Performance Evaluation of Satellite Communication Systems Operating in the Q/V/W Bands
Abstract
In the near future, Satellite Communication (SatCom) systems are expected to deliver advanced services both in the broadcasting domain (e.g. multiple parallel information streams using different code rates) and in the interactive domain (e.g. worldwide high data rate connectivity to the Internet). The need of very large bandwidths, necessary to support these kinds of services, is pushing towards the employment of high operational frequencies (Ka band and possibly above for the user terminals, Q/V and W bands for gateways). Whilst other advantages originate from the use of frequencies higher than 20 GHz (e.g. smaller and lighter terminals, reduced channel congestion, limited interference issues), the main drawback certainly comes from the increasingly detrimental effects induced by atmospheric constituents on radio waves. Thus, as the frequency increases, the design of reliable SatCom systems becomes critical, especially in the Q/V and W bands in which atmospheric fades are so strong that the traditional planning approach based on fixed power margins is no longer effective either because of technological constraints and/or extremely high costs. In this scenario, smart solutions known as Fade Mitigation Techniques (FMTs) are mandatory to optimize the system resources (e.g. dynamic reconfiguration of the available onboard power) or to guarantee high-availability of the system even under extreme atmospheric conditions (e.g. site diversity). This, in turn, triggers the need of more complex models not only aiming at accurately and reliably predicting the attenuation caused by all atmospheric constituents (gases, clouds and hydrometeors), but also able to simulate complex systems implementing FMTs and to estimate their performance in enhancing the delivered Quality of Service (QoS). This research activity focused on the performance evaluation of SatCom systems operating in the Q/V and W bands.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 30, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA587294
Entities
People
- Carlo Capsoni
- Lorenzo Luini
Organizations
- Polytechnic University of Milan