CHAPTER 5 SATELLITE EARTH STATION

5.1 Introduction

Satellite communication plays a huge role in SLT international transmission section. When Common-Wealth Summit was held in Sri Lanka, there was no a reliable mechanism to do the international broadcast. Padukka satellite Earth station was started at this period. r.

!rthur C. Clarke re"eals a lot o# important #acts regarding satellite communication. $e disco"ered that a satellite orbited at a distance o# %&,''' km (i.e. #rom the Earth sur#ace) would be geostationary. *urther more he e+plains that it rotates in the same direction as the Earth and the Earth,s orbital "elocity is e-ual to the angular orbital "elocity o# the satellite. Thus i# it is placed in an e-uatorial orbit. the satellite will place stationary relati"e to the Earth. The period o# rotation T o# a satellite around the Earth was gi"en by/

0 + 1 + r%20 T 3 (gs + 4 )
0 520

Let T is the period o# rotation o# the satellite.(i.e. around the Earth)

Where , T 3 Period o# rotation 4 3 4adius o# Earth r 3 4adius o# orbit

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gs 3 6ra"itational acceleration on Earth sur#ace( 7.85ms

-0 )

r. !rthur C. Clarke re"eals that three satellites can illuminate the whole globe. !ccording to that concept. three regions were identi#ied.

(i) 9:4 - 9ndian :cean 4egion (ii) P:4 - Paci#ic :cean 4egion (iii) !:4 - !tlantic :cean 4egion

IOR

EARTH

POR

AOR

Figure 5.1: Three satellites illuminate the whole globe The satellites are placed in geostationary orbits by balancing the centri#ugal #orce and the gra"itational #orce. *or more e+planation.

m+"
3

6+m+; 40

4
Where, m 3 ;ass o# the satellite ; 3 ;ass o# the Earth

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4 3 Total radius 6 is a Constant

Since, Linear "elocity 3 4adius + !ngular =elocity >y sol"ing the abo"e e-uations, 4 3 ?0,''' km

Since the radius o# Earth is &%<8 km, The distance #rom the Earth sur#ace 3 %@,&00 km (!ppro+imately %&,'''km)

5.2 Satellite Architecture

Communication data passes through a satellite using a signal path known as a transponder. Typically satellites ha"e between 0 and <0 transponders. ! single transponder is capable o# handling up to 5@@ million bits o# in#ormation per second. 9ts capability "aries #rom simple "oice or data to the most comple+ and bandwidth intensi"e "ideo, and audio and 9nternet content.

5.3 Or it location

The location o# a geostationary satellite is re#erred to as its orbital location. 9nternational satellites, are normally measured in terms o# longitudinal degrees East( E )#rom the Prime ;eridian.
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5.! "oot Print

The geographic area o# the Earth,s sur#ace o"er which a satellite can transmit to, or recei"e #rom, is called the satellite,s A#ootprintB. The #ootprint can be tailored to include beams with di##erent #re-uencies and power le"els.

5.5 Earth Station E#ui$%ent&

Tran&%i&&ion

Recei'e

;odulator 9* combiner Cp con"erter 4* combiner $igh Power !mpli#iers !ntenna

emodulator 9* i"ider own con"erter 4* i"ider Low Doise !mpli#ier !ntenna

!ntenna

%7

Satellite di !

Eart! Station *lo&% Dia'ram

Feeder

HPA

HPA

LNA

LNA

RF Combiner UP Converter IF Combiner

RF Combiner UP Converter IF Combiner

RF Divider Down Conveter IF Divider

RF Divider Down Conveter IF Divider

Modulator

Modulator

Demodulator

Demodulator

Multi"le#er $ Demulti"le#er $ Terre trial Radio Lin% International Swit&!in' Center (ISC)

Figure 5.2: Earth Station Equipments

5.( Radio "re#uenc) *and&

Se"eral #re-uency bands are used in satellite communication. $owe"er C band and Eu band are used immensely #or the satellite communications

Table 5.6.1: Radio Frequenc !ands >and C$* L S C H Eu E Ea *re-uency2 (6$F) '.% G 5.' 5.' G 5.@ 5.@ G %.7 %.7 G 8.' 8.' G 50.@ 50.@ G 58.' 58.' G 0&.@ 0&.@ G '.'

5.+ Or it&

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! satellite is placed in orbit, when it is launched. Se"eral types o# orbits e+ists. Those are (i) 6eostationary Earth orbit (6E:) (ii) ;edium Earth orbit (;E:) (ii) Low earth orbit (LE:)

Figure 5.": #i$$erent %rbits

5.+.1 ,eo&tationar) Earth or it -,EO.

