THE STENTOR ACTIVE ANTENNA :

DESIGN, PERFORMANCES AND MEASUREMENT RESULTS

I.ALBERT ( I ) - H.CHANE (2) - G.RAGUENET (2)
( I ) CNES, 18, av. E. Belin - 31401 Toulouse Cedex 9, France
(2) ALCATEL SPACE INDUSTRIES - 26, av. J.-F. Champollion B.P.1187 - 31037 Toulouse Cedex I , France

ABSTRACT
This paper presents the performances of the Ku-Band Active Antenna implemented on STENTOR, the French
Technological Satellite Program : First, the performances analysis are presented. They are obtained from the
statistical behaviour of the antenna’s constitutive equipments measured at flight model level, and a computation
methodology is also suggested to get guaranteed values able to be measured during an Assembly and Integration
tests sequence. In a second part, the antenna calibration logic is presented : how the antenna amplitude and phase
commands are computed to realise a goal radiated pattern and a goal EIRP value. The calibration operations can be
realised during AIT sequence or in orbit to mesure the evolution of the antenna performances and takes these data
into account for a new set of coefficients computation, if necessary. At last, the antenna performance measurements
in conducted conditions (with Szi measurements from antenna input to SSPA outputs) and radiated conditions (in
Alcatel Near Field test facility) are presented and discussed with regard to the objectives provided in the suh-system
specifications.

1 INTRODUCTION
The STENTOR program has been supported by CNES, France Telecom and French Delegation to Army (DGA).
Alcatel Space Industries is involved with Astrium in the design and development of one Satellite, whose objectives
are :
- development and qualification of advanced technologies for spacecraft and payload aspects
- manufacturing and launching of a geostationary spacecraft
The Ku-hand payload of the spacecraft payload has 3 different repeaters : a wide bandwidth repeater, a digital TV
repeater and an intemediate frequency repeater. These 3 repeaters may be connected to the Active antenna Sub-
system (AATX) which is on hoard Stentor satellite. The major features of the AATX are recalled in the latter table :

0-7803-7827-X/03/$17.00 02003 IEEE. 52

2 STENTOR ACTIVE ANTENNA PRESENTATION
2.1 Missions
The active antenna has been designed to realise 3 missions :
A mono-carrier mode, where a single carrier is radiated. This mode can be also declined in a beam-hopping
mode providing high data stream beam (Intelsat SS-TDMA standard). Time requirements are a spot switching
duration less than 150 ns, and a spot duration greater than 4.2 ps. In this mode, only one input access of the
active antenna is used, operating point of amplifiers is chosen in order to optimise the conversion ratio PrfIDC
consumption of the outputs stages.
A multicarrier mode : Up to 3 simultaneous beams may be radiated. The SSPAs operating points are chosen in
order to optimise 3 criteria : Maximise RF output power in multicarrier to get satisfactory EIRP on coverage's,
define appropriate linearity conditions in terms of CI13 (better than 22 dB), or NPR (better than 15 dB) at SSPA
level and finally minimise DC consumption of the 48 amplifying units.
An in-flight antenna calibration capability. The active antenna comprises a calibration loop (dedicated
harness, combiners, couplers and a specific equipment called TXCAL). This calibration loop permits to measure
the amplitude and phase of each of the 3 * 48 RF antenna ways.

To maximise the EIRP, while optimising the SSPA sizing, the radiating elements subarrays are fed with the same
amplitude. The radiated beam shaping is obtained by adjusting the phase values at radiating elements level and the
laws are computed for each antenna access and for the 6 specified coverages. In fact, due to the dispersions between
all AATX RF paths, the equi-amplitude phased law is obtained by modifying both amplitude and phase commands
(preamplifier TXDRIVE gain command, and BFN amplitude and phase commands). Due to the great number of RF
paths, the array antenna concept presents a progressive degradation of performances, with little noticeable effects,
when occurring some SSPA or BFN ways failures. For the AATX, the accepted failure rate is less than 10% failures
(4 paths failures are admissible at most).

2.2 Antenna description

The STENTOR active antenna is a complete subsystem : in addition to the radiating parts (radiating elements and
pass-band filters), it includes active amplification (via the preamplifiers called TXDRIVE, and amplifiers called
SSPA) and beam forming (BFN equipment) to control the excitation laws on elements in amplitude and phase. All
RF equipments are linked via RF harnesses and TMITCIDC hamesses. Connection between SSPA and Filters used
phase-matched coaxial cables for ease of mating. A payload controller (CCU) is dedicated to active antenna control.
The Active Antenna block diagram is shown in Figure 1 . The AATX has 3 RF input accesses and radiates via the 48
radiating elements. The BFN, the 48 SSPAs, filters and radiating elements, as well as the RF and TMITCIDC
harnesses and passive calibration hardware, are supported by a composite structural carbon sandwich panel and
composed a Radiating Panel mounted on the satellite Earth panel. The Radiating Panel interfaces mechanically with
the platform through five mounting feet and thermally by means of thermal control hardware in order to transfer heat
dissipation to the spacecraft radiating surfaces. Coupled thermal control is realised by two ways, nominal is the use
of capillary pumped loop (CPL) technology while the redundant thermal control hardware makes use of variable
conductance heat pipes (VCHP). Other equipments of the AATX sub-system are implemented inside the spacecraft :
the preamplifiers (TXDRIVE) Unit, the Antenna Controller (CCU), the U S 0 and the Calibration Unit (TXCAL).

