INTRODUCTION TO SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS

Ivan Reuter – Regional Director, West Africa

AGENDA

Frequencies bands and comparison

Applications vs Frequencies bands
Satellite communication ecosystem
Earth Station and VSAT equipment
Role and control of the LNB
Satellite transmission parameters
DVB-S2 standard and advanced functionalities
Link Budget Analysis
DVB-S2X standard overview
Use case : Monitoring Rx parameters

3
Frequencies bands and comparison
 Satellite Frequency Allocations
S-Band, C-Band and X-Band Satellite Frequency Allocations in MHz

~
~
~
~

~
~
~
~
Fixed REGION 1

mobile
Aeronautical,

Fixed
mobile Fixed
Radio-nav., mobile REGION 2
Fixed mobile Radar
REGION 3

~
~

~
~
~
~
~
~
1675 1710 1980 2010 2025 2110 2120 2160 2170 2200 2290 2300 2483.5 2500 2520 2535 2655 3400 3700 4200 4500 4800 5725 5850 6425 6725 7025 7250 7750 7900 8400

S-Band C-Band X-Band

Ku-Band Satellite Frequency Allocations in MHz

~
~

~
~
Aero-nautical
Radar REGION 1
REGION 2
Radar REGION 3

~
~

~
~
10700 10950 11200 11450 11700 12200 12500 12750 13250 13750 14500 14800 17300 17800 18100

Ka-Band Satellite Frequency Allocations in MHz

~
~
REGION 1
REGION 2
REGION 3

~
~
17700 19700 20100 21200 27000 27500 29500 30000 31000
Legend
Space Operation/Earth Exploration/Space Space Research Down
FSS Down Extended FSS Down FSS Allotment Plan Down Government FSS Down Research Down (Co-Primary)
Space Operation/Earth Exploration/Space
FSS Up Extended FSS Up FSS Allotment Plan Up Government FSS Up Space Research Up
Research Up (Co-Primary)
MSS Down Meteorological Down MSS/Radiodetermination Up MSS/Government FSS Down (Co-Primary) BSS Plan Down
FSS/MSS Up (Co-Primary)
(Co-Primary)
Meteorological Down/
MSS Up FSS/BSS Up (Co-Primary) MSS/Government FSS Up (Co-Primary) BSS Plan Up
MSS Up (Co-Primary)

L-Band Satellite Frequency Allocations in MHz

~
~
REGION 1
REGION 2
REGION 3

~
~
1492 1525 1530 1533 1544 1545 1555 1559 1610 1626.5 1631.5 1634.5 1645.5 1646.5 1656.5 1660.5

Legend REGION REGION

2 1

MSS Down Maritime/Land Mobile Down (Co-Primary) Emergency/Distress Down

MSS Up Maritime/Land Mobile Up (Co-Primary) Emergency/Distress Up

Maritime Mobile Down Land Mobile Down Aeronautical Mobile Down

Maritime Mobile Up Land Mobile Up Aeronautical Mobile Up

REGION REGION
3 3
BSS = Broadcast Satellite Service FSS = Fixed Satellite Service MSS = Mobile Satellite Service
ITU Regional Definitions
Prepared by the Payload Design Center *Chart not drawn to scale. Secondary allocations are not included. 12 December 1996

Satellite Applications
FREQUENCIES BANDS AND COMPARISON

The most commonly used frequencies bands for commercial applications

are
è C-Band
è Ku-Band
è Ka-band

Military communications use X-band

Space Operation / Earth Observation use S-band

Inmarsat satellites with small terminals use L-band

6
FREQUENCIES BANDS AND COMPARISON

C-band frequency allocation

－ Transmit 5.925 - 6.425 GHz (U.S.)
5.625 – 6.425 GHz (I.T.U.)
－ Receive 3.700 - 4.200 GHz (U.S.)
3.400 – 4.200 GHz (I.T.U.)
Ku-band frequency allocation
－ Transmit 14.00 - 14.50 GHz (U.S.)
13.75 – 14.50 GHz (I.T.U.)
－ Receive 11.70 – 12.20 GHz (U.S.)
10.75 – 12.75GHz (ITU)
Ka-band frequency allocation
－ Transmit 27.5 – 30.0 GHz
－ Receive 17.7 – 20.0 GHz