6eostationar) Earth orbit is at height o# 00,080 miles abo"e the e-uator (%@, <8& Em) , the satellite tra"els in the same direction and at the same speed as the Earth,s rotation on its a+is, taking 0? hours to complete a #ull trip around the globe. Thus, as long as satellite is positioned o"er the e-uator in an assigned orbital location, it will appear to be Astationar)B with respect to a speci#ic location on the Earth.

5.+.2 /ediu% Earth or it& -/EO.

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;edium Earth orbits are primarily reser"ed #or communication satellites that co"er the Dorth pole and the South pole. Cnlike the circular orbit o# the geostationary satellites, ;edium Earth orbits are placed in an elliptical (:"al- shaped) orbit.

5.+.3 Lo0 Earth or it& -LEO.

Low Earth orbits are much closer to the earth, re-uiring satellites to tra"el at a "ery high speed in order to a"oid being pulled out o# orbit b Earth,s gra"ity. !t Low Earth orbits, a satellite can circle the Earth in appro+imately one and a hal# hours.

5.1 Satellite Earth Station Padu22a

Padukka Satellite Earth Station is the only one satellite earth station in our country. 9t plays a big role in international transmission. 9t #acilitates #or "oice, data, internet etc "ia satellites. Earth station antennas are directed to 9DTELS!T satellites which are placed o"er the 9ndian :ceanic 4egion (9:4).Padukka Earth station has se"eral antennas and they C- band #or their operations. The uplink #re-uency is & 6$F and the downlink #re-uency is ? 6$F. !ntennas can adIust their !Fimuth and "ertical angles automatically to ha"e a direct line o# sight with the satellite by using beacon signals. !#ter recei"ing the uplink carriers, the transponders ampli#y them. Then it is con"erted in to the correct downlink #re-uency band. !#ter that it is used to transmit to the high powered ampli#iers which are stated on earth.

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9T;C S9C :TS

DSC CT:

S $ :ptical
P EK0! P EK5! P EK?>

Figure 5.&: 'adu((a Satellite Earth Station

5.1.1 Padu22a 1A Earth Station

This is the country,s #irst satellite Earth station established in 57<&. !t that time this was an analogue, but now it has been #ully con"erted into a digital earth station. P E G5! Earth station has the standard ! and is e-uipped with %' m in diameter dish antenna and communicates with 9DTELS!T &' degrees E 6eo G stationary satellite. This has 9 4 carriers. Ser"ices are "oice, data, T=. This is monitored remotely. Jear o# Commission !ntenna iameter 9DTELS!T Standard Working Satellite *re-uency o# :peration *eeder / 57<& / %' m / Standard G ! E2S / 9DTELS!T 9:4 &' East / C- >and / ? G Port
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PolariFation used *eeder Type Tracking System Ser"ices a"ailable

/ Circular (! G Pole and > G Pole) / Cassegrain (>eam Wa"eguide *eed) / !utomatic (Step, Programmed, !uto) / igital T=, =oice, 9nternet, !;!, ata

5.1.2 Padu22a !* Earth Station

This antenna pre"iously located adIacent the SLT,s :TS building and now it is being reinstalled in the Padukka E2S. This is the second earth station established in Colombo in !pril 577% to meet the increasing demand o# o"erseas telecom tra##ic. The standard o# this earth station is standard > and is e-uipped with 55 m in diameter dish antenna. Communicate with DSS @< degrees satellite. Jear o# Commission !ntenna iameter 9DTELS!T Standard Working Satellite *re-uency o# :peration *eeder PolariFation used *eeder Type Tracking System Ser"ices a"ailable / 577% / 55 m / Standard G > E2S / 9DTELS!T DSS @< / C- >and / ? G Port / Circular / Cassegrain (>eam Wa"eguide *eed) / ;anual / 9nternet
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5.1.3 Padu22a 2A Earth Station

This is installed in 577@. This earth station is 9DTELS!T standard ! and has an 58 m diameter antenna, % kW $P! and 5'' W solid state power ampli#ier. This is a

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digital earth station. This has 9 4 carriers. Ser"ices are "oice, data, T=. Communicate with 9DTELS!T &? degrees E satellite. Jear o# Commission !ntenna iameter 9DTELS!T Standard Working Satellite *re-uency o# :peration *eeder PolariFation used *eeder Type Tracking System Ser"ices a"ailable / 577@ / 58 m / Standard G ! E2S / 9DTELS!T 9:4 &? East / C- >and / ? G Port / Circular (! G Pole and > G Pole) / Cassegrain (>eam Wa"eguide *eed) / !utomatic (Step) / igital T=, =oice, 9nternet, ata
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5.1.! A3N Antenna

This is used #or digital T= transmission. iameter is ?.& m.

