(Chapter 14 Satellite Communications - Advanced Electronic

Communications Systems
Wayne Tomasi)

QUESTIONS

14-1. Briefly describe a satellite.

14-2. What is a passive satellite? An active satellite?

14-3. Contrast nonsynchronous and synchronous satellites.

l4-4. Defne prograde and retograde.

14-5. Define apogee and perigee.

14-6. Briefly explain the characteristics of low-, medium-, and high-altitude

satellite orbits.

14-7. Explain equatorial, polar, and inclined orbits.

14-8. Contrast the advantages and disadvantages of geosynchronous

satellites.

14-9. Define look angles, angle of elevation, and azimuth.

14-10. Define satellite spatial separation and list its restrictions.

14-L1. Describe a "footprint."

14-12. Describe spot, zonal, and earth coverage radiation pattems.

14-13. Explain reuse.

14-14. Briefly describe the functional characteristics of an uplink, a

transponder, and a downlink model for a satellite system.

14-15. Define back-offloss and its relationship to saturated and transmit

power.

14-16. Define bit energy.

14-17. Define effective isotropic radiated power.

14-18. Define equivalent noise temperature.

14-19. Define noise density.

14-20, Define carrier-to-noise density ratio and energy of bit-to-noise density

ratio.

14-21. Define gain-to-equivalent noise temperature ratio.

14-22. Describe what a satellite link budget is and how it is used.

PROBLEMS

14-1. An earth station is located at Houston, Texas, that has a longitude of

99.5' and a latitude of 29.5o north. The satellite of interest is Satcom V
Determine the look angles for the earth station antenna.

14-2. A satellite system operates at l4-GHz uplink and 1l-GHz downlink and
has a projected P(e) of l0-'. The modulation scheme is 8-PSK, and the system
will carry 120 Mbps. The equivalent noise temperature of the receiver is 400
K, and the receiver noise bandwidth is equal to the minimum Nyquist
frequency. Determine the following parameters: minimum theoretical C/N
ratio, minimum theoretical Eb/No ratio, noise density, total receiver input
noise, minimum receive carrier power, and the minimum energy per bit at
the receiver input.

14-3. A satellite system operates at 6-GHz uplink and 4-GHz downlink and
has a projected P(e) of 10-6. The modulation scheme is QPSK and the system
will carry 100 Mbps. The equivalent receiver noise temperature is 290 K, and
the receiver noise bandwidth is equal to the minimum Nyquist frequency.
Determine the C/I,I ratio that would be measured at a point in the receiver
prior to the BPF where the bandwidth is equal to (a) l% times the minimum
Nyquist frequency and (b) 3 times the minimum Nyquist frequency.

14-4. Which system has the best projected BER?

a. 8-QAM, C/N : 15 dB, B : 2fN, fb: 60 Mbps
b. QPSK, C/N : 16 dB, B : fn, fb: 40 MbPs

14-5. An earth station satellite transmitter has an HPA with a rated saturated
output power of 10,000 W. The back-off ratio is 6 dB, the branching loss is 2
dB, the feeder loss is 4 dB, and the antenna gain is 40 dB. Determine the
actual radiated power and the EIRP.

14-6. Determine the total noise power for a receiver with an input bandwidth
of 20 MHz and an equivalent noise temperature of 600 K. Satellite
Communications 601

14-7. Determine the noise density for Problem 14-6.

14--8. Determine the minimum C/N ratio required to achieve a P(e) of l0-s for
an 8-PSK receiver with a bandwidth equal to/".

l4-9, Determine the energy per birto-noise density ratio when the receiver
input carrier power is - 100 dBW the receiver input noise temperature is 290
K, and a 60-Mbps transmission rate is used.

14-10. Determine the carrier-to-noise density ratio for a receiver with a -70dBW input carrier
power, an equivalent noise temperature of 180 K, and a bandwidth of 20
MHz.

14-11. Determine the minimum C/N ratio for an 8-PSK system when the
transmission rate is
60 Mbps, the minimum energy of bit-to-noise density ratio is l5 dB, and the
receiver bandwidth is equal to the minimum Nyquist frequency.

14-12. Foranearthstationreceiverwithanequivalentinputtemperatureof200K, a
noise bandwidth of 20 MHz, a receive antenna gain of 50 dB, and a carrier
frequency of 12 GHz, determine the following: G/Te., No, and N.

14-13. For a satellite with an uplink E/Ne of 14 dB and a downlink E/No of l8

dB, determine the overall Eb/No ratio.