7
FREQUENCIES BANDS AND COMPARISON

C-band Ku-Band Ka-Band

- Wide footprint - Smaller antennas - Smaller antennas

coverage - Smaller RF power - Smaller RF power
- Minor effects from amplifiers amplifiers
Advantages rain
- Very reliable
communications
- Requires larger - Greater effect from - Greater effect from
antennas rain rain
- Requires larger RF - Smaller footprint - Smaller footprint
power amplifiers coverage coverage
Disadvantages - Affected by - High cost of Earth
terrestrial Stations
interferences

8
Applications vs Frequencies Bands
APPLICATIONS VS FREQUENCIES BANDS

Satellite is used for many type of applications in several vertical markets

such as :
è Broadcast
à Video contribution
à Video Distribution (DTT, DTH, cable head-ends, etc…)
è Data
à Broadband internet access
à IP trunking (National, International)
à GSM backhaul
è Mobility
à COTM (Communication On The Move)
à Maritime service
à Aero services
è Oil & Gas / Mining
à On-shore and off-shore platforms
à Welfare

10
APPLICATIONS VS FREQUENCIES BANDS

On the principle, any satellite frequency band (C, Ku, Ka) can be used to
serve these vertical markets / applications, however there are some
rationale that limit / proscribe the use of certain band for certain
applications / market

The choice of the frequency band to be used for a certain application is

mainly dependent upon :
è Targeted availability of the service
è Total Cost of ownership (TCO)
è Existing infrastructure
è Availability of satellite coverage in the targeted area
è Environmental contraints

11
APPLICATIONS VS FREQUENCIES BANDS

C-band Ku-Band Ka-Band

- DTT Distribution - DTH - Video Contribution

- GSM Backhaul (large - Video contribution (DSNG)
BTS or NodeB) (DSNG) - Aero services
- Civil Aviation Control - Aero services - Internet Broadband
- Bank networks - Internet broadband Access (Residential,
- IP Trunking access (SME) SME)
Typical - Maritime Service - Corporate networks
applications (Super tankers) - GSM backhaul (rural
- Oil & Gas / Mining network with small
BTS / NodeB)
- Maritime services
(cruising)

12
Satellite Communication Ecosystem
SATELLITE COMMUNICATION ECOSYSTEM

The satellite communication ecosystem is mainly composed by the

following actors :
è Satellite manufacturers

è Rocket Manufacturers and Launchers

è Satellite Operators

14
SATELLITE COMMUNICATION ECOSYSTEM

The satellite communication ecosystem is mainly composed by the

following actors :
è Ground segment equipment vendors

è Customers

15
Earth Station and VSAT equipment
EARTH STATION AND VSAT EQUIPMENT

Uplink block diagram

è Modulator / Modem
è Up-Converter
è Power Amplifier
è Antenna
Antenna
è Inter Facility Link (IFL)
àFiber Optics Modem IFL Up-Converter IFL Transmitter IFL Feed

àCo-axial cable
Simplified Uplink Block Diagram
àPatch Panels
àCombiners / Splitters
àWaveguide

17
EARTH STATION AND VSAT EQUIPMENT

Modulator
è Converts the input baseband signal into an IF phase-modulated signal
(70/140MHz or L-Band)
Up-converter (U/C)
è Converts the input phase-modulated signal from IF frequency band (70/140MHz
or L-band) to the desired RF satellite transmission frequency (C-Band or Ku-
band or Ka-band etc…)
High Power Amplifier (HPA)
è Amplifies the low-power RF signal coming from the up-converter into a high
power RF signal ready to be transmitted by the antenna towards the satellite
Antenna
è Composed by several parts (King post, reflector and feed)
è Depending on the size, can be equipped with a tracking system
è The feed can be linear-polarized or circular-polarized

18
EARTH STATION AND VSAT EQUIPMENT

Downlink block diagram

è Demodulator / Modem
è Down-Converter
è LNA
è Antenna
è Inter Facility Link (IFL)
Feed
àFiber Optics Modem IFL Down-Converter IFL LNA

