A Seminar Report

on

VERY SMALL APERTURE TERMINALS

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree

of

Bachelor of Technology

in

Electronics and Communication

by

Neeraj Negi

Submitted to

Dr. A. K. Gautam

Mr. M.Kumar

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

GOVIND BALLABH PANT ENGINEERING COLLEGE

PAURI GARHWAL (UTTARAKHAND) – 246194

PREFACE

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Satellites for communication services have evolved quite significantly in size and power
since the launch of the first commercial satellites in 1965 . This has permitted a
consequent reduction in the size of earth stations, and hence their cost, with a consequent
increase in number. Small stations, with antennas in the order of 1.2–1.8 rn, have become
very popular under the acronym VSAT, which stands for ’Very Small Aperture
Terminals. Such stations can easily be installed at the customer’s premises and,
considering the inherent capability of a satellite to collect and broadcast signals over
large areas, are being widely used to support a large range of services. Examples are
broadcast and distribution services for data, image, audio and video, collection and
monitoring for data, image and video, two-way interactive services for computer
transactions, data base inquiry, internet access and voice communications. The trend
towards deregulation, which started in the United States, and progressed in other regions
of the world, has triggered the success of VSAT networks for corporate applications.
This illustrates that technology is not the only key to success. Indeed, VSAT networks
have been installed and operated only in those regions of the world where demand existed
for the kind of services that VSAT technology could support in a cost effective way, and
also where the regulatory framework was supportive.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

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 CONTENTS

Chapter 1. Introduction…………………………………..……………………………...6

1.1. History……………………………………….……………………………...6

1.2 VSAT Network Definition………………………………………………......6

Chapter 2. VSAT Network Configuration…………………..……………………...…..11

2.1 Meshed Topology……………………………………………………...........11

2.2 Star Topology…………………………………………………….………....13

Chapter 3. Constituent Part of VSAT Configuration…………………..……………….14

3.1 Antenna…………………………………………...……………………….....14

3.2 Block Up Converter (BUC)………………………………………………....16

3.3 Low-Noise Block Converter (LNB)…………………………………….......17

3.4 Orthomode Transducer (OMT)………………………………………….......20

3.5 Interfacility Link Cable (IFL)……………………………………………….22

3.6 Indoor Unit (IDU)……………………………………………………….......22

Chapter 4. Features of VSAT Networks…………………………………………..........23

4.1 DVB Technology…………………………………………..……………......23

4.2 iDirect Technology …………………………………………………….…...23

4.3 VOIP over VSAT…………………………………………………………...24

Chapter 5. Automatic VSAT Network Management using Uplogix…………..…........25

5.1 Local Control of Remote Network Equipment………………………….......25

5.2 Key Technical Benefit……………………………………………………...26

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Chapter 6. VSAT Network Configuration……………………………………………..27

6.1 Civilian Service…………………………………………………………......27

6.2 Military Service………………………………………………..……….......27

6.3 Private VSAT Network…………………………………………………….29

Conclusion………………………………………………………..…………………….30

References…………………………………………………………………………..….31

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 CHAPTER. 1

INTRODUCTION

A Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT), is a two-way satellite ground station or a

stabilized maritime Vsat antenna with a dish antenna that is smaller than 3 meters. The
majority of VSAT antennas range from 75 cm to 1.2 m. Data rates typically range from
56 Kbit/s up to 4 Mbit/s. VSATs access satellites in geosynchronous orbit to relay data
from small remote earth stations (terminals) to other terminals (in mesh configurations)
or master earth station "hubs" (in star configurations).

VSATs are most commonly used to transmit narrowband data (point of sale transactions
such as credit card, polling or RFID data; or SCADA), or broadband data (for the
provision of Satellite Internet access to remote locations, VoIP or video). VSATs are also
used for transportable, on-the-move (utilising phased array antennas) or mobile maritime
communications.

