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An industrial communications client needed a software tool to quickly and accurately determine Ground Station requirements at any given latitude and longitude for a commercial broadcast system. There were inaccuracies in their existing model, specifically in the Uplink and Downlink Link Budgets.
S&ST was put under contract to carefully analyze and correct all the items in the link budgets. We were also able to identify some errors and inconsistencies and to provide correct EIRP and G/T values. This was accomplished by creating an independent program to accurately model the latitude, longitude and the orbital mechanics and thus determine the correct angles and ranges. We also recommended a Kalman Filter approach that would use additional available data to "fill in the blanks" left by incomplete space segment specifications.
All of the above corrections and improvements resulted in an increase in C/(N+I) values which allowed a smaller and less expensive off-the-shelf dish antenna to be specified. Some of the specific items addressed included: |
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- Amplifier input and output power backoffs for linearity
- Bit Error Rates (BER) and Eb/No
- Geocentric/Geodetic latitudes (Spherical vs. Oblate earth)
- Intermodulation and Cross-Polarization
- Ionospheric and Tropospheric Propagation and Distortion
- LNA/LNB gain, Noise Factor/Figure
- Orbital Elements and Perturbations
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- Noise temperature
- Rain Fade (Crane regions, Faraday rotation, sky temperature, scintillation, noise generation, etc.)
- Range and range rates
- RF System Simulation and Modeling
- S, L, Ku and Ka band antennas
- Satellite Transponder EIRP, G/T, Bandwidth, and Guard Bands
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