àCo-axial cable
àPatch Panels
àCombiners / Splitters

19
EARTH STATION AND VSAT EQUIPMENT

LNA
è Amplifies the low-power RF signal coming from the satellite in order for it to be
within the acceptable power range of the down-converter input
Down-converter (D/C)
è Converts the input RF signal from RF frequency band (C-Band or Ku-band or Ka-
band etc…) into an IF frequency band (70/140MHz or L-Band)
LNB
è It is the combination of LNA + Down-converter in a single “package”
Demodulator
è Convert the IF modulated signal into a baseband signal (ASI, IP, E1, etc…)

20
Role and control of the LNB
ROLE AND CONTROL OF THE LNB

Role
è LNA with a built-in Down-converter
è Provides frequency conversion
à DRO (Dielectric resonator Oscillator)
• ± 150 kHz to ± 500 kHz C-Band
• ± 150 kHz to ± 900 kHz Ku-Band
à PLL (Phase Locked Loop)
• ± 5 kHz to ± 25 kHz C-Band
• ± 5 kHz to ± 50 kHz Ku-Band
à External (10 MHz reference)

Low Noise Amplifier

Input Output

DC Regulator
Power

22
ROLE AND CONTROL OF THE LNB

è Designed to provide the lowest noise contribution possible

à 20o – 40o K noise temperature typical for C-band
à 70o – 90o K noise temperature typical for Ku-band
à 50 to 60 dB Gain typical

è Mounted as close as possible from the antenna OMT

è One of the most critical component of an antenna system

à Major factor in determining the system figure of merit (G/T)

è Frequency stability of the LNB is critical depending on the application

à DRO is acceptable for DTH and/or for large carriers reception
à PLL is required for small size carriers application and overall for professional
applications

23
ROLE AND CONTROL OF THE LNB

Types of LNB
è Non-controlable
à Single LNB
• 1 fixed output (1 sub-band and 1 polarization)
à Dual LNB
• 2 fixed output (2 sub-bands and 1 polarization)
à Quad LNB
• 4 fixed output (2 sub-bands and 2 polarization)
è Controlable
à Universal Single LNB
• 1 switchable output (can be low sub-band or high sub-band, H pol or V pol)
à Universal Dual LNB
• 2 independent universal single LNB
à Universal Quad LNB
• 4 independent universal single LNB

24
ROLE AND CONTROL OF THE LNB

Local oscillators
è Low sub-band (10.75 – 11.75GHz)
à Local Oscillator frequency = 9.75GHz
è High sub-band (11,75 – 12,75GHz)
à Local oscillator frequency = 10,6GHz

How to control a Universal LNB

è Control of sub-band
à Low sub-band : 0KHz command
à High sub-band : 22KHz command
è Control of polarization
à Vertical polarization : 13V command
à Horizontal Polarization : 18V command
Universal LNB is controlled by the Set Top Boxe or IRD which sends the
above-mentioned commands to select the desired sub-band/Polarization.

25
Satellite Transmission Parameters
SATELLITE TRANSMISSION PARAMETERS

Satellite transmission involves many different parameters/variables that

have an impact on the overall link dimensioning/performance
è Rx antenna sizes and performances
è G/T and EIRP of the satellite in a specific contour of the coverage
è Bandwidth of the satellite transponder
è SFD of the transponder
è Transponder mode of utilization : Single-carrier or Dual-carriers or Multi-carriers
è Transmission standard (DVB-S, DVB-S2, etc…)
è Modulation and Coding

27
SATELLITE TRANSMISSION PARAMETERS

The smaller the Rx antenna size, the lower the modulation and coding will
be required to close the link, resulting in lower bitrate/throughput
The bigger the Rx antenna size, the higher the modulation and coding will
be enabled to close the link, resulting in higher bitrate/throughput
The higher the frequency, the higher the gain of the antenna
è A 3m antenna in Ka-band has a much higher gain than a 3m antenna in Ku-band,
which itself has a much higher gain than a 3m C-band antenna
The higher the frequency band, the higher the effect of the rain on signal
attenuation
The antenna size shall be a compromise between the frequency band
being utilized and the inherent rain fade in order to reach a certain
availability target

28
SATELLITE TRANSMISSION PARAMETERS

The G/T and the EIRP of the satellite being perceived by the ground
antenna is directly dependent upon the geographical location of the
antenna within the coverage / contours

29
SATELLITE TRANSMISSION PARAMETERS

Satellite transponders have different bandwidth, they are typically :

