Low noise block downconverter ( LNB )

http://www.satsig.net/lnb/explanation-description-lnb.htm

Have you ever wondered what is an LNB and what is an LNB LO frequency?
Here is some information about LNBs that I hope will help explain matters.

The abbreviation LNB stands for Low Noise Block. It is the device on the front of a satellite dish that receives the very
low level microwave signal from the satellite, amplifies it, changes the signals to a lower frequency band and sends them
down the cable to the indoor receiver.

The expression low noise refers the the quality of the first stage input amplifier transistor. The quality is measured in
units called Noise Temperature, Noise Figure or Noise Factor. Both Noise Figure and Noise Factor may be converted
into Noise Temperature. The lower the Noise Temperature the better. So an LNB with Noise Temperature = 100K is
twice as good as one with 200K. C band LNBs tend have the lowest noise temperature performance while Ka LNBs have
the highest (worst).

The expression Block refers to the conversion of a block of microwave frequencies as received from the satellite being
down-converted to a lower (block) range of frequencies in the cable to the receiver. Satellites broadcast mainly in the
range 4 to 12 to 21 GHz.

Low noise block downconverter (LNB) diagram

The diagram shows the input waveguide on the left which is connected to the collecting feed or horn. As shown, there is
a vertical pin through the broad side of the waveguide that extracts the vertical polarisation signals as an electrical
current. The satellite signals first go through a band pass filter which only allows the intended band of microwave
frequencies to pass through. The signals are then amplified by a Low Noise Amplifier and thence to the Mixer.

At the mixer-stage, the signals let through by the input bandpass-filter are mixed with the signal generated by the local-
oscillator and this process creates a multitude of sum and difference signals.

**

Amongst the mixer output products are the difference frequencies between the wanted input signal and the local oscillator
frequency. These are the ones of interest. The second band pass filter selects these and feeds them to the output L
band amplifier and into the cable. Typically,

Output frequency = Input frequency - Local Oscillator frequency.

In some cases, it is the other way round so that,

Output frequency = Local Oscillator frequency - Input frequency.

In this case the output spectrum is inverted.

Examples of input receive frequency band, LNB local oscillator frequency and output frequency band are shown below.

C band is 3.4 - 4.8 GHz. Ku band is 10.7 - 12.75 GHz. Ka band is 19.2 - 21.2 GHz.

Input freq. band C, Ku, Ka

Local Osc. (LO) freq. Output L band into cable Notes
GHz from sat. waveguide
C Band
3.4-4.2 5.15 950-1750 invert output spectrum
3.625-4.2 5.15 950-1525 "
4.5-4.8 5.75 950-1250 "
4.5-4.8 5.76 960-1260 NJS 8488
4.5-4.8 5.95 1150-1450 "
Ku band
10.7-11.7 9.75 950-1950
10.95-11.7 10 950-1700
10.95 - 12.15 10 950-2150 Invacom SPV -50 SM
11.45-11.95 10.5 950-1450
11.2-11.7 10.25 950-1450
11.7-12.75 10.75 950-2000 Invacom SPV -60 SM
12.2 -12.7 11.25 950-1450 DISH
12.25-12.75 11.3 950-1450 Invacom SPV -70 SM
11.7-12.75 10.6 1100-2150
11.7-12.2 13.85 2150-1650 DISH FSS inverted
12.2 - 12.7 14.35 2150-1650 DISH PRO inverted
Ka band
19.2-19.7 18.25 950-1450
19.7-20.2 18.75 950-1450
20.2-20.7 19.25 950-1450
20.7-21.2 19.75 950-1450
19.7-20.2 21.2 1000-1500 Invert Saorsat
18.2-19.2 17.25 950-1950 Norsat 9000
19.2-20.2 18.28 950-1950 Norsat 9000
20.2-21.2 19.25 950-1950 Norsat 9000

All the above illustrate a simple LNB, with one LNA and one LO frequency.

More complex LNBs exist, particularly for satellite TV reception where people wish to receive signals from multiple bands,
alternative polarisations, and possibly simultaneously.

Dual-band LNBs

Ku band LNBs typically have two alternative local oscillator frequencies, for example 9.75 GHz and 10.6 GHz with the
higher frequency option selected using a 22 kHz tone injected into the cable. Such an LNB may be used to receive 10.7
- 11.7 GHz using the lower 9.75 GHz LO frequency or the higher band 11.7 - 12.75 GHz using the higher 10.6 GHz LO
frequency.

A few Ka band LNBs may have as many as 4 local oscillator frequencies.

Dual polarisation LNBs

The LNB shown above has one wire going into the waveguide to pick up vertical polarisation. If the input waveguide is
circular is can support two polarisations and it can be arranged for there to be two input probes at right angles, thus
allowing two alternative polarisations to be selected (vertical or horizontal, or left hand or right hand circular polarisation,
LHCP or RHCP), either one or the other. Dual polarisation LNBs may commonly be switched remotely using two
alternative DC supply voltages. e.g. 13 volts makes it receive vertical polarisation and 19 volts make it receive
horizontal polarisation.

