Communication II

EEE – 333

Lecture Module 3
Course Teacher:
Shuvodip Das
Assistant Professor,
Dept. of EEE, PU
Satellite Communication
Introductory Lecture
 Satellite Missions

Source: Union of Concerned Scientists [www.ucsusa.org]

Satellite System Elements

SCC: Satellite Control Center

 Space Segment
 Satellite Launching Phase
 Transfer Orbit Phase
 Deployment
 Operation
• TT&C - Tracking Telemetry and
Command Station
• SSC - Satellite Control Center, a.k.a.:
 OCC - Operations Control Center
 SCF - Satellite Control Facility

 Retirement Phase
 Ground Segment
 Collection of facilities, Users and Applications

 Earth Station = Satellite Communication Station

(Fixed or Mobile)
 Satellite Uplink and Downlink
 Downlink
• The link from a satellite down to one or more ground stations or
receivers
 Uplink
• The link from a ground station up to a satellite.
 Some companies sell uplink and downlink services to
• television stations, corporations, and to other telecommunication
carriers.
• A company can specialize in providing uplinks, downlinks, or both.
 When using a satellite for long distance communications, the
satellite acts as a repeater.
 An earth station transmits the signal up to the satellite (uplink),
which in turn retransmits it to the receiving earth station
(downlink).
 Different frequencies are used for uplink/downlink.
Satellite Uplink and Downlink
 Satellite Transmission Bands
Frequency Band Downlink Uplink

C 3,700-4,200 MHz 5,925-6,425 MHz

Ku 11.7-12.2 GHz 14.0-14.5 GHz

Ka 17.7-21.2 GHz 27.5-31.0 GHz

The C band is the most frequently used. The Ka and Ku bands are reserved
exclusively for satellite communication but are subject to rain attenuation
 Types of Satellite Orbits
 Based on the inclination, i, over the equatorial
plane:
• Equatorial Orbits above Earth’s equator (i=0°)
• Polar Orbits pass over both poles (i=90°)
• Other orbits called inclined orbits (0°<i<90°)

 Based on Eccentricity
• Circular with centre at the earth’s centre
• Elliptical with one foci at earth’s centre
 Types of Satellite based Networks
 Based on the Satellite Altitude
• GEO – Geostationary Orbits
 36000 Km = 22300 Miles, equatorial, High latency
• MEO – Medium Earth Orbits
 High bandwidth, High power, High latency
• LEO – Low Earth Orbits
 Low power, Low latency, More Satellites, Small
Footprint
 Satellite Orbits
 Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO):
36,000 km above Earth, includes
commercial and military
communications satellites,
satellites providing early warning
of ballistic missile launch.
 Medium Earth Orbit (MEO): from
5000 to 15000 km, they include
navigation satellites (GPS,
Galileo, Glonass).
 Low Earth Orbit (LEO): from 500
to 1000 km above Earth, includes
Source: Federation of American Scientists [www.fas.org]
military intelligence satellites,
weather satellites.
Satellite Orbits
 Satellite Orbits

Molniya: Type of HEO

Source: Union of Concerned Scientists [www.ucsusa.org]

Why Satellites remain in Orbits
 Advantages of Satellite
Communication
 Can reach over large geographical area
 Flexible (if transparent transponders)
 Easy to install new circuits
 Circuit costs independent of distance
 Broadcast possibilities
 Temporary applications (restoration)
 Niche applications
 Mobile applications (especially "fill-in")
 Terrestrial network "by-pass"
 Provision of service to remote or underdeveloped
areas
 User has control over own network
 1-for-N multipoint standby possibilities
 Disadvantages of Satellite
Communication
 Large up front capital costs (space
segment and launch)
 Terrestrial break even distance
expanding (now approx. size of
Europe)
 Interference and propagation delay
 Congestion of frequencies and orbits
 Global Positioning System (GPS)

 GPS: Global Positioning System is a

worldwide radio-navigation system formed
from a constellation of 24 satellites and their
ground stations.

 A simplistic explanation:
GPS uses these “man-made
stars” as reference points to
calculate positions accurate
to a matter of meters.
 What is the GPS?
 Orbiting navigational satellites
• Transmit position and time data
 Handheld receivers calculate
• latitude
• longitude
• altitude
• velocity
 Components of the System

Space segment
 24 satellite vehicles
 Six orbital planes
• Inclined 55o with respect
to equator
• Orbits separated by 60o
 20,200 km elevation
above Earth
 Orbital period of 11 hr
55 min
 Five to eight satellites
visible from any point
on Earth
Block I Satellite
Vehicle
The GPS Constellation
GPS Communication and Control
 How does GPS work?
 Distance to a satellite is determined by measuring
how long a radio signal takes to reach us from that
satellite.
 To make the measurement we assume that both
the satellite and our receiver are generating the
same pseudo-random codes at exactly the same
time.
 By comparing how late the satellite's pseudo-
random code appears compared to our receiver's
code, we determine how long it took to reach us.
 Multiply that travel time by the speed of light and
you've got distance.
 How does GPS work?
 Accurate timing is the key to
measuring distance to satellites.
 Satellites are accurate because they
have four atomic clocks ($100,000
each) on board.
 Receiver clocks don't have to be too
accurate because an extra satellite
range measurement can remove
errors.
 How does GPS work?
 To use the satellites as references for range
measurements we need to know exactly where
they are.
 GPS satellites are so high up their orbits are very
predictable.
 All GPS receivers have an almanac programmed
into their computers that tells them where in the
sky each satellite is, moment by moment.
 Minor variations in their orbits are measured by the
Department of Defense.
 The error information is sent to the satellites, to be
transmitted along with the timing signals.
 GPS Receivers (Cont’d)
 Better units have multiple receivers, so they can
pick up signals from several satellites
simultaneously.

 Radio waves travel at the speed of light (about

186,000 miles per second, 300,000 km per
second in a vacuum).

 The receiver can figure out how far the signal

has traveled by timing how long it took the
signal to arrive. (Similar to foghorn example.)
 Application of GPS Technology
 Location - determining a basic position
 Navigation - getting from one location
to another
 Tracking - monitoring the movement
of people and things
 Mapping - creating maps of the world
 Timing - bringing precise timing to the
world