1.1 HISTORY

The first commercial VSATs were C band (6 GHz) receive-only systems by Equatorial
Communications using spread spectrum technology. More than 30,000 60 cm antenna
systems were sold in the early 1980s. Equatorial later developed a C band (4/6 GHz) 2
way system using 1 m x 0.5 m antennas and sold about 10,000 units in 1984-85. In 1985,
Schlumberger Oilfield Research co-developed the world's first Ku band (12–14 GHz)
VSATs with Hughes Aerospace to provide portable network connectivity for oil field
drilling and exploration units. Ku Band VSATs make up the vast majorty of sites in use
today for data or telephony applications. The largest VSAT network (more than 12,000
sites) was deployed by Spacenet and MCI for the US Postal Service.

1.2 VSAT NETWORK DEFINITION

VSAT, now a well established acronym for Very Small Aperture Terminal, was initially
a trademark for a small earth station marketed in the 1980s by Telcom General in the

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USA. Its success as a generic name probably comes from the appealing association of its
first letter V, which establishes a ‘victorious’ context, or may be perceived as a friendly
sign of participation, and SAT which definitely establishes some reference to satellite
communications. The use of the word ‘terminal’ which appears in the clarification of the
acronym will be replaced by ‘earth station’, or station for short, which is the more
common designation in the field of satellite communications for the equipment assembly
allowing reception from or transmission to a satellite. The word terminal will be used to
designate the end user equipment (telephone set, facsimile machine, television set,
computer, etc.) which generates or accepts the traffic that is conveyed within VSAT
networks. This complies with regulatory texts, such as those of the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU), where for instance equipment generating data traffic,
such as computers, are named ‘Data Terminal Equipment’ (DTE).

VSATs are one of the intermediary steps of the general trend in earth station size
Reduction that has been observed in satellite communications since the launch of the first
communication satellites in the mid 1960s. Indeed, earth stations have evolved from the
large INTELSAT Standard A earth stations equipped with antennas 30 m wide, to today’s
receive-only stations with antennas as small as 60 cm for direct reception of television
transmitted by broadcasting satellites, or hand held terminals for radiolocation such as the
Global Postioning System (GPS) receivers. Present day hand held satellite phones
(IRIDIUM, GLOBALSTAR) are pocket size. Therefore, VSATs are at the lower end of a
product line which offers a large variety of communication services; at the upper end are
large stations (often called trunking stations) which support large capacity satellite links.
They are mainly used within international switching networks to support trunk telephony
services between countries, possibly on different continents. Figure 1.1 illustrates how
such stations collect traffic from end users via terrestrial links that are part of the public
switched network of a given country. These stations are quite expensive, with costs in the
range of $10 million, and require important civil works for their installation. Link
capacities are in the range of a few thousand telephone channels, or equivalently about
one hundred Mbs−1. They are owned and operated by national telecom operators, such as
the PTTs, or large private telecom companies.

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 Figure 1.1 Trunking stations

Therefore, VSATs are at the lower end of a product line which offers a large variety of
communication services; at the upper end are large stations(often called trunking stations)
which support large capacity satellite links. They are mainly used within international
switching networks to support trunk telephony services between countries, possibly on
different continents. Figure 1.1 illustrates how such stations collect traffic from end users
via terrestrial links that are part of the public switched network of a given country. These

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stations are quite expensive, with costs in the range of $10 million, and require important
civil works for their installation.

Figure 1.2 From trunking station to VSATs

At the lower end are VSATs. These are small stations with antenna diameters less than
2.4 m, hence the name ‘small aperture’ which refers to the area of the antenna. Such
stations cannot support satellite links with large capacities, but they are cheap, and easy to
install anywhere, on the roof of a building or on a parking lot.
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Referring to transportation, VSATs are for information transport, the equivalent of
personal cars for human transport, while the large earth stations mentioned earlier are like
public buses or trains. This avoids the need for using any public network links to access
the earth station. Indeed, the user can directly plug into the VSAT equipment his own
communication terminals such as a telephone or video set, personal computer, printer,
etc. Therefore, VSATs appear as natural means to bypass public network operators by
directly accessing satellite capacity. They are flexible tools for establishing private
networks, for instance between the different sites of a company.

