1

Satellite Communication Systems

By- Kanchan Bakade

Reference book:
Satellite communication- Dennis Roddy
Satellite Communication- Pratt and Bostian

Transmission Losses
Losses occur along the way, some of which are
constant.
Losses for clear weather conditions = losses which
dont vary significantly with time and losses which
are calculated statistically
Free-space loss
Antenna misalignment losses
Fixed atmospheric and ionospheric losses
Losses which are weather related which fluctuate
with time , allowed for by introducing fade margins
into the transmission equation.

Transmission Losses Free-space
loss
Free-space loss = power loss that comes
from the spreading of the signal in space
Most significant type of transmission loss

2
4
log 10 ] [ ] [ ] [
|
.
|

\
|
+ =

tr
G EIRP P
R R
2
4
log 10 ] [
|
.
|

\
|
=

tr
FSL
eff R
FA P =
t

4
2
R
eff
G
A =
( )( )
2
2
2
4 4 4
|
.
|

\
|
=
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
R
G EIRP
G
R
EIRP
P
R
R
R
t

t
2 2
4 m
W
R
P G
F
t t
t
=
Basic form of link equation:
where and
Transmission Losses Feeder losses
Basic form of link equation only accounts for free-space loss
Other types of losses need to be accounted for
Feeder losses: Losses that occur between the receive
antenna and the receiver proper
Eg: Losses in the connecting waveguides, filters, and
couplers
Receiver feeder losses = [RFL] dB
RFL values are added to FSL
Similarly losses occur at transmitting antenna too when
connected to HPA o/p needed

Transmission losses Antenna
misalignment losses
Ideal situation: earth station
and satellite antenna aligned
for maximum gain
Two possible sources of off-
axis loss: satellite and earth
station
Off-axis loss at ES is antenna
pointing loss ( only few tenths
of a decibel)
Misalignment of the
polarization direction - [AML]
dB include both pointing and
polarization losses.
The AML for uplink and
downlink must be taken into
account seperately.
Figure: ref. 1
Transmission Losses Fixed
atmospheric and ionospheric losses
Atmospheric gases result in losses by
absorption
atmospheric absorption loss = [AA] dB
Polarization loss (dB); PL= 20 log(cos)
= angle of mismatch


Basic Transmission Theory
Calculation of the power received by an earth station from a satellite
transmitter.
Had two approach:
The use of flux density
The link equation.



Transmitting source is an isotropic radiator which uniformly radiates a
total power in all directions.
The flux density crossing the surface of a sphere with radius R is given
by
2
2
W/m
4 R
P
F
t
t
=
2
2
W/m
4 R
P
F
t
t
=
Antenna Gain
Antenna gain is G() is defined as the ratio of power per unit solid
angle radiated in a direction to the average power radiated per
unit solid angle.
We need directive antennas to get power to go in wanted direction.
Gain of antenna at = 0 (bore sight) get increase in power in a
given direction compared to isotropic antenna.
t
u
u
4 /
) (
) (
0
P
P
G =
P(u) is variation of power with angle.
G(u) is gain at the direction u.
P
0
is total power transmitted.
sphere = 4t solid radians
EIRP
For a transmitter with o/p power P watts driving a
lossless antenna with gain G , the flux density in the
direction of the antenna bore sight at a distance R
meters is

P
t
G
t
=Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP)
Note that EIRP may vary as a function of direction
because of changes in the antenna gain vs. angle

2
2
W/m
4 R
G P
F
t t
t
=
Received Power
The power available to a receive antenna of area A
r
m
2
we get:


2
4
x
R
A G P
A F P
e t t
r r
t
= =
Real antennas have effective flux collecting areas LESS THAN
the physical aperture area
Define Effective Aperture Area Ae:
q x
e r
A A =
Where Ar is the actual (physical) aperture area.
q= aperture efficiency; losses between the incident wavefront and the
antenna o/p port.
Includes illumination efficiency, aperture taper efficiency
of the antenna, and other losses due to spill,blockage,
phase due to spill, blockage, phase errors, Diffraction
effects, polarization and mismatch losses.
It is range 50 to 75% for parabolic reflector and lower for small
antennas and Higher for large cassegrain antennas.
Horn antenna efficiency is close to 90%.
Back to Received Power
Antennas have (maximum) gain G related to the effective
aperture area as follows:
where is the wavelength (m) at the frequency of
operation.
The power available to a receive antenna of effective area
A
r
= A
e
m
2
is:
2
4
x
R
A G P
A F P
e t t
r r
t
= =
2
4

t
e
r
A
G =
Inverting
t

4
2
r
e
G
A =
2
4

t
e
A
Gain =
Back to Received Power
2
4
|
.
|

\
|
=
R
G G P P
r t t r
t

Friis Transmission Formula

The inverse of the term at the right referred to as Path
Loss, also known as Free Space Loss (Lp):
2
4
|
.
|

