A Digital Satellite Communications System for Corporate Telecommunications

A satellite communications system has been implemented by Citicorp to meet its present and future internal domestic telecommunications requirements. This system is currently being used for voice and data transmission and video teleconferencing between corporate facilities in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sioux Falls, SD. Six additional cities will be served by the end of 1984. This system utilizes an 11-m earth station in each city to transmit and receive 60 Mbit/s TDMA signals from a satellite transponder on the Western Union WESTAR V satellite. Various terrestrial microwave, fiber optic, and copper cable facilities interconnect the earth stations to the users of the system. The basic trunk is digital at a T1, or 1.544 Mbit/s rate or multiple thereof, except some local distribution. A network control center provides centralized monitoring and control for all facilities in the system.     

Multimedia services and data broadcasting via satellite

Since 1995 EUTELSAT, as well as other service providers (in Europe and worldwide), in collaboration with industrial partners and research institutions have been developing digital platforms for providing multimedia services as well as data broadcasting via satellite services. These digital platforms are based on the same technologies as those used for the emerging digital television and radio services, namely Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) and MPEG-2. These platforms will greatly improve the speed of multimedia services to the end user (e.g. up to 2 Mbit/s per session on an Internet connection) and will provide the possibility of downloading very large files in a very short time (e.g. downloading speeds of up to 40 Mbit/s per transponder) to a very large number of customers. By using the same technology as for digital television and radio, large economies of scale are foreseen, thus making these digital platforms very affordable on both the unlink side and the receiver side (e.g. less than $300 for the DVB-PC card kit)     

The European system for digital multi-programme television bysatellite

The general concepts of the system for digital television transmission by satellite developed within the European DVB (digital video broadcasting) project and standardised by ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) are described. The system, named DVB-S, is intended to provide DTH (direct-to-home) multi-programme TV services in the BSS (broadcasting satellite service) and FSS (fixed satellite service) bands and is addressed to consumer IRDs (integrated receiver decoders), as well as collective antenna systems (SMATV, satellite master antenna TV) and cable television head-end stations, with a likelihood of remodulation. The exploitation of the multiplex flexibility allows the use of the transmission capacity for a variety of TV service configurations. The use of flexible and advanced error protection techniques, based on the concatenation of Reed-Solomon and convolutional codes (with Viterbi decoding), allows optimum adaptation to different satellite transponder characteristics, i.e. bandwidth and power, providing high service quality and availability with small receiving antennas. For example, in climatic zone E (in Europe) on a 33 MHz transponder a data-rate of 38.1 Mbit/s can be transmitted, adequate to provide five standard definition TV programmes (SDTV) or, alternatively three to four enhanced definition programmes (EDTV), while ensuring 99.90% service availability (in the average year) with 50-cm receiving antenna within the 51 dBW EIRP (equivalent isotropic radiated power) service area contour     

Technical considerations of T-1 carrier transmission via Ku-banddomestic satellites

Technical constraints and their solutions for a cost-effective point-to-point Ku-band satellite communications service are examined. The topics covered are: optimization of antenna size (hardware cost versus space segment cost); transponder operating point optimization; choice of forward error correction coding; transmission impairment, such as weather-related phenomena, depolarization, and interference; and system margins and transponder capacity     

Consideration of 8-Phase CPSK-TDMA Signal Transmission Through Band-Limited Satellite Channels

The performance of 90- and 108-Mbit/s 8-phase CPSKTDMA channels through a 36-MHz-bandwidth transponder has been evaluated. At the optimum operating point, the error rate of the 90Mbit/s channel is improved by about one order of magnitude relative to that of the 108-Mbit/s channel, and the corresponding carrier power saving is about 3.5 dB. Measurements through a linearized TWT indicate that such a TWTA may be driven harder than a conventional TWTA with a substantial saving in the transponder RF power output. The potential of 8-phase CPSK-TDMA signal transmission through band-limited satellite channels using linearized TWTA's onboard the satellite and modems of the latest technology appears attractive.     

Research of sub-channel filter technique in the digital channelization

In the satellite communications,there were very high performance requirements for the satellite transponder due to the restrictions of the volume and weight of the load,and the satellite channelization technique was an important means to solve this problem.The overall implementation structure and the sub-channel filter design method which played a serious role in the system were discussed.It has important practical significance to the overall implementation of the digital channelization.     