The development of the Stentor AATX started in CID by the end of year 1995. Quite all equipments were new and
developed as elegant breadboards or identification models in order to validate the concept and qualify new
technologies. Very early in the program, a structural and thermal model has been manufactured and tested to qualify
the mechanical and thermal design of the radiating panel which is the most important part of the sub-system and also
of the Stentor payload considering the radiating panel mass and dissipation (almost 100 kg equipments and 800 W
dissipation). The Antenna Flight Model has been integrated and fully tested in Alcatel Space Industries Toulouse and
Cannes facilities.

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 Coverage I France I Scandinavia I Turkey I Linguistic 1 Eutelsat AI I Eutelsat A2
Min ElRP (dBW) I 53 I 52 I 51 I 48.5 I 41.5 I 41

Coverage France Scandinavia Turkey Linauistic Eutelsat AI Eutelsat A2

Goal EIRP law not re-optimised 55 53.8 53 51.1 50.6 46.1
Goal EIRP law reoptimised 54.5 53.6 52.8 50.4 50 44.3

3.2 Radiated Derformances mediction in Mono carrier mode

Coverage Max(dB) MidEOC (dB) Difference (dB) Max (dew) MidEOC (dBW)

France 38.1 35.9 2.2 51.9 55.7

Scandinavia 38.8 36.5 2.3 58.6 56.3
Turkey 31.6 35.2 2.4 57.5 55
Linguistic 31.6 34.0 3.6 51.4 53.8

t EutelsatAl
Eutelsat.42
I 35.9
32.9
I
Table 2 : Predicted nominal
32.5
28.5
I 3.4
4.4
I 55.7
52.1
AATX radiated performances at 12.665 GHz (Fcal)
I 5 4
48.3 I
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3.3 Antenna calibration logic
The goal of the Antenna Calibration is to define the amplitude and phase commands words to apply on the AATX
equipments to realise a aiven coverage (given amplitude/phase law) and a given EIRP value, while taking into
:mors due to
I the BFN.

The active antenna is measured in monocarrier mode S21 parameter from one access to 48 outputs, assuming a
reference position for the TXDRIVE and the BFN. Main equipments have first been characterised, measured for the
SSPA units, gain variation of the XDRIVE may be modelled if gain step not linear and for the BFN : relative
attenuation and phase variations versus commands words have been modelled by simple functions. Absolute gain or
absolute insertion phase of each equipment or coaxial cable have not to he known. These reference measurements
being used within the Antenna calibration program, one directly computed antenna commands adapted to a wanted
coverage and EIRP value.

Commands Determination Accuracy

I . At this first step of coefficients determination procedure, antenna commands determination do not require any
more measurements and process may stop. Coverage calibration accuracy is then imposed by BFN quantification
and accuracy errors: typically about 0.35 dB rms and 4.5 Orms.
2. To improve this result caused by intrinsic BFN performances, an iterative computation may be conducted.
Once a set of commands has been computed, they are applied to the active antenna and a new reference state is
measured. From this new measurements, a new set of coefficients for TXDRIVE and BFN is recomputed. This
iterative process has been applied until convergence on error criteria is reached. Minimum error criteria is reached
after 3 loops (at worst, 4 loops). Following table shows typical obtained accuracy.

Commands I I'determination I 2'ddetermination 1 3"determination

Amplitude I0.3dBrms [ O.2dBrms IO.15dBrms
Phase 14-5"rms I3-4"rms I ~-3orms

Iteration nO1 Iteration noZ Iteration n03

pp (dBpp, "pp) 1.47 I 27.75 0.63 I 16.56 0.59 I 9.21
Average (dB, ") 0.04 1 -9.61 0.03 I -0.53 0.02 0.26
RMS 0.29dBrms I 4.67%~ O.1SdBrms I 3.83°rms 0.1ZdBmls I 2.3S0rms
minimum rms errors at calibration frequency 12665 MHz (0.15 dBrms, 2.2"rms). Over total bandwidth, rms errors
increased (max :0.35 dBrms, 5.9"rms). To illustrate the interest of iterative calibration application, we can recall that
in the case of not-iterative calibration process, rms errors should be 0.3 dB rms-4.5"rms at Fcal due to the BFN
performance. Obtained values on the full frequency band should have been about 0.45 dBrms-7"rms mainly due to
equipment behaviour over frequency band range.