\
|
=

tR
L
p
Therefore
p
r t t
r
L
G G P
P =
Signal Transmission
Link-Power Budget Formula
The decibel equation for the received power
is:
[P
R
] = [EIRP] + [G
R
] - [LOSSES] dBW
Where:
[P
R
] = received power in dBW
[EIRP] = equivalent isotropic radiated power in dBW
[G
R
] = receiver antenna gain in dB
[LOSSES] = total link loss in dB
dBW = 10 log
10
(P/(1 W)), where P is an
arbitrary power in watts, is a unit for the
measurement of the strength of a signal
relative to one watt.
More complete formulation
r other pol ra ta a p
r t t
r
L L L L L L L
G G P
P =
Demonstrated formula assumes idealized case.
Free Space Loss (Lp) represents spherical spreading
only.
Other effects need to be accounted for in the
transmission equation:
L
a
= Losses due to attenuation in atmosphere
L
ta
= Losses associated with transmitting antenna
L
ra
= Losses associates with receiving antenna
L
pol
= Losses due to polarization mismatch
L
other
= (any other known loss - as much detail as available)
Lr = additional Losses at receiver (after receiving antenna)
Signal Transmission
Link-Power Budget Formula Variables
Link-Power Budget Formula for the received power [P
R
]:
[P
R
] = [EIRP] + [G
R
] - [LOSSES]
The equivalent isotropic radiated power [EIRP] is:
[EIRP] = [P
t
] + [G
t
] dBW, where:
[P
t
] is the transmit power in dBW and [G
t
] is the transmitting
antenna gain in dB.
[G
R
] is the receiver antenna gain in dB.
Losses for clear sky conditions are:
[LOSSES] = [FSL] + [RFL] + [AML] + [AA] + [PL], where:
[FSL] = free-space spreading loss in dB = P
T
/P
R
(in watts)
[RFL] = receiver feeder loss in dB
[AML] = antenna misalignment loss in dB
[AA] = atmospheric absorption loss in dB
[PL] = polarisation mismatch loss in dB
The major source of loss in any ground-satellite link is the
free-space spreading loss.
Link Power Budget
Transmission:
HPA Power
Transmission Losses
(cables & connectors)
Antenna Gain
EIRP
Tx
Antenna Pointing Loss
Free Space Loss
Atmospheric Loss
(gaseous, clouds, rain)
Rx Antenna Pointing Loss
Rx
Reception:
Antenna gain
Reception Losses
(cables & connectors)
Noise Temperature
Contribution
P
r
Translating to dBs
The transmission formula can be written in dB as:



This form of the equation is easily handled as a
spreadsheet (additions and subtractions!!)

The calculation of received signal based on transmitted
power and all losses and gains involved until the receiver is
called Link Power Budget, or Link Budget.

The received power Pr is commonly referred to as Carrier
Power, C.