Figure 1.2 illustrates this aspect by emphasising the positioning of VSATs near the user
compared to trunking stations, which are located at the top level of the switching
hierarchy of a switched public network.

The bypass opportunity offered by VSAT networks has not always been well accepted by
national telecom operators as it could mean loss of revenue, as a result of business traffic
being diverted from the public network. This has initiated conservative policies by
national telecom operators opposing the deregulation of the communications sector. In
some regions of the world, and particularly in Europe, this has been a strong restraint to
the development of VSAT networks.

CHAPTER. 2

VSAT NETWORK CONFIGURATION

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VSATs are connected by radio frequency (RF) links via a satellite, with a so-called
uplink from the station to the satellite and a so-called downlink from the satellite to the
station. The overall link from station to station, sometimes called hop, consists of an
uplink and a downlink. A radio frequency link is a modulated carrier conveying
information. Basically the satellite receives the uplinked carriers from the transmitting
earth stations within the field of view of its receiving antenna, amplifies those carriers,
translates their frequency to a lower band in order to avoid possible output/input
interference, and transmits the amplified carriers to the stations located within the field of
view of its transmitting antenna.
Present VSAT networks use geostationary satellites, which are satellites orbiting in the
equatorial plane of the earth at an altitude above the earth surface of 35,786 km. that the
orbit period at this altitude is equal to that of the rotation of the earth. As the satellite
moves in its circular orbit in the same direction as the earth rotates, the satellite appears
from any station on the ground as a fixed relay in the sky.

2.1 MESHED TOPOLOGY

Mesh networking is a type of networking wherein each node in the network may act as an
independent router, regardless of whether it is connected to another network or not. It
allows for continuous connections and reconfiguration around broken or blocked paths by
“hopping” from node to node until the destination is reached. A mesh network whose
nodes are all connected to each other is a fully connected network. Mesh networks differ
from other networks in that the component parts can all connect to each other via
multiple hops, and they generally are not mobile.
As all VSATs are visible from the satellite, carriers can be relayed by the satellite from
any VSAT to any other VSAT in the network, as illustrated by Figure 1.3.

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 Figure 2.1 Meshed VSAT network

Regarding meshed VSAT networks, as shown in Figure 1.3, one must take into account
the following limitations:
– typically 200 dB carrier power attenuation on the uplink and the downlink as a result of
the distance to and from a geostationary satellite.
– limited satellite transponder radio frequency power, typically a few tens of watts.
– small size of the VSAT, which limits its transmitted power and its receiving sensitivity.

Therefore direct links from VSAT to VSAT may not be acceptable. The solution then is
to install in the network a station larger than a VSAT, called the hub. The hub station has
a larger antenna size than that of a VSAT, say 4 m to 11 m, resulting in a higher gain than
that of a typical VSAT antenna, and is equipped with a more powerful transmitter. As a
result of its improved capability, the hub station is able to receive adequately all carriers
transmitted by the VSATs, and to convey the desired information to all VSATs by means
of its own transmitted carriers.
The links from the hub to the VSAT are named outbound links. Those from the VSAT to
the hub are named inbound links.

2.2 STAR TOPOLOGY

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Star networks are one of the most common computer network topologies. In its simplest
form, a star network consists of one central switch, hub or computer, which acts as a
conduit to transmit messages. Thus, the hub and leaf nodes, and the transmission lines
between them, form a graph with the topology of a star. If the central node is passive, the
originating node must be able to tolerate the reception of an echo of its own transmission,
delayed by the two-way transmission time (i.e. to and from the central node) plus any
delay generated in the central node. An active star network has an active central node that
usually has the means to prevent echo-related problems.
The star topology reduces the chance of network failure by connecting all of the systems
to a central node. When applied to a bus-based network, this central hub rebroadcasts all
transmissions received from any peripheral node to all peripheral nodes on the network,
sometimes including the originating node. All peripheral nodes may thus communicate
with all others by transmitting to, and receiving from, the central node only. The failure
of a transmission line linking any peripheral node to the central node will result in the
isolation of that peripheral node from all others, but the rest of the systems will be
unaffected.

