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Basics of VSAT
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by Spider Girl
VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) is a low-cost bidirectional micro ground sta
tion that accesses the geosynchronous orbit satellites to relay data from small
remote earth stations (terminals) to other terminals and hubs.
Components
A VSAT consists of two components: an ODU (Outdoor Unit) and an IDU (Indoor Unit
). The ODU is made up of the dish, the BUC (Boost Up Converter) and the LNB (for
receive only systems) or LNA (for bi-directional systems) which amplify the sig
nal received by the unit. On the other hand, IDU part consists of the satellite
router or modem that offer the interface for the connection to the network.
Size
VSATs commonly have 1.2 meter, 1.8 meter, or 2.4 meter dish antennas (versus 10
meter for a standard GEO antenna), however, any dish 3.8 meters or smaller is te
chnically termed a VSAT.
Frequency Bands
VSATs usually operate on either Ku-band (smaller dish diameters) or C-band (larg
er dish diameters). Ku-band based networks are used mainly in Europe and North A
merica while C-band networks are used extensively in Asia, Africa and Latin Amer
ica.
Performance
The performance of a VSAT depends on many factors including the size of the dish
and power of BUC. Depending on the distance between the user and the ground sta
tion, and the elevation of the satellite, the end-to-end transit time for VSAT s
ystem with a hub is 540 msec. Data rates typically range from 56 kbps up to 4 mb
ps.
Function
In many VSAT systems, the ground stations do not have enough power to communicat
e directly with one another via the satellite. In this case a special ground sta
tion hub , with a large antenna is used to relay traffic between VSATs. A VSAT end
user has a box that interfaces between the user's computer and an outside antenn
a with a transceiver. The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite
transponder. The satellite sends and receives signals from an earth station comp
uter that acts as a hub for the system. The tradeoff is a longer delay in return
for having cheaper end-user stations.
Uses
VSAT technology serves both home and business users as it handles all data, voic
e, and video signals. It is used by direct broadcast satellite television for on
e-way transmission and some large services like DirectPC. Some smaller companies
use it to have total control of their own communication system without dependen
ce on other companies. VSATs are also used for remote satellite Internet access,
VoIP, and transportable or mobile maritime communications.
Advantages
The advantages of VSAT system range from the availability to the security it pro
vides. It can be deployed anywhere because it provides a wireless link completel
y independent of the local terrestrial infrastructure. Its services can be deplo
yed fairly fast in hours and even minutes in some scenarios. The speed and servi
ce level for all the customers is same in the entire network and there s a support
for multicasting with the usage of a broadcast download scheme.
Disadvantages
Due to the poor latency of 500 msecs RTT, VSATs can t be used for fast internet ap
plications such as online gaming and IM. Also due to the packet encryption via V
PN, the speed reduces considerably. Another drawback of VSATs is that the signal
attenuates with unfavorable weather conditions.
Implementations
Currently, the largest VSAT network is administered by Spacenet and MCI for the
US Postal Service (USPS) containing over 12,000 sites. Other organizations utili
zing the VSAT networks include Walgreens Pharmacy, Riteaid, Ford, GM, Wal-Mart,
Pizza Hut, Dollar General, and Intralot.
Refernces:
Wikipedia
Computer Networks by Tanenbaum