r r other ra pol a p ta r
L G L L L L L L EIRP P + =
Link Power Budget
Transmission:
+ HPA Power
- Transmission Losses
(cables & connectors)
+ Antenna Gain
EIRP
Tx
- Antenna Pointing Loss
- Free Space Loss
- Atmospheric Loss
(gaseous, clouds, rain)
- Rx Antenna Pointing Loss
Rx
Reception:
+ Antenna gain
- Reception Losses
(cables & connectors)
+ Noise Temperature
Contribution
P
r
Now all factors are accounted for
as additions and subtractions
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 thermal noise ratio
Carrier to noise density ratio
Carrier to noise ratio
Easy Steps to a Good Link Power Budget
First, draw a sketch of the link path
Doesnt have to be artistic quality
Helps you find the stuff you might forget
Next, think carefully about the system of interest
Include all significant effects in the link power budget
Note and justify which common effects are insignificant here
Roll-up large sections of the link power budget
Ie.: TXd power, TX ant. gain, Path loss, RX ant. gain, RX losses
Show all components for these calculations in the detailed budget
Use the rolled-up results in build a link overview
Comment the link budget
Always, always, always use units on parameters (dBi, W, Hz ...)
Describe any unusual elements (eg. loss caused by H
2
0 on radome)
Simple Link Power Budget
Parameter Value Totals Units Parameter Value Totals Units
Frequency 11.75 GHz
Transmitter Receive Antenna
Transmitter Power 40.00 dBm Random Loss 0.50 dB
Modulation Loss 3.00 dB Diameter 1.5 m
Transmission Line
Loss
0.75 dB Aperture Efficiency 0.6 none
Transmitted Power 36.25 dBm Gain 43.10 dBi
Polarization Loss 0.20 dB
Transmit Antenna Effective RX Ant.
Gain
42.40 dB
Diameter 0.5 m
Aperture Efficiency 0.55 none Received Power -98.54 dBm
Transmit Antenna
Gain
33.18 dBi

Slant Path Summary
Satellite Altitude 35,786 km Transmitted Power 36.25 dBm
Elevation Angle 14.5 degrees Transmit Anntenna
Gain
33.18 dBi
Slant Range 41,602 km EIRP 69.43 dBmi
Free-space Path Loss 206.22 dB Path Loss 210.37 dB
Gaseous Loss 0.65 dB Effective RX
Antenna Gain
42.4 dBi
Rain Loss (allocated) 3.50 dB Received Power -98.54 dBm
Path Loss 210.37 dB
Why calculate Link Budgets?
System performance tied to operation
thresholds.
Operation thresholds C
min
tell the minimum
power that should be received at the
demodulator in order for communications to
work properly.
Operation thresholds depend on:
Modulation scheme being used.
Desired communication quality.
Coding gain.
Additional overheads.
Channel Bandwidth.
Thermal Noise power.
Closing the Link
We need to calculate the Link Budget in order to
verify if we are closing the link.
P
r
>= C
min
Link Closed
P
r
< C
min
Link not closed

Usually, we obtain the Link Margin, which tells how
tight we are in closing the link:
Margin = P
r
C
min

Equivalently:
Margin > 0 Link Closed
Margin < 0 Link not closed
System Noise
Random thermal motion of electron in the
resistive and active devices in the receiver
and also lossy components of antennas
Available noise power:
Thermal noise: Flat frequency spectrum
Noise power spectral density:
B
N
1.12 B
-3dB

N N N
B kT P =
N
N
N
kT
B
P
N = =
0
System Noise Antenna Noise
Two types of antenna noise:
1. Noise originating from antenna losses
2. Sky noise = microwave radiation present throughout
the universe

Figure: Equivalent noise
temperature of the sky as seen
from earth station antenna
Equivalent noise temperature
of the earth as seen from the
satellite antenna is about 290 K
Figure: ref. 1
System Noise Amplifiers
Single stage amplifier:



Amplifiers in cascade:
) (
, 0 e ant out
T T Gk N + =
...
2 1
3
1
2
1
+ + + + =
G G
T
G
T
T T T
e e
e ant S
Figures: ref. 1
) (
, 0
, 0 e ant
out
in
T T k
G
N
N + = =
For amplifiers in cascade, its
important to have a low noise, high
gain amplifier for the first stage.
System Noise
N
out
= FGkT
o
F = noise factor, T
o
= Room temperature =290 K
Also N
out
= Gk(T
e
+T
o
)



Noise figure NF = 10logF
0
) 1 ( T F T
e
=
1
0
1
0
) 1 ( ) 1 (
G
T F L
G
T L
T T
ant S

+

+ =
System Noise Power - 1
Performance of system is determined by C/N
ratio.
Most systems require C/N > 10 dB.
(Remember, in dBs: C - N > 10 dB)
Hence usually: C > N + 10 dB
We need to know the noise temperature of
our receiver so that we can calculate N, the
noise power (N = P
n
).
T
n
(noise temperature) is in Kelvins (symbol
K):
| | | | ( ) 273
9
5
32
0
+ = F T K T
| | | | 273
0
+ = C T K T
System Noise Power - 2
System noise is caused by thermal noise
sources
External to RX system
Transmitted noise on link
Scene noise observed by antenna
Internal to RX system
The power available from thermal noise is:



where k = Boltzmanns constant
= 1.38x10
-23
J/K(-228.6 dBW/HzK),
T
s
is the effective system noise temperature, and
B is the effective system bandwidth
(dBW) B kT N
s
=
Noise Spectral Density
N = K.T.B N/B = N
0
is the noise
spectral density (density of noise power
per hertz):


N
0
= noise spectral density is constant
up to 300GHz.
All bodies with Tp >0K radiate
microwave energy.