Figure 2.2 Two-way star-shaped VSAT network

CHAPTER. 3

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 CONSTITUENT PART OF VSAT CONFIGURATION

The different parts used in a VSAT canfiguration are –

* Antenna

* Block Up Converter (BUC)

* Low-Noise Block Converter (LNB)

* Orthomode Transducer (OMT)

* Interfacility Link Cable (IFL)

* Indoor Unit (IDU)

3.1 ANTENNA

An antenna (or aerial) is a transducer that transmits or receives electromagnetic waves. In

other words, antennas convert electromagnetic radiation into electric current, or vice
versa. Antennas generally deal in the transmission and reception of radio waves, and are a
necessary part of all radio equipment. Antennas are used in systems such as radio and
television broadcasting, point-to-point radio communication, wireless LAN, cell phones,
radar, and spacecraft communication. Antennas are most commonly employed in air or
outer space, but can also be operated under water or even through soil and rock at certain
frequencies for short distances.

Physically, an antenna is an arrangement of one or more conductors, usually called

elements in this context. In transmission, an alternating current is created in the elements
by applying a voltage at the antenna terminals, causing the elements to radiate an
electromagnetic field. In reception, the inverse occurs: an electromagnetic field from
another source induces an alternating current in the elements and a corresponding voltage
at the antenna's terminals.

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The antenna used in VSAT are parabolic antennas or dish antenna. A parabolic antenna is
an antenna that uses a parabolic reflector, a surface with the shape of a parabola, to direct
the radio waves. The most common form is shaped like a dish and is popularly called a
dish antenna or parabolic dish. The main advantage of a parabolic antenna is that it is
highly directive; it is able to direct the radio waves in a narrow beam (like a searchlight),
or receive radio waves from one particular direction only. Parabolic antennas have some
of the highest gains, that is they can produce the narrowest beamwidth, of any antenna
type. They are used as high-gain antennas for point-to-point radio, television and data
communications, and also for radiolocation (radar), on the UHF and microwave (SHF)
parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. The relatively short wavelength of electromagnetic
radiation at these frequencies allows reasonably sized reflectors to exhibit the desired
highly directional response for both receiving and transmitting.

Figure 3.1 Parabolic antenna

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 Figure 3.2 Main types of parabolic antennas

3.2 BLOCK UP CONVERTER

A block upconverter (BUC) is used in the transmission (uplink) of satellite signals. It

converts a band (or "block") of frequencies from a lower frequency to a higher frequency.
Modern BUCs convert from the L band to Ku band, C band and Ka band. Older BUCs
convert from a 70 MHz intermediate frequency (IF) to Ku band or C band.

Most BUCs use phase-locked loop local oscillators and require an external 10 MHz
frequency reference to maintain the correct transmit frequency.

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BUCs used in remote locations are often 2 or 4 W in the Ku band and 5 W in the C band.
The 10 MHz reference frequency is usually sent on the same feedline as the main carrier.
Many smaller BUCs also get their direct current (DC) over the feedline, using an internal
DC block.

BUCs are generally used in conjunction with low-noise block converters (LNB). The
BUC, being an up-converting device, makes up the "transmit" side of the system, while
the LNB is the down-converting device and makes up the "receive" side. An example of a
system utilizing both a BUC and an LNB is a VSAT system, used for bidirectional
Internet access via satellite.

The block upconverter is assembled with the LNB in association with an OMT,
orthogonal mode transducer to the feed-horn that faces the reflector parabolic dish.

