Module:6

VSAT and NGSO System

 Module-6
• Overview of VSAT systems

• VSAT Network Architectures

➢One Way Implementation,

➢Two-Way Implementation,

➢Delay Considerations

• VSAT Earth Station Engineering

• NGSO Satellite Systems Constellation/ Constellation Design Considerations

• Starlink, One Web.

 Introduction
• VSAT stands for very small aperture terminal.

• The first earth station antennas used in commercial satellite communications

systems were very large and expensive, with typical aperture diameters of 30 m.

• With the rapid expansion of satellite telecommunications worldwide, there was a

need to make access to the satellite more affordable.

• This came about in two ways: a significant increase in the transmit power
capabilities of satellites and the move to frequency bands above C-band.

• Both led to a rapid decrease in the size and cost of earth station antennas.
 Introduction
• Most VSAT systems operate in Ku-band, with earth station antenna diameters of one to two
meters and uplink transmitter powers of one or two watts.
• VSAT systems operating with GEO satellites are usually organized into two different
architectures
• Star network – VSATs connect to each other through a central hub station (the gateway earth
station) via a GEO satellite.
• Mesh network - Each of the VSATs operates directly through the GEO satellites to every other
VSAT.
• VSAT systems connect businesses and stores to a central computer, enabling faster point-of-
sale transactions compared to traditional phone lines and modems, while also allowing
centralized data distribution and collection across multiple locations.
Introduction
 Introduction
• A Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a device known as a small private earth
station - that is used to transmit & receive data signal through a satellite.

• VSAT network mainly use GEO satellites in Ku and Extended-C band for their
application purposes.

• VSAT transceivers integrate all necessary functions into a small, highly

integrated out door package which provides excellent reliability in a wide
range of environments and functions.

• VSAT is used for both broadcast & interactive applications of effective data, voice
and video transfer.
 Why VSAT ?
• The dish is small, easily transportable and installation lead-time is much
shorter if compared to terrestrial links.

• VSAT network allows rapid, low-cost network re- configuration

and expansion to meet new or unexpected business requirements.

• Cost effective transmission and network operations are made possible

by use of the Ex-C band satellite frequency and frequency times
division multiple access (FTDMA), Frequency division multiple access
(FDMA) or Time division multiple access (TDM A) transmission
techniques.
 ADVANTAGES
There are many advantages that VSAT offers, some of them are as follows:
• Offer flexibility as adding a site is quick and easy.
• Service charges depend on the bandwidth, which is allocated to network in
line with your requirements.
➢ VSAT terminals prices are falling.
➢ VSAT offers a wide of protocols and features, providing extraordinary
flexibility and virtually unlimited expansion capabilities. VSAT network
is typically engineered to achieve a minimum of 99.5% end-to-end
availability for all locations.
➢ No last mile issues.
➢ As it is mobile, so be used for short term or emergency
communications.
➢ Excellent for broadcast transmission.
 VSAT Network Architectures
There are three basic implementation services are used in telecommunication
services :

1. One-way

2. Split-two-way

3. Two-way implementation.

Further division of two-way implementation are star and mesh network

architectures.
 VSAT Network Architectures
One-way implementation:

• One-way implementation mode of satellite is used in the BSS(broadcast satellite

service).This digital technology allows the user and provider much flexibility in the
operation of broadcasting.

• By using different software in the user

terminal, different subscriber can access

different parts of the downlink according

to programs offered by supplier.

This channel selection from is called narrowcasting.

 VSAT Network Architectures
Split-Two-way implementation:

• This implementation is used when there is no normal return channel available.

• From the user end terminal uplink capability is not complemented by high-capacity downlink stream
relatively. If the BSS downlink is used as the download channel from an ISP(Internet service provider),
the only option left for users return link is via another telecommunications channel, such as telephone
line.

• The internet protocol is therefore split between terrestrial telephone channel and satellite downlink
channel.

• VSAT terminal does not require a transmit capability due to this approach, which significantly reduce its
complexity and cost.

• The disadvantage of this approach is that the terrestrial telephone connection must usually be through
a modem, with a bit rate generally less than or 56kbps.
 VSAT Network Architectures
Two-way implementation:

• A return link is designed in this implementation method so that two-way

communication can be set up over the same satellite, from the user to hub and
from the hub back to the user. The architecture selected is the key to the
economics of two-way connection; it can be either star or mesh.
 VSAT Network Architectures
Star Topology:

In star topology, there are three entities

hub station, VSATs and satellite.

All the communication between VSATs happen through Hub station; hence, here if VSAT1 and VSAT2 need to
communicate then link is VSAT1-satellite-Hub-Satellite-VSAT2. Hence, two-hop communicate between any two
VSATs in the network.