(dBW/Hz)
0 s
s
kT
B
B kT
B
N
N = = =
System Noise Temperature
1) System noise power is proportional to
system noise temperature
2) Noise from different sources is
uncorrelated (AWGN)
Therefore, we can
Add up noise powers from different contributions
Work with noise temperature directly
So:
But, we must:
Calculate the effective noise temperature of each
contribution
Reference these noise temperatures to the same location
Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN)
RX lineloss LNA antenna d transmitte s
T T T T T T + + + + =
Typical Receiver



Noise Model



Noise is added and then multiplied by the gain of the device
(which is now assumed to be noiseless since the noise was
already added prior to the device)
Equivalent Noise Model of Receiver



Equivalent model: Equivalent noise Ts is added and then
multiplied by the equivalent gain of the device, G
RF
G
m
G
IF
(noiseless).

Calculating System Noise
Temperature - 1
Receiver noise comes from several sources.
We need a method which reduces several
sources to a single equivalent noise source at
the receiver input.
Using model in Fig. 4.5.a gives:


( ) End) - (Front
(Mixer)
(IF)
in RF RF m IF
m m IF
IF IF n
T T kB G G G
B kT G G
B kT G P
+ +
+
=
Calculating System Noise
Temperature - 2
Divide by G
IF
G
m
G
RF
kB:




If we replace the model in Fig. 4.5.a by that in
Fig. 4.5b



(

+ + + =
RF m
IF
RF
m
in RF RF m IF n
G G
T
G
T
T T kB G G G P
B kT G G G P
s RF m IF n
=
Calculating System Noise
Temperature - 3
Equate Eqns :




Since C is invariably small, N must be
minimized.
How can we make N as small as possible?



(

+ + + =
RF m
IF
RF
m
in RF
G G
T
G
T
T T T
S
For a noiseless lossy device

T
no
= T
p
(1 - G
l
)
Where G
l
is linear gain of attenuating device
T
no
is noise temperature at the output
T
p
is the physical temperature of the device
Therefore, for an attenuation of A dB,
G
l
=10
A/10
T
in

Gain
G
l

Noiseless lossy device
+
P
n

Noise
Source T
no

Reducing Noise Power
Make B as small as possible just enough bandwidth to
accept all of the signal power (C ).
Make T
S
as small as possible
Lowest T
RF
Lowest T
in
(How?)
High G
RF
If we have a good low noise amplifier (LNA), i.e., low
T
RF
, high G
RF
, then rest of receiver does not matter that
much.
in RF
RF m
IF
RF
m
in RF
T T
G G
T
G
T
T T T + ~
(

+ + + =
S
Reducing Noise Power
Discussion on T
in
Earth Stations: Antennas looking at space which
appears cold and produces little thermal noise
power (about 50K).
Satellites: antennas beaming towards earth
(about 300 K):
Making the LNA noise temperature much less gives
diminishing returns.
Improvements aim reduction of size and weight.
Antenna Noise Temperature
Contributes for T
in

Natural Sources (sky noise):
Cosmic noise (star and inter-stellar matter), decreases with
frequency, (negligible above 1GHz). Certain parts of the sky have
punctual hot sources (hot sky).
Sun (T ~ 12000 f
-0.75
K): point earth-station antennas away from
it.
Moon (black body radiator): 200 to 300K if pointed directly to it.
Earth (satellite)
Propagation medium (e.g. rain, oxygen, water vapor): noise
reduced as elevation angle increases.
Man-made sources:
Vehicles, industrial machinery
Other terrestrial and satellite systems operating at the
same frequency of interest.
Antenna Noise Temperature
Useful approximation for Earth Station
antenna temperature on clear sky (no
rain):
Earth Station Antenna - Noise Temperature
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Elevation Angle (degrees)
T
a

(
K
)
NOISE FIGURE AND NOISE
TEMPERATURE
Noise figure : specify the noise generated
within a device.