è 72MHz, 36MHz in C-band
è 72MHz, 54MHz and 36MHz in Ku-band
è 72MHz, 108MHz in Ka-band
The narrower the bandwidth of the transponder, the most powerful the
transponder is (since the power is concentrated into a narrower
bandwidth, the power density is higher)
The SFD (Saturation Flux Density) defines the sensitivity of the
transponder
è The more sensitive the transponder, the lower the power required at the uplink,
but the C/N decreases because the noise (N) increases
è The less sensitive the transponder, the higher the power required at the uplink,
but the better the C/N because the noise (N) decrease

30
SATELLITE TRANSMISSION PARAMETERS

Transponder mode of utilization

è Single-carrier per transponder
à The transponder is saturated (utilization of the full bandwidth and full power) with 1 big
carrier
à The advantage is to get the maximum of the performances from the transponder,
resulting in higher bitrate/throughput
è Dual-carrier per transponder
à The transponder is hosting 2 large carrier (typically each carrier consuming 50% of the
bandwidth and the transponder)
à There is some OBO (output Back-off) to be considered on the transponder (typically
2.5dB), meaning we can’t use 100% of its power in order to prevent from the inter-
modulation effects
è Multi-carriers per transponder
à The transponder is hosting 3 or more carriers of different sizes
à There is some OBO (output Back-off) to be considered on the transponder (typically
3.7dB), meaning we use a bit less than 50% of its power to prevent from the inter-
modulation effects

31
SATELLITE TRANSMISSION PARAMETERS

The transmission standard being used has a direct impact on the overall
link performance (for instance DVB-S is less performant than DVB-S2)
because the C/N (Eb/No) required are not the same
Each standard has its own set of Modulation and Coding (MODCOD). Each
MODCOD has its own required minimum Eb/No to allow for proper
demodulation
Each standard has its own set of roll-off factors. The Roll-off factor is also
known as “excess bandwidth”. It is expressed in % of the symbol rate (for
instance 20%). The satellite capacity being occupied is calculated by :
è BW = Symbol rate * (1+Roll-off)
The lower the roll-off factor, the lower the bandwidth consumption

32
DVB-S2 Standard and advanced functionalities
DVB-S2 STANDARD AND ADVANCED FUNCTIONALITIES

The DVB-S2 standard has been designed to supersedes the DVB-S

standard in order to make viable the transmission of HDTV by satellite as
well as developing data application by satellite
DVB-S2 bring a minimum of 30% performance improvement compared to
DVB-S (in CCM mode). It can go up to 100% in ACM Mode
The main characteristics / advantages of DVB-S2 are :
è Use of LDPC + BCH coding which is much more performant than Viterbi+RS in
DVB-S
è Use of a wider range of modulation (QPSK, 8PSK, 16APSK and 32APSK)
è Encapsulation into frames (it was not the case in DVB-S) enabling advanced
functionalities such as ACM and VCM
è Flexible transmission modes : CCM, ACM and VCM
è Multistream
è More efficient data encapsulation overhead

34
DVB-S2 STANDARD AND ADVANCED FUNCTIONALITIES

DVB-S2 transmission block diagram

35
DVB-S2 STANDARD AND ADVANCED FUNCTIONALITIES

Multistream is a main advantage of the DVB-S2 standard that allows users

to aggregate a number of independent transport streams or IP streams
into one satellite carrier in a fully transparent manner, maintaining the
integrity of the original content
Multistream is ideally used for Primary Distribution of Digital Terrestrial
TV (DTT) and Mobile TV over satellite
Advantages
è From head-end equipment to tower equipment, lowest number of devices
è No need for re-multiplexing at the towers
è 1-4 multiplexes distribution with only 1 Receiver (e.g. compared with 4 IRD’s!)
è Less satellite bandwidth needed compared with DVB-S
è Distribution of multiple services (Terrestrial TV, Mobile TV, Radio and IP) in a single carrier
è Ability to saturate the transponder and gain up to 12% bandwidth on top of the gain
brought by DVB-S2
è Single Frequency Network (SFN) compliant

36
DVB-S2 STANDARD AND ADVANCED FUNCTIONALITIES

DVB-S2 also bring advanced functionalities to adapt the modulation and

coding according the the weather conditions but also the satellite footprint
è CCM (Constant Coding and Modulation) means that the modulation and Coding
(MODCOD) never vary over the time