语音数字信号压缩技术在TES系统中的应用

介绍ADPCM标准、RLPC编码原理,编、解码器方框图及工作过程。民航卫星通信网TES系统为节省卫星转发器频率资源对传输的语音信号进行压缩处理,其信道单元基带信号处理器对语音信号进行CCITT推荐的G.721-ADPCM编码和修斯公司专利技术开发的RLPC编码处理,将64 kb/s语音数字信号压缩至32 kb/s,16 kb/s,9.6 kb/s传输,实现语音质量满足一般通信要求的低速率语音信号传输。     

RCA satellite networks: High technology and low user cost

Channel demands on the RCA Americom domestic satellite communications system have continued to increase rapidly since the first launch in 1975. After deploying four of the first-generation 24-channel spacecraft, Americom introduced an advanced, all-solid-state design in 1982 which has more than twice the traffic capacity of the original series. To supplement the operational network of six C-band satellites, K-band satellites will be introduced in 1985 to serve the "small master-antenna TV market and digital satellite networks. Accompanying the continuous incorporation of state-of-the-art technology into successive satellites to achieve increased traffic capacity and longer life, new terrestrial equipment and efficient signal processing/modulation techniques are being exploited to continue the competitive reduction of cost per satellite Circuit per year.     

Advanced EHF technologies for lightweight augmentationcommunication satellites

Small EHF satellites can significantly complement the antijam service provided by basic EHF MILSATCOM space segments. Mobile/survivable launch vehicles with rapid launch preparations can be utilised to deploy responsively these small satellites into high-altitude elliptical or circular orbits. From such orbits, only a few satellites are needed to provide high-duty-cycle coverage of a critical area. The communications capabilities provided by these EHF payloads can range from low-data-rate services (75 to 2400 bit/s per channel) to high-data-rate links (10 Mbit/s or more per link) depending on the payload configuration. Through the use of EHF waveform standards, these augmentation satellites will be compatible with existing and planned EHF terminals. Some of the key payload technologies include adaptive uplink antennas; high-speed, low-power digital signal-processing subsystems; lightweight frequency-hopping synthesisers; and efficient solid-state transmitters     

International Connection of Plesiochronous Networks via TDMA Satellite Link

Digital transmission techniques are expected to spread throughout the fixed-satellite service in the near future. The introduction of digital satellite systems will lead to a new requirement regarding how to connect the satellite link with terrestrial digital networks. This paper presents a satellite/terrestrial digital interface that has been developed to interconnect 2.048 Mbit/s PCM terrestrial and INTELSAT TDMA links which are in the plesiochronous relationship. Major functions of the interface include frame slip control, compensation for path length variation, and rate and format conversions. This paper also describes the design and implementation of the developed equipment, and experimental results for signal impairment due to the frame slips and PCM multiplex standard conversion. The experimental results demonstrate that a large humber of bit errors are induced by frame slips for voiceband data transmission above 4800 bits/s.     

高清晰度电视（HDTV）的压缩编码

本文简述HDTV压缩编码的发展;介绍HDTV的140兆比特/秒传输,数字/模拟混合型HDTV卫星广播,以及全数字HDTV地面广播中采用的图像压缩编码原理;并简要展望其发展前景。     

卫星数据链路干扰分析

本文对卫星通信的上、下行链路和转发器实施干扰的可行性进行了分析,并详细分析了上行干扰对透明转发器的影响.研究结果表明,对上、下行链路实施干扰的有效途径为升空平台(无人机或卫星)载有干扰设备;对透明转发器卫星通信系统,干扰的有效功率必须大于所有用户的总功率,宽带干扰或梳状谱干扰是较好的干扰方式.     

某Ku频段卫星通信系统的设计

为了让两个地面站通过卫星链路进行无线通信,设计了一个Ku频段卫星通信系统 ,数据速率是512 kbit/s～4.096 Mbit/s,速率可调步进1 bit/s。选取了一 种较简洁的Ku频段地面 站设计方案,信道的本振为固定点频,调制解调器的中频范围是950～1 450 MHz。对卫 星通信 链 路功率进行了预算。地面站的组成设备,如调制解调器、低噪声放大器、上变频单元、下变 频单元等均选用成熟的商用货架产品,降低了设计风险和成本。本系统研制周期短,通信稳 定可靠,得到了用户的认可。     

90 Mbit/s Digital Performance of Canada's 14/12 GHz ANIK C Earth Stations

The design and performance aspects of Canada's first commercial 14/12 GHz ANIK C earth stations are reviewed, with particular reference to the satellite link degradations of the 90 Mbit/s digital message service. Following design considerations based on computer simulations, extensive test data are presented with respect to BER, jitter, and other performance characteristics of the loop closed via. an ANIK C satellite simulator (SS). An analysis of the effects of linear and nonlinear distortions is applied to the formulation of a model that provides insight into the practical quantitative assessment of field tolerance and maintenance limits and of tradeoffs for new digital transmission systems.     