The noise temperature T=T
0
(NF-1)
Where NF is a linear ratio, not in dB.
T is the reference temperature(290K)


( )
( )
out
in
N S
N S
NF
/
/
=
G/T ratio for Earth Stations
When link equation rewritten in terms of (C/N)
at the earth station, we had


Thus G
r
/ T
s
used to specify the quality of a
receiving earth station.
Increasing G/T, increases the received C/N ratio.
Satellite terminals has negative G/T which is
below 0 dB/K.
i.e G
r
< T
s


(

=
(

=
s
r
n
r t
n s
r t t
T
G
R kB
G P
R B kT
G G P
N
C
2 2
4 4 t

System Figure of Merit

G/T
s
: RX antenna gain/system temperature
Also called the System Figure of Merit, G/T
s
Easily describes the sensitivity of a receive system
Must be used with caution:
Some (most) vendors measure G/T
s
under ideal conditions only
G/T
s
degrades for most systems when rain loss increases
This is caused by the increase in the sky noise component
This is in addition to the loss of received power flux density
Power Budget Example - 1
4.1.1 Satellite at 40,000 km (range)
Transmits 2W
Antenna gain Gt = 17 dB (global beam)
Calculate: a. Flux density on earths surface
b. Power received by antenna with effective aperture of 10m
2

c. Gain of receiving antenna.
d. Received C/N assuming Ts =152 K, and Bw =500 MHz

a. Using Eqn. 4.3: (Gt = 17 dB = 50)
2 2 15 -
2 7 2 2
dBW/m 143 W/m 10 x 4.97
) x(4x10 4
50 x 2

4 4
= =
= = =
t t t R
G P
R
EIRP
F
t t
(Solving in dB)
dBW/m2 143 152 11 20
11 4
dB[meter] ) 10 x 4 ( log x 2 R
dBW 20 17 3 ) (
2 7
10
2
= =
=
=
= + = + =
F
dB
Gt Pt EIRP
t
Power Budget Example - 1
b. Received Power

dBW W 133 10 x 4.97 P
10 x ) (4.97x10 A x F P
14 -
r
-15
r
= =
= =
(Solving in dB)
dBW 133
10 ) 143 (
=
+ = + =
r
r
P
A F P
c. Gain given Ae = 10 m
2
and Frequency = 11GHz ( eqn. 4.7)

dB
A
G
e
r
3 . 52
0273 . 0
10 x 4
4
2
= = =

t
Power Budget Example - 1
b. System Noise Temperature

dB N C
N C N C
dBW W
dBW
B T K or
KTB
dB dB dB
2 . 13 /
) 79 . 119 ( 133 /
133 10 x 4.97 P C
9 7 . 119
99 . 86 82 . 21 6 . 228
10 x 500 x 152 x 0 1 x 38 . 1 P N
14 -
r
6 23
n
=
= =
= = =
=
+ + = + + =
= = =

C/N carrier to noise ratio
r other pol ra ta a p
r t t
r
L L L L L L L
G G P
P =
B KT
P
N
C
s
r
=
(

+ + + =
RF m
IF
RF
m
in RF
G G
T
G
T
T T T
S
q

t

|
.
|

\
|
=
2
D
G
2
4
|
.
|

\
|
=

tR
L
p
F L
a

Carrier to Noise Ratios
C/N: carrier/noise power in RX BW (dB)
Allows simple calculation of margin if:
Receiver bandwidth is known
Required C/N is known for desired signal type
C/N
o
: carrier/noise p.s.d. (dbHz)
Allows simple calculation of allowable RX bandwidth if
required C/N is known for desired signal type
Critical for calculations involving carrier recovery loop
performance calculations
Carrier-to-Noise Ratio


] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [
N
B k LOSSES
T
G
EIRP
N
C
+ =
(

N
R
P
P
N
C
=
( )( )
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
other
R R
L R
G EIRP P
1
4
2
t

N N N
B kT P =
( )
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
other N sys
R
L FSL kB T
G
EIRP
N
C 1 1 1
| |
N
N
B
N
C
B N
C
N
C