Figure 3.3 Block up converter, ku band

3.3 LOW NOISE BLOCK CONVERTER

A low-noise block converter (LNB, for low-noise block, sometimes LNC, for low-noise
converter, or, rarely, LND for low-noise downconverter) is the (receiving, or downlink)
antenna of what is commonly called the parabolic satellite dish commonly used for
satellite TV reception. It is functionally equivalent to the dipole antenna used for most
other TV reception purposes, although it is actually waveguide based. Whereas the dipole
antenna is unable to adapt itself to various polarization planes without being rotated, the

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LNB can be switched electronically between horizontal and vertical polarization
reception. The LNB is usually fixed on or in the satellite dish, for the reasons outlined
below. The corresponding component in the uplink transmit link is called a Block
upconverter (BUC).

The purpose of the LNB is to use the superheterodyne principle to take a wide block (or
band) of relatively high frequencies, amplify and convert them to similar signals carried
at a much lower frequency (called intermediate frequency or IF). These lower frequencies
travel through cables with much less attenuation of the signal, so there is much more
signal left on the satellite receiver end of the cable. It is also much easier and cheaper to
design electronic circuits to operate at these lower frequencies, rather than the very high
frequencies of satellite transmission.

The low-noise part means that special electronic engineering techniques are used, that the
amplification and mixing takes place before cable attenuation and that the block is free of
additional electronics like a power supply or a digital receiver. This all leads to a signal
which has less noise (unwanted signals) on the output than would be possible with less
stringent engineering. Generally speaking, the higher the frequencies with which an
electronic component has to operate, the more critical it is that noise be controlled. If
low-noise engineering techniques were not used, the sound and picture of satellite TV
would be of very low quality, if it could even be received at all without a much larger
dish reflector. The low-noise quality of an LNB is expressed as the noise figure or noise
temperature. For the reception of wideband satellite television carriers, typically 27 MHz
wide, the accuracy of the frequency of the LNB local oscillator need only be in the order
of ±500 kHz, so low cost dielectric oscillators (DRO) may be used. For the reception of
narrow bandwidth carriers or ones using advanced modulation techniques, such as 16-
QAM, highly stable and low phase noise LNB local oscillators are required. These use an
internal crystal oscillator or an external 10 MHz reference from the indoor unit and a
phase-locked loop (PLL) oscillator.

LNBF : Direct broadcast satellite (DBS) dishes use an LNBF (LNB with feedhorn),
which integrates the antenna feedhorn with the low noise block converter (LNB). Small
diplexers are often used to distribute the resulting IF signal (usually 950 to 1450 MHz)

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piggybacked in the same coaxial cable jacket which carries lower-frequency terrestrial
television from an outdoor antenna. Another diplexer then separates the signals to the
receiver of the TV set, and the integrated receiver/decoder (IRD) of the DBS set-top box.
Newer Ka band systems use additional IF blocks from the LNBF, one of which will cause
interference to UHF and cable TV frequencies above 250 MHz, precluding the use of
diplexers. In the case of DBS, the voltage supplied by the set-top box to the LNB
determines the polarization setting. With multi-TV systems, a dual LNB allows both to
be selected at once by a switch, which acts as a distribution amplifier. The amplifier then
passes the proper signal to each box according to what voltage each has selected. The
newest systems may select polarization and which LNBF to use by sending DiSEqC
codes instead. The oldest satellite systems actually powered a rotating antenna on the
feedhorn, at a time when there was typically only one LNB or LNA.

Universal LNB : A universal LNB can receive both polarisations (Vertical and
Horizontal) and the full range of frequencies in the satellite Ku band. Some models can
receive both polarisations simultaneously (known as a quattro LNB and used with a
multiswitch) through four different connectors Low/Hor, Low/Ver, High/Hor, High/Ver,
and others are switchable (using 13 volt for Vertical and 17 or 18 volt for Horizontal) or
fully adjustable in their polarisation (this is relatively rare as this requires a separate
polarisor, and it's also not part of the Universal LNB specification).