Multi-LNBs

If both input probes have their own LNB amplifiers etc you have effectively two LNBs in the same module, which will have
two output cables, one for each polarisation. Many variants on this theme exist, with options also for multiple bands.
Such a "Quad LNB" might thus have 4 outputs, for each polarisation and each of two bands. Such an arrangement is
attractive for a block of flats, or head end antenna, which need to feed multiple indoor satellite TV receivers with the
viewers all wanting all permutations of the two polarisations and two frequency bands.

Stacked frequency LNBs

The DISH-PRO system (as an example) uses stacked blocks of frequencies in the LNB output, one block from each
polarisation. This means no switching of polarisation and that all signals are available simultaneously all of the time at the
set top box end. The DC is supply normally fixed at 19 to 20 volts. High quality RG6 cable essential for working to 2150
MHz

Dual polarisation LNB with stacked outputs

In the case of a circular polarisation system the input waveguide contains a polariser which converts dual circular
polarisation to two linear polarisations, extracted by two probes at right angles to two low noise amplifiers. See the image
above.

Example frequency conversions are shown below

Input 12200-12700 R - 11250 LO = 950 -1450 IF output

Input 12200-12700 L - 14350 LO = 2150 - 1650 IF output
or, for a linear polarised satellite system with a limited 500 MHz bandwidth. (AMC-21 linear FSS ?)

Input 11700-12200 H - 10750 LO = 950 -1450 IF output

Input 11700-12200 V - 13850 LO = 2150 - 1650 IF output
The gap in the output spectrum makes it easier to combine filter and avoid interference and noise

LNB Frequency stability

All LNBs used for satellite TV reception use dielectric resonator stabilised local oscillators. The DRO is just a pellet of
material which resonates at the required frequency. Compared with quartz crystal a DRO is relatively unstable with
temperature and frequency accuracies may be +/- 250 kHz to as much as +/- 2 MHz at Ku band. This variation includes
both the initial value plus variations of temperature over the full extremes of the operating range. Fortunately, most TV
carriers are quite wide bandwidth (like 27 MHz) so even with 2 MHz error the indoor receiver will successfully tune the
carrier and capture it within the automatic frequency control capture range.

If you want the LNB for the reception of narrow carriers, say 50 kHz wide, you have a problem since the indoor receiver
may not find the carrier at all or may even find the wrong one. In which case you need a rather clever receiver that will
sweep slowly over a range like +/- 2 MHz searching for the carrier and trying to recognise it before locking on to it.
Alternatively, it is possible to buy Phase Lock Loop LNBs which have far better frequency accuracy. Such PLL LNBs
have in internal crystal oscillator or rely on an external 10 MHz reference signal sent up the cable by the indoor receiver.
PLL LNBs are more expensive. The benefit of using an external reference PLL LNB is that the indoor reference oscillator
is easier to maintain at a stable constant temperature. Ka band LNBs operate at such high frequency that they can need
phase look loop frequency control unless the wanted carriers are very large bandwidth. An internal PLL uses a crystal
oscillator in the LNB. An external reference PLL uses a 10 MHz reference supply from the customer's indoor modem or
receiver.

LNB Phase noise

All modern DRO LNBs are sold as 'digi-ready'. What this means is that some attention has been paid in the design to
keeping the phase noise down so as to facilitate the reception of digital TV carriers. The phase noise of DRO LNBs is still
far worse than for PLL LNBs. What good phase noise performance is really needed for is for the reception of low bit rate
digital carriers and for digital carriers using high spectral efficiency modulation methods like 8-PSK, 8-QAM or 16-QAM
modulation, which reduce the bandwidth required but need more power from the satellite, a bigger receive dish and better
quality PLL type oscillators in both the transmit and receive chains.

LNB supply voltages

The DC voltage power supply is fed up the cable to the LNB. Often by altering this voltage it is possible to change the
polarisation or, less commonly, the frequency band. Voltages are normally 13 volts or 19 volts.

Perfect weatherproofing of the outdoor connector is essential, otherwise corrosion is rapid. Note that both the inner and
outer conductors must make really good electrical contact. High resistance can cause the LNB to switch permanently
into the low voltage state. Very peculiar effects can occur if there are poor connections amongst multiple cables to say an
LNB and to a transmit BUC module as the go and return DC supplies may become mixed up and the wrong voltage
applied across the various items. The electrical connections at the antennas between the LNB and the BUC chassis are
often indeterminate and depend of screws in waveguide flanges etc. Earth loop currents may also be a problem - it is
possible to find 50 Hz or 60 Hz mains currents on the outer conductors - so be careful. Such stray currents and induced
RF fields from nearby transmitters and cell phones may interfere with the wanted signals inside the cables. The quality
and smoothing of the DC supplies used for the LNBs is important.