=
(

=
(

0 0
Definition of
C/N ratio
Received power with all
losses taken into account
Noise power
C/N ratio in product
form
C/N ratio in
dB form
Definition of carrier-to-noise
density ratio
Power Budget Example - 2
Generic DBS-TV:

Received Power
Transponder output power , 160 W 22.0 dBW
Antenna beam on-axis gain 34.3 dB
Path loss at 12 GHz, 38,500 km path -205.7 dB
Receiving antenna gain, on axis 33.5 dB
Edge of beam -3.0 dB
Miscellaneous losses -0.8 dB
Received power, C -119.7 dBW
Power Budget Example - 2
Noise power
Boltzmanns constant, k -228.6 dBW/K/Hz
System noise temperature, clear air, 143 K 21.6 dBK
Receiver noise bandwidth, 20MHz 73.0
dBHz
Noise power, N -134.0 dBW

C/N in clear air 14.3 dB
Link margin over 8.6 dB threshold 5.7 dB
Link availability throughout US Better than 99.7 %

55
Thank you
Carrier-to-Noise Ratio Uplink
Uplink:

Earth station EIRP, satellite receiver feeder
losses, satellite receiver G/T,
Frequency dependent calculations calculated
for the uplink frequency
] [ ] [ ] [ ] [
0
k LOSSES
T
G
EIRP
N
C
U U U
U
+ =
(

subscript U stands for uplink

Traveling wave tube amplifiers
(TWTAs)
Widely used in transponders to provide the final
output power required to the transmit antenna
Provides amplification over a very wide bandwidth
Nonlinear transfer characteristic
Input power of the TWTA needs to be carefully
controlled to minimize distortion
Low input powers: input-output
relationship is linear
Higher input powers: output power
saturates
Figure: ref. 1
Uplink Saturation Flux
Density
In the uplink, the TWTA will be at the receiving end
Received signal from earth will be input to the TWTA
Saturation flux density ( F
s
): flux density required at
the satellites receiving antenna to produce saturation
of the TWTA
Using the saturation flux density, one can calculate
the required EIRP at the earth station to produce
saturation of the TWTA at the satellite
| | | | | | | | | | RFL LOSSES A F EIRP
U S
U
S
+ + =
0
| |
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
t

4
log 10
2
0
A
Effective area of an
isotropic antenna
subscript S stands for saturation
Uplink Input Back-off
A number of simultaneous carriers present in
the TWTA requires back-off of the operating
point to reduce intermodulation distortion
Its the input back-off because the received
signal will be input to the TWTA
Earth station EIRP has to be reduced by this
specified back-off
i U S U
BO EIRP EIRP ] [ ] [ ] [ =
| |
i
BO
= input back-off
Uplink Earth Station HPA
Earth station high power amplifier is at the transmitting end
of the uplink
Supplies the radiated power plus the transmitter feeder
losses


Earth station HPA transfer characteristic can also be
nonlinear, requiring output back-off
Output back-off since HPAs output is the transmitted signal

An HPA with a high saturation point has larger physical size
and higher power consumption, but penalty for this is not as
large since its on the earth.
] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ TFL G EIRP P
T HPA
+ =
TFL = transmitter
feeder losses
HPA sat HPA HPA
BO P P ] [ ] [ ] [
,
=
Carrier-to-Noise Ratio
Dowlink
Downlink:

Satellite EIRP, earth station receiver feeder
losses, earth station receiver G/T
Frequency dependent calculations calculated
for the downlink frequency

] [ ] [ ] [ ] [
0
k LOSSES
T
G
EIRP
N
C
D D D
D
+ =
(

subscript D stands for downlink

Downlink Output Back-off,
Satellite TWTA Output
Output back-off:





Satellite TWTA Output:
TWTA supplies radiated power and transmit feeder
losses, the saturates o/p of TWTA is given by