Planning considerations for domestic replacement satellites

Several domestic satellite systems have been more than 10 years in operation. During this time, the world has experienced a dramatic growth in communication. While the demand for more telephony and data circuits and television channels is still on the rise, new methods of signal transmission and circuit compression have been developed which may balance or reduce the need for more satellite trunk capacity. And while whole national networks are converting to digital transmission, new transmission media like optical fibre, are finding application, and may take over some of the heavy traffic routes previously carried by satellite. On the other side, business data communication between roof-top terminals, thin route traffic to remote users, television distribution by direct satellite broadcasting are becoming more popular and satellite land mobile communication may soon be a reality. Thus the domestic satellite's role appears to be slowly changing towards thin route and mobile traffic and DBS-type distribution and perhaps even radio position determination. System planners are adapting to the new trends in satellite communication and are trying to accommodate the various service payloads on a single satellite. This article discusses some aspects of the emerging multi-purpose domestic satellite, which carries fixed and mobile services, TV direct broadcasting and radio position determination, in view of network digitalization, network expansion, circuit compression, synchronization. The discussion centres on transponder supply and demand, satellite replenishment, K_u-band vs. C-band for TV direct satellite broadcasting, choice of modulation/multiple access for mobile communication, and expected accuracy in radio position determination.     

Bandlimited quasi-synchronous CDMA: a novel satellite accesstechnique for mobile and personal communication systems

Recent trends in digital communications are opening commercial applications to code division multiple access (CDMA). A novel access technique based on bandlimited quasi-synchronous CDMA (BLQS-CDMA) is described, showing all the advantages of synchronizing conventional direct sequence CDMA to drastically reduce the effect of self-noise. Bandlimitation is achieved with no detection loss by means of Nyquist chip shaping, leading to a simple all-digital demodulator structure. Detection losses due to imperfect carrier frequency and chip timing synchronization are analytically derived and numerical results are checked by computer simulations. Impairments due to satellite transponder distortions are evaluated. The full digital modem structure is presented, together with possible applications to mobile and very small aperture terminal (VSAT) satellite communications     

A new generation of 90 Mb/s systems: bandwidth efficient, fieldtested 16-QAM

16-QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) digital satellite broadcast equipment and satellite communications (SATCOM) systems that double the spectral efficiency of currently operational satellite links is described. It is shown that with this field-proven system, data transmission at a rate of 90 Mb/s (two multiplexed DS-3 signals) is feasible in a transmission bandwidth of 30 MHz. Extensive operational satellite tests performed over the T-303 satellite of AT&T demonstrated a BER <10^-10 and no errors for several days. The practical bandwidth efficiency of these SATCOM systems is 3 b/s/Hz, i.e. double the currently used 1.5 b/s/Hz QPSK (quadrature phase-shift keyed) systems. The doubling of the spectral efficiency is attained with advance modem (modulation-demodulation), adaptive equalization robust synchronization, high-power amplifier (HPA) linearization (predistortion), and low redundancy powerful forward-error-correction (FEC) subsystems. The systems may make possible the conversion of currently operational analog FM links into bandwidth efficient digital systems. In one 30 MHz satellite transponder three to four digitized high quality TV signals could be broadcast, or two standard rate DS-3 signals time-division multiplexed with a DS-1 rate signal and additional auxiliary data streams     

A new satellite communication system integrated into publicswitched networks-DYANET

A system concept of a common alternative routing system is proposed for reducing total network costs by integrating satellite communications into public-switched networks, where satellite systems carry overflow traffic from terrestrial systems through common satellite channels. This concept has been realized by a satellite communication system called DYANET (dynamic channel assigning and routing satellite aided digital networks), which provides trunk circuits in combination with terrestrial systems. The key technologies developed for DYANET are a centralized network control system and a transponder hopping demand assignment TDMA (time-division multiple-access) system, to assure single-hop connection and to use satellite channel efficiently. The authors describe the system concept and configuration, the network control system, and the results of its commercial use     

Implementing polarization shift keying over satellite – system design and measurement results

Polarization shift keying (PolSK) is a digital modulation technique using the state of polarization of an electromagnetic wave as the signalling quantity. PolSK comes from fibre communications, where the channel offers two orthogonal states of polarization. This article develops on the idea to adapt this technology to satellite communications, where similar channel conditions exist. For this purpose, a digital PolSK modem was implemented on a programmable logic board. A proposal for constellation design as well as thoughts on synchronization of PolSK over satellite is presented. The modem was used to demonstrate a 16‐state Polarization Shift Keying link over a commercial satellite in K_u band. Measurements have been conducted in a back‐to‐back setup on intermediate frequency and on a K_u band transponder simulator to assess the impact of path‐length differences, carrier recovery and non‐linearity. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.