The star-shape network comprise N VSATs and a hub. The most popular of these is star topology.

Generally, the hub antenna is in the range of 6-11 meter in diameter. This hub station controls, monitors and
communication with a large number of dispersed VSATs.

Since all VSATs communicate with the central hub station only, this network is more suitable for centralized data
applications.

Large organization, like banks, with centralized data processing requirements is a case in point.
 VSAT Network Architectures
Star Topology:
 VSAT Network Architectures
Mesh Topology:
• In Mesh topology, VSATs can communicate with one another directly and no Hub station is
needed. But, each VSAT need to be complex owing to more functionality required similar to the
hub station.
• Also, antenna specification need to be different than star type of topology. The meshed
network comprises N VSATs. Every VSAT should be able to establish a link to any other one
across the satellite.
• In a mesh topology, a group of VSATs communicate directly with any other VSAT in the network
going through a central hub.
• A hub station in a mesh network performs only the monitoring and control functions.
These network are more suitable for telephony application.
 Delay Considerations
• A satellite communications link occupies primarily the physical layer of the OSI/ISO model, which is
where bits are carried between the terminals.

• The network control center typically controls the system and is responsible for the remaining layers.

• Most data communication networks use some form of packet transmission, in which blocks of data are
tagged with an address, error control parity bits, and other useful information before transmission.
 Delay Considerations
• The receiving end of a link checks arriving packets for errors, and then sends an
acknowledgment signal (ACK) that the packet was received correctly, or a not acknowledge
signal (NAK) that tells the transmit end to resend a particular packet because the packet had an
error.- automatic repeat request (ARQ).

• A typical slant range to a GEO satellite is 39 000 km. The one-way delay of t seconds over such
a GEO link is:

• To maintain continuous, uninterrupted

communications, it is essential for the

link timing to remain within the protocol window.

 Delay Considerations
• There are two ways to make terrestrial protocols work with a long delay satellite link.
➢ First, the protocols can be changed so that the time-out window is well in excess of 260 ms.

➢ Second, the satellite element of the packet network can be configured to exist as a separate sub-network
within the global packet network.
 Leapfrog
• Leapfrogging technology explains the process of the successful adoption of the superior (more advanced)
technological solutions.

• "Leapfrogging is the notion that areas which have poorly-developed technology or economic bases can move
themselves forward rapidly through the adoption of modern systems without going through intermediary steps”.

• A frequently cited example is countries which move directly from having no telephones to having cellular phones,
skipping the stage of copper wire landline telephones altogether.

• GPS devices leapfrogged over maps.

 Vsat earth station engineering
Antennas:
• The key element in a VSAT system is the earth station antenna used at the VSAT earth stations.

• The small size and low transmit power of VSAT station are the factors that keep the price of the earth station at a low
level that makes a VSAT network an economic alternative to a terrestrial data network using telephone lines and
modems.

• Large antennas are usually implemented using a symmetrical configuration, for ease of construction ,the feed on the
boresight axis. The feed can either be in front of antenna or behind the antenna, as in a Cassegrain design.

Transmitters and Receivers :

• Large earth stations are assembled element.

• On the receiver side, the antenna and feed components are connected by waveguide to the front-end side, low noise
amplifier (LNA). Behind the LNA, a mixture/down converter changes the signal from radio frequency (RF) to an
intermediate frequency(IF). After filtering and amplification, the IF signal is demodulated, demultiplexed, and decoded,
and the baseband signal forwarded to the user.
 Vsat earth station engineering
• The transmit side is the mirror image of the receive side with the signal input at baseband and the output at RF,
with the LNA receiver replaced by a high-power amplifier (HPA) transmitter.

• Much of this discrete component design has changed with the introduction of digital receiver and the need to
develop cheap, mass produced VSAT terminals.

• VSAT earth stations have historically consisted of two basic components: an outdoor unit (ODU) and an indoor
unit (IDU).
 Vsat earth station engineering
• The ODU and IDU units are broken down further in fig. It gives a typical configuration of a VSAT that has the
modulator/demodulator equipment located in IDU.

• In some cases, the low noise block(LNB) or low noise convertor(LNC) and the high-power block (HPB) or high-
power converter (HPC) house the complete RF output and input stages of the transmitter and receiver, the up
converts and down coverts and in many cases, the modem.

• The hub station has more complex design than

the VSAT station since it not only has to handle

all of the inbound and outbound traffic,

rather than just thin route traffic of a single or

a few users, but it also has to manage the

network control functions.