O D S D
BO EIRP EIRP ] [ ] [ ] [ =
dB BO BO
O i
5 ] [ ] [ + =
D T D TWTA
TFL G EIRP P ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ + =
The output of the TWTA is being
transmitted, so its the output back-off
A rule of thumb:
O S TWTA TWTA
BO P P ] [ ] [ ] [ =
Figure: ref. 1
Effects of Rain
So far, calculations have been made for
clear-sky conditions
Rainfall is a significant cause of fading in the
C band and especially in the Ku band
Rainfall causes attenuation by scattering and
absorption of the radio waves
Rain attenuation for horizontal polarization is
greater than for vertical polarization
Rain Attenuation
Rain attenuation data is usually
available as curves or tables
Tables gives percentage of time
over a year that the attenuation
exceeds the dB values
Figure: ref. 1
Figure: ref. 4
Radomes are truncated
spherical shells composed
of panels to protect the
earth station antenna from
the environment.
Radome transmission loss:
ordinary insertion loss,
scattering loss
Layer of water caused by
rain introduces attenuation
by absorption and
reflection
Rain-fade margins Uplink and
Downlink
Uplink (satellite is receiving):
Increase in noise due to rain usually not a major factor since
satellite antenna is pointed toward a hot earth
With uplink power control, power output from the earth station
may be increased to compensate for fading
Downlink (earth station is receiving):
No power control since user doesnt have control of satellite EIRP
A = rain attenuation caused by absorption
Equivalent noise temperature for the rain:


|
.
|

\
|
=
A
T T
a rain
1
1
rain CS sky
T T T + =
Combined Uplink and Downlink
overall C/N ratio is less than the lower of the uplink and
downlink C/N ratios
1 1 1
|
.
|

\
|
+
|
.
|

\
|
=
|
.
|

\
|
D U overall
N
C
N
C
N
C
Lets denote noise power per unit bandwidth by P
NU
and the average
carrier at the same point by P
RU
. Therefore,

The carrier power at the end of the space link is P
R
(i.e received carrier
power for the downlink). It is equal to (system power gain ) times the
carrier power input at the satellite.
At the end-of-link, noise is P
NU
+ P
ND

When not counting P
NU
contribution, then
The combined C/N
o
is given by


|
|
.
|

\
|
=
|
|
.
|

\
|
NU
RU
U
O
P
P
N
C
( )
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
=
|
|
.
|

\
|
ND NU
R
D
O
P P
P
N
C

|
|
.
|

\
|
=
|
|
.
|

\
|
ND
R
D
O
P
P
N
C
1 1
1
) (

|
|
.
|

\
|
+
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
|
.
|

\
|
+ |
.
|

\
|
= + = |
.
|

\
|
=
+ =
+
= = |
.
|

\
|
D
O
U
O
O
D
O
U
O
R
ND
RU
NU O
RU R
R
ND
R
NU
R
ND NU
R
N O
N
C
N
C
N
C
C
N
C
N
P
P
P
P
C
N
then
term i f or P P substitute
P
P
P
P
P
P P
P
P
C
N

Intermodulation Noise
Occurs whenever multiple carriers pass through a device with
nonlinear characteristics, such as TWTAs
1 1 1 1
|
.
|

\
|
+
|
.
|

\
|
+
|
.
|

\
|
=
|
.
|

\
|
IM D U overall
N
C
N
C
N
C
N
C
C/N ratio for intermodulation noise
is a function of the number of
carriers and their modulation
characteristics, and the amplitude
and phase characteristics of the
high-power amplifier.
Figure: ref. 5
To reduce intermodulation noise,
we can operate the traveling
wave tube in a back off condition
Increasing back off decreases
uplink and downlink C/N ratios
There is an optimum operating
point that gives maximum overall
C/N ratio as a function of back-off
System Design Example
Ku-band geostationary satellite with bent pipe
transponders to distribute digital TV signals from an
earth station to many receiving stations
Bent pipe transponder: transponder that amplifies the
received signal and retransmits it at a different
frequency
Figure: ref. 2
Need a minimum overall C/N
ratio of about 9.5 dB in the TV
receiver
Table of specifications
Figure: ref. 2
Ku-Band Uplink Design
Uplink Noise Power
Budget
k = Boltzmanns constant -228.6 dBW/K/Hz
T_n= 500 K 27.0 dBK
B = 43.2 MHz 76.4 dBHz
P_n= transponder noise
power
-125.2 dBW
| | | | | | | |
N N N
B T k P + + =
] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ LOSSES G EIRP P
R R
+ =
Uplink Power Budget
P_t = Earth station transmitter
power
P_t dBW
G_t = Earth station antenna gain 55.7 dB
G_r = Satellite antenna gain 31.0 dB
FSL = Free-space loss -207.2 dB
L_ant = Earth station on 2 dB
contour
-2.0 dB
Other losses -1.0 dB
P_r = Received power at
transponder
P_t - 123.5
dB
Minimum required receive power:
[P_r] = [C/N] + [P_n]
= 30 + -125.3 = -95.2 dBW
| | dB
D
G
t
7 . 55 * 68 . 0 log 10
2
=
(
(

|
.
|

\
|
=

t
| | dB
R
FSL 2 . 207
4
log 10
2
=
|
.
|

\
|
=

t
[P_r] = [P_t] 123.5 dB = -95.2 dBW
=> [P_t] = 28.3 dBW => P_t = 675 W
+
+
=
=
| | | |
N R
N
R
P P
P
P
N
C
=
(