è VCM (Variable Coding and Modulation) means that the Modulation and Coding
(MODCOD) can be different for each Rx station to which the traffic is destined to.
It allows to use the best MODCOD for a given Rx station taking into
consideration its geographical position with the satellite footprint

è ACM (Adaptive Coding and Modulation) means that the MODCOD can vary over
the time, and might be different for each Rx station of the network, in order to
accommodate the varying weather conditions. This is actually the most
advanced/efficient way of transmitting information over satellite

37
Link Budget Analysis
LINK BUDGET ANALYSIS

A Link Budget Analysis (LBA) is a tool that enable to determine the best
transmission parameters to achieve the expected target
bitrate/throughput but also link availability
Each satellite operator develops it own LBA tool (might be under the form
of a software, or an excel spreadsheet, etc…)
It is possible to find independent LBA tool in the market (such as
Satmaster Pro) that can give results close to the one given by the satellite
operator tool, but it is always the satellite Operator tool that will prevail
since the Satellite Operator knows with precision the parameters intrinsic
to its satellite
The LBA tool allows to “play” with all the variables inherent to the satellite
transmission until the best compromise has been found between antenna
size, bitrate/throughput, capacity/PEB consumption and link availability

39
LINK BUDGET ANALYSIS

The LBA will determine the Modulation and Coding (MODCOD) that will be
used for a particular transmission providing a given Rx antenna size, a
given transponder (with its bandwidth and SFD setting) while maintain a
balance as close as possible between the BW and the PEB
PEB stands for “Power Equivalent bandwidth” and is used to compare
directly the power vs the bandwidth that is being consumed on the
transponder
LBA is a complex exercise that requires experience and familiarity with all
the satellite transmission parameters in order to avoid mistakes that
would lead to link not closing

40
LINK BUDGET ANALYSIS

---satellite
link designation Location_9N_7.6E
satellite E7B
satellite orbital position 7°E

---uplink
uplink frequency 27.9 GHz band
uplink site Cagliari
uplink latitude 39.22°N
uplink longitude 09.12°E
uplink elevation to satellite 44.5°
uplink attenuation due to amospheric gases 1.3 dB

---downlink
downlink frequency 10.8 GHz band
downlink site North Nigeria
downlink latitude 09.00°N
downlink longitude 07.60°E
downlink elevation to satellite 79.4°
downlink attenuation due to amospheric gases 0.2 dB
downlink e/s type 0.9 m
downlink e/s G/T in the direction of the satellite (clear sky) 17.5 dB/K
downlink e/s system noise temperature (clear sky) 119 K

---transponder
nominal bandwidth 36 MHz
IBO at full load (multicarrier operation) 5.6 dB
OBO at full load (multicarrier operation) 3.7 dB
SFD at 0 dB/K -80 dBW/m²

41
LINK BUDGET ANALYSIS

---coverage performance
uplink beam
satellite G/T towards transmit station +8.0 dB/K
downlink beam
transponder e.i.r.p. towards receive station (downlink
46.8 dBW
contour)

---carrier/modem
type of modem DVB-S2 8PSK 2/3
number of info bits/symbol 1.981
targetted demodulator Ebi/No at threshold 4.13 dB
info bit rate 59418 kbit/s
symbol rate 30000 kBaud

---carrier resources
uplink e.i.r.p. 70.1 dBW
transponder I/O behaviour ALC 0 dB
uplink ipdf -93.6 dBW/m²
carrier IBO from transponder saturation 0.0 dB
carrier OBO from transponder saturation 0.0 dB
power consumption from transponder (MHz equivalent) 36.000 MHz
carrier spacing factor relative to symbol rate 1.2
bandwidth consumption from transponder 36.000 MHz

---link margin analysis (clear sky)

uplink path length 37456 km
uplink path losses clear sky 214.1 dB
uplink C/N clear sky 17.9 dB
downlink path length 35870 km
downlink path losses clear sky 204.4 dB
downlink C/N clear sky 13.7 dB
overall C/N clear sky 12.3 dB
provision for clear sky uplink degradation due to
0.5 dB
interference
provision for clear sky downlink degradation due to
2.6 dB
interference
link margin clear sky 3.1 dB