14.14. Complete the following link budget:

Uplink parameters
1. Earth station transmitter output power at saturation, I kW
2. Earth station back-off loss, 3 dB
3. Earth station total branching and feeder losses, 3 dB
4. Earth station transmit antenna gain for a 1 0-m parabolic dish at l4
GHz
5. Free-space path loss for 14 GHz
6. Additional uplink losses due to the Earth's atmosphere,0.8 dB
7. Satellite transponder G/Te, -4.6dBK^-1
8. Transmission bit rate, 90 Mbps, 8-PSK
Downlink parameters
1. Satellite transmitter output power at saturation, l0 W
2. Satellite transmit antenna gain for a 0.5-m parabolic dish at 12 GHz
3. Satellite modulation back-offloss,0.8 dB

4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Free-space path loss for 12 GHz

Additional downlink losses due to Earth's atmosphere,0.6 dB
Earth station receive antenna gain for a 10-m parabolic dish at 12 GHz
Earth station equivalent noise temperature, 200 K
Earth station branching and feeder losses,0 dB
Transmission bit rate,9 0 Mbps, 8-PSK

14-15. An earth station is located at Houston, Texas, that has a longitude of

99.5 and a latitude of 29.5 north. The satellite of interest is Westar III.
Determine the look angles from the earth station antenna.

14-16. A satellite system operates at 14 GHz uplink and 11 GHz downlink

and has a projected P(e) of one bit error in every 1 million bits transmitted.
The modulation scheme is 8-PSK, and the system will carry 90 Mbps. The
equivalent noise temperature of the receiver is 350 K, and the receiver noise
bandwidth is equal to the minimum Nyquist frequency. Determine the
following parameters: minimum theoretical C/N ratio, minimum theoretical
Eb/No ratio, noise density, total receiver input noise, minimum receive
carrier power and the minimum energy per bit at the receiver input.

14-17. A satellite system operates a6-GHz uplink and 4-GHz downlink and
has a projected P(e) of one bit error in every 100,000 bits transmitted. The
modulation scheme is 4-PSK, and the system will carry 80 Mbps. The
equivalent receiver noise temperature is 120 K, and the receiver noise
bandwidth is equal to the minimum Nyquist frequency. Determine the
following:
a. The C/N ratio that
the BPF where the
bandwidth is equal to
b. The C/N ratio that
the BPF where the
bandwidth is equal to

would be measured at a point in the receiver prior to

two times the minimum Nyquist frequency.
would be measured at a point in the receiver prior to
three times the minimum Nyquist frequency.

14-18. Which system has the best projected BER?

a. QPSK, C/N : 16 dB, B = 2fN fb:40 MbPs
b. 8-PSK, C/N : 18 dB, B : fN, fb: 60 Mbps

14-19. An earth station satellite transmitter has an HPA with a rated

saturated output power of 12,000 W. The back-off ratio of 4 dB, the
branching loss is 1.5 dB, the feeder loss is 5 dB, and the antenna gain is 38
dB. Determine the actual radiated power and the EIRP.

14-20. Determine the total noise power for a receiver with an input
bandwidth of 40 MHz and an equivalent noise temperature of 800 K.

14-21. Determine the noise density for Problem 14-20.

14-22. Determine the minimum C/N ratio required to achieve a P(e) of one
bit error for every I million bits transmitted for a QPSK receiver with a
bandwidth equal to the minimum Nyquist
frequency.

14-23. Determine the energy of bit-to-noise density ratio when the receiver
input carrier power is -85 dBW the receiver input noise temperature is 400 K,
and a 50-Mbps transmission rate.

14-24. Determine the carrier-to-noise density ratio for a receiver with a -80dBW carrier input
power, equivalent noise temperature of 240K, and a bandwidth of l0 MHz.

14-25. Determine the minimum C/N ratio for a QPSK system when the
transmission rate is 80 Mbps, the minimum energy of bit-to-noise density
ratio is 16 dB, and the receiver bandwidth is equal to the Nyquist frequency.

14-26. For an earth station receiver with an equivalent input temperature of

400 K, a noise bandwidth of 30 MHz, a receive antenna gain of 44 dB, and a
carrier frequency of 12 GHz, determine the following: G/Te, No, and N.

14-27. For a satellite with an uplink Eb/No of 16 dB and a downlink Eb/No of

13 dB, determine the overall Eb/No.