Figure 3.4 LNBF disassembled

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 Figure 3.5 Ku band LNB with both sides uncovered

Figure 3.6 Ku band linear polarised LNBF

3.4 ORTHOGONAL TRANSDUCER

An orthomode transducer is a microwave duct component of the class of microwave

circulators. It is commonly referred to as an OMT, and commonly referred as a
polarisation duplexer. Such device may be part of a VSAT antenna feed Orthomode
transducers serve either to combine or to separate two microwave signal paths. One of the
paths forms the uplink, which is transmitted over the same waveguide as the received
signal path, or downlink path. For VSAT modems the transmission and reception paths
are at 90° to each other, or in other words, the signals are orthogonally polarised with
respect to each other. This orthogonal shift between the two signal paths provides
approximately an isolation of 40dB in the Ku band and Ka band radio frequency bands.

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Hence this device serves in an essential role as the junction element of the outdoor, unit
(ODU) of a VSAT modem. It protects the receiver front-end element (the low-noise
block converter, LNB) from burn-out by the power of the output signal generated by the
block up converter (BUC). The BUC is also connected to the feed horn through a wave
guide port of the OMT junction device.

Orthomode transducers are used in dual-polarised Very small aperture terminals VSAT,
in sparsely populated areas, radar antennas, radiometers, and communications links. They
are usually connected to the antenna's down converter or LNB and to the High Power
Amplifier (HPA) attached to a transmitting antenna.

Wherever there are two polarisations of radio signals (Horizontal and Vertical), the
transmitted and received radio signal to and fro the antenna are said to be “orthogonal”.
This means that the modulation planes of the two radio signal waves are at 90 degrees
angles to each other. The OMT device is used to separate two equal frequency signals, of
high and low signal power. Protective separation is essential as the transmitter unit would
seriously damage the very sensitive low (µV) micro-voltage, front-end receiver amplifier
unit at the antenna.

The transmission signal of the up-link, of relatively high power (1, 2,or 5 watts for
common VSAT equipment) originating from BUC,(block up converter) and the very low
power received signal power (µ-volts) coming from the antenna (aerial) to the LNB
receiver unit, in this case are at an angle of 90° relative to each other, are both coupled
together at the feed-horn focal-point of the Parabolic antenna. The device that unites both
up-link and down-link paths, which are at 90° to each other, is known as an Orthogonal
Mode Transducer OMT.

In the VSAT Ku band of operation case, a typical OMT Orthomode Transducer provides
a 40dB isolation between each of the connected radio ports to the feed horn that faces the
parabolic dish reflector (40dB means that only 0.01% of the transmitter's output power is
cross-fed into the receiver's wave guide port). The port facing the parabolic reflector of
the antenna is a circular polarizing port so that horizontal and vertical polarity coupling of
inbound and outbound radio signal is easily achieved.

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The 40dB isolation provides essential protection to the very sensitive receiver amplifier
against burn out from the relatively high-power signal of the transmitter unit. Further
isolation may be obtained by means of selective radio frequency filtering to achieve an
isolation of 100dB (100dB means that only a 10−10 fraction of the transmitter's output
power is cross-fed into the wave guide port of the receiver).

Figure 3.7 Orthomode transducer

3.5 INTERFACILITY LINK CABLE

An Inter-Facility Link (IFL) is the set of coaxial cables that connect the indoor equipment
to the outdoor equipment of a satellite earth station. In a VSAT terminal, the IFL is
usually one or two co-axial cables carrying IF signals, control signals, and DC power.

3.6 INDOOR UNIT

The Indoor Unit (IDU) is the component of the VSAT terminal that is located indoors. It
is usually the satellite router. The IDU is connected to the Outdoor Unit (ODU) via Inter-
Facility Link (IFL) cables.