42
LINK BUDGET ANALYSIS
---rain fade analysis
UPPC maximum rain fade compensation 0 dB
uplink rain fade assumed in link budget 8.1 dB
carrier IBO under assumed uplink rain fade 8.1 dB
carrier OBO under assumed uplink rain fade 0.0 dB
link margin under assumed uplink rain fade 0.0 dB
downlink rain fade assumed in link budget 2.4 dB
downlink G/T degradation due to rain 2.8 dB
downlink C/N under assumed rain fade 8.5 dB

provision for downlink degradation due to interference, scaled to downlink fade

1.0 dB
conditions

link margin under assumed downlink rain fade 0.0 dB

---rain availability prediction

uplink reference rain rate (ITU-R P.837) 40 mm/hr
uplink rain fade for 95% availability 1.1 dB
uplink rain fade for 98% availability 2.1 dB
uplink rain fade for 99% availability 3.4 dB
uplink rain fade for 99.5% availability 5.2 dB
uplink rain fade for 99.8% availability 8.8 dB
uplink rain fade for 99.9% availability 12.6 dB
uplink rain fade for 99.95% availability 17.6 dB
uplink rain fade for 99.98% availability 25.8 dB
uplink rain fade for 99.99% availability 33.3 dB
uplink rain fade for 99.995% availability 41.7 dB
downlink reference rain rate (ITU-R P.837) 95 mm/hr
downlink rain fade for 95% availability 0.2 dB
downlink rain fade for 98% availability 0.5 dB
downlink rain fade for 99% availability 0.8 dB
downlink rain fade for 99.5% availability 1.7 dB
downlink rain fade for 99.8% availability 3.2 dB
downlink rain fade for 99.9% availability 4.6 dB
downlink rain fade for 99.95% availability 6.2 dB
downlink rain fade for 99.98% availability 8.5 dB
downlink rain fade for 99.99% availability 10.4 dB
downlink rain fade for 99.995% availability 12.3 dB
availability corresponding to assumed uplink rain fade 99.8%
availability corresponding to assumed downlink rain fade 99.7%

availability corresponding to assumed (uncorrelated) uplink and downlink rain

99.5%
fade

---preliminary uplink station sizing

uplink antenna diameter 6.3 m
uplink antenna gain 63.4 dBi
post-PA losses 3 dB
carrier power at PA output by clear sky 9.4 Watts
carrier power at PA output under uplink fade 9.4 Watts
Uplink station PA back-off 3 dB 43
Uplink station PA power at saturation 18.8 Watts
DVB-S2X Standard Overview
DVB-S2X STANDARD OVERVIEW

The DVB-S2X standard is an extension of the DVB-S2 specification that

provides additional technologies and features
The main improvements are
è Low roll off, smaller carrier spacing and advanced filter technologies (5%, 10%
and 15%)
è MODCOD and FEC upgrades (more granularity, adding 64, 128 and 256APSK,
improving FECs & MODCODs and differentiating linear & non-linear MODCODs)
è Very Low SNR MODCODs to support mobile (land, sea, air) applications

45
Use case : Monitoring Rx parameters
USE CASE : MONITORING RX PARAMETERS

Understanding what are the different Rx parameters that are important to

a Demodulator in order to know how to interpret their values and perform
efficient troubleshooting
è Demodulator locked/unlocked
à Inform whether the demodulator has been able to lock on the carrier and demodulate
the symbols
è Tuner Frequency
à The actual L-band frequency of the carrier that we wish to demodulate
è Symbol rate
à The symbol rate of the carrier that we wish to demodulate
è RF signal level
à The composite power level of the RF input of the demodulator. Must be within the range
specified by the manufacturer
è SNR (also called C/N)
à Carrier to Noise ratio perceived by the demodulator. Each modulation and coding
required a specific minimum C/N for the demodulator to be able to demodulate

47
USE CASE : MONITORING RX PARAMETERS

è Modulation / Coding
à Inform on the Modulation and Coding (MODCOD) of the carrier being demodulated
è Pilots
à Informs on whether the carrier being demodulated has pilot symbols or not
è Fec Frame
à Informs on whether the carrier being demodulated is based a normal FEC Frame (64800
bits) or short FEC frame (16200 bits)
è BER (Bit Error Rate)
à Informs on the actual number of error after demodulation. This number shall be around
10-8. If more then there are too much errors, resulting in bad video quality

48