5.1.5 SLT "L4 5/o ile Earth Station6

iameter is 0.? m. This is used #or li"e telecast cricket matches, SD6 to o"erseas countries. This is good #or digital transmission. This is a mobile earth station. 9n this system the Cp link #re-uency is always greater than the down downlink #re-uency. This is because the attenuation is high in higher #re-uencies and it re-uires more power to transmit the signal. 9# the high #re-uency is used to transmit the signal, satellite will re-uire more power and hence greater in siFe. So high #re-uency signal will generate #rom the satellite base station and low #re-uency signal will generate #rom the satellite. Jear o# Commission !ntenna iameter / 5777 / 0.? m ?@

9DTELS!T Standard Working Satellite *re-uency o# :peration *eeder PolariFation used *eeder Type Tracking System Ser"ices a"ailable

/ Standard G $% E2S / !ny / C- >and / 0 G Port / Liner or Circular / :##set / ;anual / igital T=

5.7 Earth Station *loc2 8ia9ra%

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Local End

;ain Link

9nternational Link

0; Link SC !T! Dode TH 4oom SLT 4emote Site Local End L!D Customer ! SC Satellite Link !T! Dode 9T;C TH 4oom !T! Dode SE!-;E-WE

Cable

4outer

SLT $ead :##ice

4outer SLT $ead :##ice

L!D Customer >

*eeder

$P!

$P!

LP!

LP!

4* Combiner CP Con"erter 9* Combiner

4* Combiner CP Con"erter 9* Combiner

4* i"ider :WD Con"erter 9* i"ider

4* i"ider :WD Con"erter 9* i"ider

;odulator

;odulator

emodulator

emodulator

;ultiple+er, emultiple+er, Terrestrial 4adio Link 9nternational Switching Centre (9SC)

Figure 5.5: Earth station bloc( diagram

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5.7 International Tele$hone Call Connection

& 6$F Transmit Path ? 6$F 4ecei"e Path Sri )an(a 9T;C
-1,-".2.1&1&

& 6$F Transmit Path

*apan 9T;C

9SC

-1,-".2.1&1&

9SC

DSC

+,-1,-".2.1&1&

DSC

SC

++,-1,-".2.1&1& -".2.1&1&

SC

Figure 5.6: /ow an 0nternational 1all 0s 0nitiated When a person is trying to get a call to another country two portions o# the number should be directed to the telephone e+change. 9nitially international entrance number (i.e. '').Then the country code and the telephone number should be entered. *or an e+ample let the call was taken to ''-75-50%?@&<87.Since it consists a Fero at the beginning the telephone e+change directs the call to the Dational E+change at Colombo. Then the Dational E+change directs the call to the 9nternational E+change since the second number also Fero. De+t the 9nternational E+change classi#ies the international calls according to the country code ($ere the country is 75 and it,s the country code o# 9ndia).Then it is directed to the 9nternational Transmission and ;aintenance Center (9T;C). Then it is directed to the cable centers or to the satellite Earth Station.

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5.7 "eature& o: the co%%unication 'ia &atellite

5.7.1 Ad'anta9e&
Wide-area broadcasting ;ulti-destination deli"ery istance-independent cost 4obustness against natural disaster Easy setup at any point on the ground Small #luctuation o# delay-time.

5.1.2 8i&ad'anta9e&
Physically signi#icant delay-time E##ects due to rain#all and airplanes

5.1; Trainin9 E<$erience

Padukka Satellite Earth Station is a place which 9 learned lot o# important things.

uring

the training period 9 was able to get the ma+imum #rom it. 9 got an o"erall knowledge about how to do a satellite communication. 9n the "ery #irst day we were participated #or #ew lectures. *rom that we identi#ied the importance o# satellite communication. and how it contributes to enhance the demand o# ?7

SLT. Then we went to see the di##erent antennas mounted on the land. We obser"ed P E 5! and P E 0! antennas. !nd with the help o# the technical sta## we got the theoretical background #or that. !nd also we went to the e-uipment room and obser"e the modems, 9* L 4* combiners, up2down con"erters and power ampli#iers. When we #ind the newest "ersions o# con"erters power ampli#iers. we studied the additional #eatures o# them with compare to the older ones. We analyFe the #re-uency spectrum and study the beha"ior o# the signal. Study the reasons #or selecting c band #or the transmission. !nd also we got to know how to direct an antenna to a proper direction. We got the opportunity to go to the top o# the antenna. We obser"e the structure o# the antenna. !nd also we study about the automatic cracking system o# that. The other important thing is that we got to know about the South !sian news sharing system. Sri Lanka also pro"ides local news #or that. We study about that process and practically in"ol"ed in uploading our carrier signal at the proper time. !nd also we discussed about the legal background o# this process. Considering all aspects. 9 can say that the training period at Satellite Earth Station gi"e me a huge knowledge in satellite communication.

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