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 CHAPTER. 4

FEATURES OF VSAT NETWORKS

4.1 DVB TECHNOLOGY

Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) is a satellite-based standard that was primarily designed
to use in broadcast video applications. The standard has been widely adopted due to its
simplicity, easily available chipsets, and cost. DVB based technology is widely deployed
and understood by most network operators. DVB was primarily designed for one way
broadcast of video and MPEG traffic. Recently a new standard DVB-RCS (Return
Channel via Satellite) was completed to allow for a standard based return channel for
two-way traffic. The intent of the open standard is to accelerate economies of scale,
thereby generating lower-cost solutions and opening the market in a shorter timeframe
than could be possible with competing proprietary solutions.

Advantages of DVB based system:

- High bandwidth outbound or broadcast

- Designed and built for Video Broadcast

- Lower Cost of Remote Terminals

Disadvantages of DVB based system:

- Generally Power-Limited satellite requirement.

- Very inefficient when use of transponder capacity and very high Hub equipment cost

- Not designed for TCP/IP traffic. IP is encapsulated within MPEG

4.2 IDIRECT TECHNOLOGY

iDirect has pioneered TCP/IP over satellite technology in the industry to ensure the most
efficient use of satellite bandwidth. As demand for IP over satellite continues to grow

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more Network Operators would want to start offering IP services over satellite. iDirect
technology is designed to allow Network Operators implement these networks at a much
lower cost, at the same time provide a business class service with all the TCP/IP
enhancements over satellite.

Advantages of iDirect Technology

- Primarily Bandwidth limited, thus much lower service costs

- Extremely responsive TDMA channels

- Queue depth checked 5 times/sec

- All remotes have a minimum CIR

- Multiple-inroutes Network Capability

- Frequency Hopping Capability – Dynamically Assigned based on demand

- Very scalable hub equipment, with multiple network support within a chassis

4.3 VOIP OVER VSAT

iDirect Technologies broadband IP VSAT network system effectively transports VoIP

traffic over satellite. The obstacles associated with this challenge have been addressed
using iDirect’s highly differentiated real time traffic management (RTTM) feature set.
The RTTM feature set is an inherent part of iDirect’s operating system software (iDS)
and has been specifically designed to support applications such as voice that are not
tolerant of delay, requiring specific network conditions to perform properly.
Traditionally, transporting voice over satellite has been supported through
implementation of Single Channel Per Carrier (SCPC) technology ostensibly creating a
continuously connected environment similar to a dedicated private line circuit. Using
SCPC to support enterprise VoIP needs is bandwidth inefficient and therefore a costly
solution.

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 CHAPTER. 5

AUTOMATIC VSAT NETWORK MANAGEMENT USING

UPLOGIX

5.1 LOCAL CONTROL OF REMOTE NETWORK EQUIPMENT

Uplogix offers a new approach to reducing the cost and complexity of supporting satellite
network environments. Uplogix Automated Remote Management (ARM) appliances
enable operators to remotely monitor and control both satellite and terrestrial-based
network equipment. The appliances co-locate and connect serially with network and
satellite communications equipment to provide non-stop local management and control.

Uplogix appliances automate numerous network support, maintenance, configuration and

recovery procedures—reducing the time, cost and error associated with manual support.

Administrators can manage all Uplogix appliances via the Uplogix Control Center- a
centralized, web-based portal that presents a full inventory of both Uplogix appliances
and the infrastructure equipment connected to them. Working via the Control Center
console, operations staff can schedule and coordinate all network maintenance and
management operations to be performed by Uplogix appliances. In addition, the Control
Center serves as the central repository and reporting interface for all data collection and
audit logs provided by the appliances.

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 Figure 5.1 Uplogix Remote Management Platform for Satellite Communications

5.2 KEY TECHNICAL BENEFITS

- Immediately diagnoses and repairs service failures through intelligent automation.

- Minimizes on-site tech support and engineer visits to remote locations.

- Provides a single point of management control for both terrestrial and satellite-based
network equipment.

-Delivers continuous monitoring data and management control even during outages LEO
Antenna LEO.

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 CHAPTER. 6

VSAT NETWORK APPLICATION

VSAT networks have both civilian and military applications. These will now be
presented.