LNB Transmit reject filter

Some LNBs, such as those from Invacom, incorporate a receive band pass, transmit band reject filter at the front end.
This provides both good image reject response for the receive function but also protects the LNB from spurious energy
from the transmitter, which may destroy the LNB.
How to test an LNB:

Check with a current meter that it is drawing DC current from the power supply. The approx number of milliamps will be
given by the manufacturer. Badly made or corroded F type connections are the most probable cause of faults.
Remember that the centre pin of the F connector plug should stick out about 2mm, proud of the surrounding threaded
ring.

Use a satellite finder power meter. If you point the LNB up at clear sky (outer space) then the noise temperature
contribution from the surroundings will be negligible, so the meter reading will correspond to the noise temperature of the
LNB, say 100K (K means Kelvin*. 0K is absolute zero temperature, or -273 deg Centigrade, Kelvin units are the same
magnitude as degrees Centigrade, so a room temperature of +17 deg C is the same as 273+17=290K). Boiling water at
+100 deg C is the same as +373 K.

If you point the LNB away from straight up and down towards your hand or the ground, which is at a temperature of
approx 290K then the noise power reading on the meter should go up, corresponding to approx 390K (100K +290K). If
you have the LNB mounted in an antenna you should get the same effect, a big increase in noise output when the beam
from the dish is pointed at the ground or trees etc. Pointing at the sun should give a much bigger increase, but be careful
not to overheat the LNB horn if the dish surface is optically reflective (i.e. not a matt paint finish) and similar to a mirror
and reflects light and heat.

Note that LNBs may fail on one polarisation or on one frequency band and that the failure mode may only occur at certain
temperatures.

If you choose to try a replacement LNB in a VSAT system check the transmit reject filter and supply voltage - you don't
want to be one of those people who keeps blowing up LNBs trying to find a good one!

Overloading an LNB

If you have a very large dish, say 7m diameter and point it at a satellite whose signals are intended for reception by small
70cm diameter antennas then the 20 dB increase in total power of the signals into the LNB may be sufficient to overload
some of the transistor amplifier stages inside. This is not always obvious. Measuring the composite output power of the
LNB using a power meter is suggested and comparing this with the -1dB compression point in the manufacturer's
specification. An alternative is to do an antenna pattern test on both a high power and a low power satellite.
Any non-linearity problem with the high power satellite is then clearly visible. Special low gain or high power output level
LNBs are available for use with large dishes.

* [edit 1 Feb 2016] I've updated the definition of "Kelvin". It has been pointed out that you should not use the expression
"degrees Kelvin" but rather use the word "Kelvin" or the abbreviation "K" alone.

** [edit 1 Nov 2018] I've replaced the original text about the input signal and local oscillator signal being "scrambled up" in
the mixer with better wording suggested to me in an email.
Noise temperature, Noise Figure (NF) and noise factor (f)
The basic formulae are:

Noise temperature (T) = 290 * (10^(Noise Figure/10)-1) K

Noise Figure (NF) = 10 * log (noise factor) dB

Note that log must be to base 10. When using calculators and spreadsheets make sure that base 10 is selected.
As a test, 10 * log(2) should give an answer of +3 dB. Noise temperature is measured in units called Kelvin (K) and these
are like Celsius (C) temperature degrees but start at zero for absolute zero temperature so 0 K = -273 deg C, 273 K = 0
deg C (ice melts) and 290 K = 17 deg C (ambient temperature of a waveguide, for example)

Table to convert Noise Figure (NF dB) to Noise Temperature (T). This is useful for working out LNA or LNB noise
temperatures from advertised Noise Figures.

NF(dB) T (K) NF(dB) T (K)

0.1 7 2.1 180
0.2 14 2.2 191
0.3 21 2.3 202
0.4 28 2.4 214
0.5 35 2.5 226
0.6 43 2.6 238
0.7 51 2.7 250
0.8 59 2.8 263
0.9 67 2.9 275
1.0 75 3.0 289
1.1 84 3.1 302
1.2 92 3.2 316
1.3 101 3.3 330
1.4 110 3.4 344
1.5 120 3.5 359
1.6 129 3.6 374
1.7 139 3.7 390
1.8 149 3.8 406
1.9 159 3.9 422
2.0 170 4.0 438

Procedure for adding up noise temperatures for antenna, waveguide, LNA, cable and indoor receiver in series:
Notes:
System noise temperature (T system) is referred to the input of the LNA.
Antenna noise temperature is referenced to the flange specified by the manufacturer.
The calculations below assume you add some length of waveguide between the above flange and the LNA.

