximum
output power of between 30 W and 45 W, while at Ku-
band it is 15 W.
TWTA
 The traveling wave tube amplifier (TWTA) consists of the
traveling wave tube (TWT) itself and the power supply.
The TWT can have either a helix or coupled-cavity
design.
 In a TWT, amplification is attained by causing a high
density electron beam to interact with an
electromagnetic wave that travels along a "slow-wave
structure", which usually takes the form of a helical coil.
KPA
 The klystron power amplifier (KPA) is a narrowband
device capable of providing high power and high gain
with relatively high efficiency and stability.
 In a klystron tube an electron beam is formed by
accelerating electrons emitted from a heated cathode
through a positive potential difference. The electrons
enter a series of cavities, typically five in number, which
are tuned around the operating frequency and are
connected by cylindrical "drift tubes".
 Optimum bunching of electrons occurs in the output
cavity. Large RF currents are generated in the cavity wall
by the density modulated beam, thereby generating an
amplified RF output signal.
KPA….
 Klystron Power Amplifier
Thanks