6.1 CIVILIAN SERVICE

It can be noted that most of the services supported by two-way VSAT networks deal with
interactive data traffic, where the user terminals are most often personal computers. The
most notable exceptions are voice communications and satellite news gathering. Voice
communications on a VSAT network means telephony with possibly longer delays than
those incurred on terrestrial lines, as a result of the long satellite path. Telephony services
imply full connectivity, and delays are typically 0.25 s or 0.50 s depending on the
selected network configuration, as mentioned above. Satellite news gathering (SNG) can
be viewed as a temporary network using transportable VSATs, sometimes called ‘fly-
away’ stations, which are transported by car or aircraft and set up at a location where
news reporters can transmit video signals to a hub located near the company’s studio. Of
course the service could be considered as inbound only, if it were not for the need to
check the uplink from the remote site, and to be in touch by telephone with the staff at the
studio. As fly-away VSATs are constantly transported, assembled and disassembled, they
must be robust, lightweight and easy to install. Today they weigh typically 100 kg and
can be installed in less than 20 minutes.

6.2 MILITARY APPLICATION

VSAT networks have been adopted by many military forces in the world. Indeed the
inherent flexibility in the deployment of VSATs makes them a valuable means of
installing temporary communications links between small units in the battlefield and
headquarters located near the hub. Moreover, the topology of a star-shaped network fits
well into the natural information flow between field units and command base. Frequency

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bands are at X-band, with uplinks in the 7.9–8.4 GHz band and downlinks in the 7.25–
7.75 GHz band. The military use VSAT must be a small, low weight, low power station
that is easy to operate under battlefield conditions. As an example, the manpack station
developed by the UK Defence Research Agency (DRA) for its Milpico VSAT military
network is equipped with a 45 cm antenna, weighs less than 17 kg and can be set up
within 90 seconds. It supports data and vocoded voice at 2.4 kbs−1. In order to do so, the
hub stations need to be equipped with antennas as large as 14 m. Another key
requirement is low probability of detection by hostile interceptors. Spread spectrum
techniques are largely used.

Figure 6.1 Fly-away VSAT station

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6.3 PRIVATE VSAT NETWORKS

* Private VSAT offers organisational level connectivity solutions and bandwidth.

* Pricing have been simplified and more complex network can be engineered.

* Higher bandwidth at lower cost available on demand.

* High level business applications can be supported.

International and internert connectivity

* Web browsing and E-mail.

* Web browsing and server hosting.

* VPN connectivity available-including IPSEC.

* Multicast services.

Figure 6.2 Private VSAT Network

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 CONCLUSION

VSAT networking has been developed into a sophisticated technique that can provide
remote access to the small antennas through satellite. Most of research on VSAT has
been conducted for environment and engineering applications. However VSAT networks
has very important application in communication field . A VSAT network offers
communications between remote terminals. As a result of the power limitation resulting
from the imposed small size and low cost of the remote station. VSAT has a number of
advantages like asymmetrty of data transfer, flexibility, low bit error, distance insensitive
cost and private corporate. VSAT networking an focus on a discussion of how this
service integration could take place and the possible performance improvements that
could be achieved. As has been discussed previously, end to end management is
becoming a critical requirement for most customers, and the ability to both intelligently
manage the VSAT component, while cleanly integrating with management systems for
other components and providing full end-to-end class based monitoring is the ultimate
challenge, but can also provide great opportunities for time saving, automation, customer
satisfaction and generating additional revenues. In modern future the VSAT network can
be used for remote access to very small antennas and provide better signal reception.

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 REFERENCES
1. Gerard Maral , VSAT Networks, John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

2. Timothy Pratt, Satellite Communication , Wiley India Pvt. Ltd.

3. Raychaudhuri, D., Joseph, K., “Ku-Band Satellite Networks using VSATs-Part1:Multi-

access Protocols”, Int. Jrnl. Sat. Comms.

4. www.uplogix.com.

5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VSAT

6. http://www.crystalcommunications.net/satellite/vsat/about_vsat.htm

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