5 ANTENNA MEASUREMENT IN NEAR-FIELD TEST FACILITY

STENTOR active antenna has been tested in a planar near-field test facility during summer 2000. CO and cross
polarisations radiation patterns, and directivity values are obtained by Near-FieldFar-Field transformation. Antenna
EIRP or gain have been determined by comparison with Gain standard Horn also measured in Near-Field facility.
Great care has been taken to prepare the test facility to improve measurement accuracy (probe design and
characterisations, probe and antenna alignments, test bench contributions, measurements parameters and data
treatments). A Near-field error analysis have been made, following the proposed 18 errors terms method by National
Bureau of Standards (NBS, Boulder), by identifying all error sources, analysing and quantifying. Room scattering
and mutual coupling between antenna under test (AATX or gain horn) and test probe have been significantly
minimised by coherently averaging (amplitude/phase) near-field acquisitions at judiciously chosen antenna-probe
distances. A complete test matrix has been defined with our customer to validate the active antenna performances.

-
Tests verifications included , measurements in mono-carrier mode of operation including CW mode as well as beam-
hopping mode and measurements in multi-carriers mode of operation. The test campaign was based on :

a
COand Cross polarisation pattern measurements in C W a n d beam-hopping mode
E I R P measurements in C W and beam-hopping mode
-
FI, FZ and intermodulation patterns and CLpotterns E I R P measurements in bi-carrier mode
In order to improve the time test, use of automatic test sequences have been defined and efficient process of acquired
data has been used.

5.1 Far field pattern

The followine fieures show COand Cross Polarisation Performances for a France Spot beam law
L I

France Mask and measured field levels :

-2,-4,-6,-10, -20 dB lmax

Shaping of the beam is correct although

only managed by the phase parameter
at active antenna level

XPD levels over France coverage

X P D is better than -40 dB, quality of

the dualpolorised radiating element
which is very good in crosspolarisation

5.2 R F measurements in mono carrier o r beam hopping mode

The following table presents a typical set of performances issued from near-field measurements and processing.

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5.3 Multi carrier results
Multicarriers measurements have been conducted for each antenna access in worst condition : 2 carriers FI and F2
with same powers (total power sum is -18 dBm, or -2ldBm per carrier) are injected an the same AATX access (this
point of operation correspond to a - 22 dBc level for the mean SSPA value).
The measurements are operated on the four frequencies in agreement with the following frequency plan :

on cov.) EOC)
FI Carrier 38.3 dBi 35.9 dBi 51.6 dBW 49.2dBW 13.3 dBW
I3 37.5 dBi 31.8dBi 24.4 dBW 18.8 dBW -13 dBW
F2 Carrier 38.3 dBi 35.9 dBi 51.4 dBW 49 dBW 13.1 dBW
13 37.1 dBi 32.5 dBi 25.2 dBW 20 dBW -12.5 dBW

C/I I Max C/I dBc I Min C/I dBc

FIJI 31 26.2
F2.12 I 29.6 I 25.2

Total radiated powers on both carriers is then 16.2 dBW (41.8W), and total radiated powers on both b is -9.7 dBW
(0.1 1W). Worst case measured C/I on coverage is better than the specified value for antenna (19dB), with significant
margin versus linearity requirement. This is explained by the fact that the SSPAs, in average, presented C/b values
better than the specified 22 dB value, even if some SSPA may he just compliant. In addition to above remark, each
SSPA has an optimised point of operation resulting from calibration process that is different SSPA from SSPA,
individual non linearity contribution of each unit is therefore different from an average -22 dBc value.

6 CONCLUSION
The STENTOR program permit ASPI to push active antenna technologies at flight hardware level. Complex
equipment with advanced and sophisticated techniques have been developed, qualified, tested and integrated in a
complete active antenna sub-assembly (in particular, the BFN, multilayer and MMIC, the SSPA’s , P-HEMT for
power delivery in Ku Band and the calibration unit equipment, RF-IF and baseband technologies integration). The
complexity of the AATX lead to the definition of a precise AIT sequence in order to deeply test the antenna
performances, design and built or adapt the tests facilities and be able to provide the antenna for Satellite AIT
sequence on time. The AATX sub-system of the Stentor Satellite has been delivered in June 2000 and and has
followed its integration at Satellite level in Alcatel facilities. The Stentor satellite was ready for a launch by the end
of year 2002. Unfortunately, the V157 Ariane V flight has been an unsuccessful story and the complete satellite was
destroyed after 3 minutes flight. We apologize therefore not to be able to present to you in orbit characterisation
(issued from IOT sequences) and performances evolutions as it should have be the case taking benefit of the IFCL
installed on the active antenna. The objectives of the program were to be able to test the technologies and their
performances during a time period up to 9 years, maximum lifetime of the satellite, particularly BFN and SSPA
variations and evolutions.

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