The noise temperature of the LNA refers to the input of the LNA.
The noise temperature of the cable after the LNA refers to the input of the cable.
The noise temperature of the receiver refers to the input of the receiver.

You need to convert gains in dB to numbers. Number = 10 ^(dB/10)

T system = Noise contribution from antenna = Antenna noise temp * waveguide gain
+ noise contribution of the waveguide = 290 * (1-waveguide gain)
+ noise contribution of the LNA = the LNA noise temp
+ noise contribution of the cable = cable temp * (1/attenuation -1) / LNA gain
+ noise contribution of the indoor receiver = indoor receiver input noise temp / (LNA gain * cable gain)

Antenna noise temperature = 35 K (mainly ground pick up noise)

Waveguide feeder gain = -0.25 dB (0.944), temperature = 290K
LNA gain = 60 dB (1,000,000), input noise temperature = 75 K
Cable loss or attenuation = 20 dB or 100 or cable gain = -20 dB (0.01)
Cable temp= 290 K
Cable noise temp = 290 * ( 1/0.01 -1) = 28710 K
Indoor receiver noise figure NF = 9 dB
Indoor receiver input noise temperature = 290 * (10^(9/10)-1) = 2013.5519 K

Tsystem = 35 * 0.944 = 33.042 Noise contribution of the antenna

+ 290 ( 1 - 1 / (1/0.994)) = 16.222 Noise contribution of the waveguide (new formula 11 Feb 2018)
+ 75 Noise contribution of the LNA
+ 290 * (100 -1) /1,000,000 = 0.02871 Noise contribution of the cable (new formula 7 Jan 2019)
+ 2013.5519 /(1,000,000 * 0.01) = 0.20135519 Noise contribution of the indoor receiver.
Total = 124.494 K

Note that LNA noise temperature, the antenna noise temperature and waveguide loss are the main factors.
At lower elevation angles where more of the sidelobes hit the ground the noise temperature increases. The same applies
if the main beam partially hits the ground or entirely hits the ground in the case of a satellite uplink receive antenna on a
satellite.
To calculate the G/T of a receive system we need to compare the gain and system noise temperature, both referenced to
the same place. In this case,

Gain (G) referenced to the input to the LNB is = Antenna gain (dBi) minus Waveguide loss (dB).

System noise temperature (T) is as per the calculation above, referenced to the input to the LNB. G/T = Gain in dBi - 10
log ( system noise temperature T ). See the general purpose link budget calculator and use the final section which relates
to the receive antenna.
 Ku band satellite receive band-pass / transmit reject filters
This WR75 wave-guide band stop filter (BSF) component is intended to be located in the receive path between the earth
station horn feed and the input to low noise amplifier or block down-converter.

Its function is to reduce the levels of any nearby transmit signal that may leak across from the 14-14.5 GHz band and
adversely affect the operation of the low noise amplifier in the LNA. This component is not normally required in an earth
station which is receive only, such as a domestic satellite TV receive only system. It is however normally required in all
earth stations which both transmit and receive. In some cases an additional filter may be required in the transmit path
between the transmitter and the feed to reduce the level of spurious signals or noise from the transmitter in the receive
frequency band.

The band pass loss, typically 0.1dB to 0.15 dB, will cause a small increase in the system noise temperature.

The high rejection (up to 60 dB) of the transmit band signals is intended to prevent damage to the LNA or receive band
degradation. If you turn on the transmitter you may see changes in the receive signals. Look for: Reduction in receive gain
- noticeable by a reduction of noise floor and a reduction of signal. Reduction of G/T - noticeable by a reduction of the
difference between satellite beacon level and noise floor. Increase in noise floor. Note that turning the transmitter ON may
alter mains or DC power supply voltages and that this (unexpected) effect may also alter LNA performance. To check this
try powering on the transmitter with a fully rated dummy load on its output.
Examples:

3.9 inch long transmit reject filter model 12985-001MD: (added 9 Apr 2005)
Pass (receive) band: 10.7 - 12.75 GHz, loss less than 0.15 dB
Stop (transmit) band: 13.75 - 14.5 GHz, greater than 50 dB
Flanges: UBR120 at one end, PBR120 at the other end.
100 watts.

63.5mm long transmit reject filter model 75BSF- 63.5: (verified 9 Apr 2005)
Pass (receive) band: 10.5 - 12.75 GHz, loss less than 0.15 dB
Stop (transmit) band: 13.5 - 13.75 GHz, greater than 18 dB (typical >20 dB)
13.75 - 14.0 GHz, greater than 38 dB (typical >40 dB)
14.0 - 14.5 GHz, greater than 60 dB (typical >70 dB)
Flanges: UBR120, WR75, Dimensions: 63.5 x 38.2 x 38.2 mm

Don't forget gaskets, O rings and correct bolts, washers and nuts.