Development of a Microcomputer-Based Workstation for Analysis of Digital Satellite Links.

Abstract

The product of this thesis is a comprehensive and integrated software package for the analysis of digital satellite links. The system is designed to run on the IBM PC, and should also run on most compatibles. The system performs three basic classes of functions: satellite orbital analysis, antenna gain pattern plotting, and link analysis. The first class includes the computation of such quantities as velocity, orbital period, and coverage area for satellites in circular and elliptical orbits. The second class is concerned with plotting the gain patterns for horns, helixes, parabolic reflectors, and phased arrays of dipoles. The last class represents the major thrust of the system, and entails computing such items as the G/T figure of merit, received useful power, carrier-to-noise ratio, bit error rate, maximum data rate, and power margin. Inherent within this class are mathematical models for computing the attenuation due to rainfall and atmospheric absorption. The link budget itself appears as a color-coded display with two columns: one for the uplink path, and one for the downlink path. The user also has the capability to change certain key inputs, and then have the system automatically recompute the entire link budget with the modified data. Keywords: computer aided design. (Author)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1986
Accession Number
ADA178872

Entities

People

  • William C. Jackson

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Apogees
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Atmospheric Attenuation
  • Attenuation
  • Communication Systems
  • Computer Programming
  • Computer Programs
  • Computers
  • Ground Stations
  • Losses
  • Mathematical Models
  • Personal Computers
  • Satellite Communications
  • Software Testing
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Test Methods
  • Transmitters

Readers

  • Computer Science.
  • Electromagnetic Wave Scattering and Antenna Radiation Engineering
  • Tactical Satellite Communications Systems Engineering.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Satellites