=
(

Ku-Band Downlink Design

Downlink Noise Power
Budget
k = Boltzmanns constant -228.6 dBW/K/Hz
T_n= 30 + 110 K = 140 21.5 dBK
B = 43.2 MHz 76.4 dBHz
P_n= transponder noise power -130.7 dBW
Downlink Power Budget
P_t = Satellite station transmitter
power
18.0 dBW
G_t = Satellite station antenna gain 31.0 dB
G_r = Earth station antenna gain G_r dB
FSL = Free-space loss -205.4 dB
L_ant= Earth station on 3 dB
contour
-3.0 dB
Other losses -0.8 dB
P_r = Received power at earth
station
G_r - 160.2
dB
dB
N
C
N
C
N
C
N
C
N
C
D D U overall D
2 . 17 6 . 52
1 1 1
=
(

|
.
|

\
|
=> =
|
.
|

\
|
=>
|
.
|

\
|

|
.
|

\
|
=
|
.
|

\
|

50 17 =
|
.
|

\
|
=> =
(

|
.
|

\
|
overall overall
N
C
dB
N
C
1000 30 =
|
.
|

\
|
=> =
(

|
.
|

\
|
U U
N
C
dB
N
C
Minimum required receive power:
[P_r] = [C/N]+[P_n] = 17.2 + -130.7 = -113.5 dBW
O S TWTA TWTA
BO P P ] [ ] [ ] [ =
P_t, sat = 80 W => [P_t, sat] = 19 dBW
Output back-off = 1 dB
[P_t] = 19 1 = 18 dBW
| | dB
R
FSL 4 . 205
4
log 10
2
=
|
.
|

\
|
=

t
[P_r] = [G_r] 160.2 = -113.5 dBW => [G_r] = 46.7 dB
=> G_r = 46,774
m D
D
G
R
14 . 2 774 , 46 * 65 . 0
2
= => =
|
.
|

\
|
=

t
| | | |
N R
N
R
P P
P
P
N
C
=
(

=
(

Satellite Communication Link Design

Procedure
1. Determine the frequency band in which the system must operate.
Comparative designs may be required to help make the selection.
2. Determine the communications parameters of the satellite. Estimate any
values that are not known.
3. Determine the parameters of the transmitting and receiving earth stations.
4. Start at the transmitting earth station. Establish an uplink budget and a
transponder noise power budget to find uplink C/N in the transponder.
5. Find the output power of the transponder based on transponder gain or
output back-off.
6. Establish a downlink power and noise budget for the receiving earth station.
Calculate downlink C/N and overall C/N for a station at the edge of the
coverage zone (worst case).
7. Calculate S/N or BER in the baseband channel. Find the link margins.
8. Evaluate the result and compare with the specification requirements. Change
parameters of the system as required to obtain acceptable overall C/N or S/N
or BER values. This may require several trial designs.
9. Determine the propagation conditions under which the link must operate.
Calculate outage times for the uplinks and downlinks.
10. Redesign the system by changing some parameters if the link margins are
inadequate. Check that all parameters are reasonable, and that the design
can be implemented within the expected budget. The above can be found in ref. 2
Summary
Transmission losses include free-space loss, feeder losses,
antenna misalignment losses and fixed atmospheric and
ionospheric losses
To reduce system noise for amplifiers in cascade, have a low
noise, high gain amplifier in the first stage
C/N ratio gives error probability and capacity
Multiple carriers present means back-off must be accounted
for
Rain attenuation can be overcome with uplink power control,
increasing the antenna diameter, or using an amplifier with
higher gain and lower noise
C/N ratios add as reciprocals
Space link calculations are an iterative process since its hard
to get it all right on the first try