Digital Baseband Formatting

Satellite Multiple Access

Multiple Access (MA) refers to the general process used in communications systems in which

system assets (circuits, channels, transponders, etc.) are allocated to users.

The process, also called medium access control (MAC) for some wireless networks, is an

important and sometimes essential element in the communications system infrastructure, needed to

assure adequate capacity and link availability, particularly during times of heavy use of the

communications system.
Satellite communications networks are particularly dependent on the inclusion of robust multiple

access techniques, since satellite assets are usually limited in available power or available

frequency spectrum and do not have the communications capacity to support all users at all times.

Satellite links are designed to provide a desired link availability for average conditions,with some

degradation expected during high demand times or during severe link outage periods.
The goal of the MA process is to allow the communications network to respond to expected changes

in user demand and adapt resources to provide the desired level of performance throughout high

demand periods as well as average or limited demand conditions.

The primary assets available to the satellite communications systems designer to utilize in a

multiple access process are satellite transponders and user ground terminals.
Satellite MA techniques interconnect ground stations through multiple satellite transponders with

the goal of optimizing several system attributes such as:

Spectral efficiency

Power efficiency

Reduced latency

Increased throughput
MA techniques are applicable to virtually all applications utilized by satellite systems, including

both fixed and/or mobile users.

Satellite systems often offer benefits over terrestrial transmission alternatives for implementation of

efficient MA because the inherent ground/space link architecture allows network asset optimization

without the need to add additional nodes or other components to the system.

The satellite transponder may be accessed in a number of different configurations, depending on the

application and the satellite payload design.

The frequency translation (FT) transponder may be accessed by a single radio frequency (RF)

carrier or by multiple carriers, with either analog or digital modulation.

Each carrier may be modulated by a single baseband (BB) channel or by multiple BB channels,

from analog or digital sources.

The multiple access (MA) methods available to the satellite system designer can be categorized into

three fundamental techniques, differentiated primarily by the domain used in the process:

Frequency Division Multiple Access, FDMA

Time Division Multiple Access, TDMA

Code Division Multiple Access, CDMA

Frequency division multiple access systems consist of multiple carriers that are separated by

frequency in the transponder.

The transmissions can be analog or digital, or combinations of both.

In time division multiple access the multiple carriers are separated by TIME in the transponder,

presenting only one carrier at any time to the transponder.

TDMA is most practical for digital data only, since, the transmissions are in a burst mode to provide

the time division capability.

Code division multiple access is a combination of both frequency and time separation.

It is the most complex technique, requiring several levels of synchronization at both the

transmission and reception levels.

CDMA is implemented for digital data only, and offers the highest power and spectral efficiency

operation of the three fundamental techniques.