A HIGH LEVEL SATELLITE SYSTEM PLANNING TOOL

C Ashton and M Webber,

Vega Group, UK

Conventional communications network planning tools access planning between modems at different earth
have a number of restrictions when it comes to dealing stations are described The facility for apportioning a
with satellite communications. Whereas terrestrial data cost to each access, enabling optimisation to be
lines can be clearly defined in terms of their start and performed, is illustrated, as are some of the simplifying
end points, data capacity, bit error rate and availability assumptions that enable the software to give a realistic
the same cannot be said of satellite links. Here we are representation of the performance of a complex multiple
faced with a disturbing array of interlinked variables. satellite network in real time. Finally an example of the
There is a three way trade off of data rate, bit error rate system performance is presented, along with a discussion
and availability. This is further complicated by the fact of the application of such an approach to other areas.
that a fixed portion of satellite resource (EIRP and
bandwidth) can be used to purchase widely varying SYSTEM APPROACH
amounts of communications capacity, depending on the
ground resources allocated. In addition satellites have the Background
capability to provide a very efficient point to multipoint
link (broadcast), although such a facility is difficult to Given an overall communications requirement in terms
handle with conventional network planning tools. of the end to end performance requirements of the data
links that are to be supported by a network, and having
Vega have recently been awarded a contract to develop a knowledge of the satellite and associated ground
a software based high level planning tool for the UK equipment performance characteristics, the high level
Defence Research Agency. The first phase of this planner should be able to develop an access plan
development was to produce an interactive sinidation allocating specific resources to each user. These
and model of the UK Military Satellite Communications resources will comprise dedicated ground station
System (UKMSCS) encompassing several different hardware such as modems and ground terminals as well
satellites, B multiplicity of different earth terminals and as satellite power and bandwidth resource. Should the
a core backbone of terrestrial data links. The software current system configuration be unable to meet the
NIE on a SUN SPARC workstation with a UNIX communications requirement the high level planner will
operating system and uses an INGRES database as an need to evaluate the implications of possible changes to
object store with dedicated application code written in this configuration (for iastance satellite transponder gain
C++. It models the performance of all signals passing setting, orbital location or allocation of antennas to
through the system, enabling the planner to see the transponders). The result of this planning process is an
effect of high level decisions on the performance of the access plan identifying which circuits will pass through
entire network. In this way different networking each satellite transponder, their power level, and an
strategies can be evaluated before putting them into allocation of ground resources to users.
practice and contingency plans can be developed for
various failure situations. A major feature of the system When performing this task the planner is mainly
is its user interface which makes full use of the concemed with satellite power and bandwidth and the
Windows/4GL gmphical environment to provide ease of availability of specific items of ground hardware. More
use. Although the model has been developed with the complex performance parameters such as M M , group
UKMSCS in mind, the software is generic in nature and delay distortion and phase noise are of secondary
capable of representing many diverse satellite concem since they are beyond the scope of everyday
communications systems. satellite operations and have usually been frozen during
the system design phase.
This paper describes how the model used within the
planning tool was developed both in terms of the During access planning the specific frequencies that are
constituent elements of the satellite system and the used are also of secondary interest provided that the
signals passing between those elements. For clarity the bandwidth limitations of a specific “ p o n d e r are not
terrestrial network planning functions of the model are exceeded. Allocation of frequencies to accesses is
not presented: only those aspects of the model reflecting performed-later during network planning where the
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r--

t
I
I Planner User Interface
I I

1 I I
I Database I
1
I
L--

Figure 1: Software Architecture

carrier frequencies are optimised for intermodulation Planner. Tbe Planner is the 'brain' of the planning
performance within each fmmponder. system, enabling the user to readily validate high level
options. It keeps track of all of the accesses in the
Bearing this approach in mind the system model was system and validates new accesses against tbe available
developed in terms of signal power and bandwidth with resources in the model. Wbere the cumnt configuration
the capability to incorporate additional terms at a later of the model will not support an additional access
stage. Frequency was included in the model, and set to request the Planner will identify this and offer the user
a default value at the centre frequency of each logical altemative approaches to achieving his
transponder during the access planning process. This communicatiom requirement.
approach enables tbe same format to be used for access
and network planaing giving the capability for plans to User Interface. Ihe User Interface enables the user to
be passed between the two applications.This function is interact with tbe other elements of the planning tool. The
important since it enables the high level planner to interface with the Planner allows the user to create,
download the current network plan into his system and modify or delete accesses and oberve the effect on tbe
use it to develop fuhrre access plans. Model. The interface with the Model allows the user to
change the configuration of the Model by adding,
Other features tbat are important to support access modifying or deleting assets and circuits. The interface
planning are the capability to link forward and retum to the Database allows the user to save and load difereat
circuits, to adequately handle part time users (viz. models and to create reports. The User Interface also
carriers using an access on a time sharing basis), to provides a number of ways of viewing the Model,
identify and reserve diverse mutes through b e system enabling the user to get an overview of tbe entire
for high priority circuits, and me capability to optimise system, or to home in on the performance of a particular
the routing of a circuit through the system in terms of a asset or circuit. The User Interface makes maximum use
cost function. of the graphical interface facilities available, for instance
the location of a satellite or a transportableea& station,
software Architecture or the boresight of a steerable antenna beam, may be
readily moved using click and drag mouse operations on
Figure I illustrates the four main elements of the a world projection d q l a y .
planning tool: the Model, the Planner, tbe User Interface
and tbe Database. Database. Ihe Database provides an object store for the
Model. Several complete instances of Models can be
Model.The Model is an object oriented model of the stored at the same time allowing one user, or several
assets and circuits which make up the satellite system different users, to simultaneously access the sjstem and
being modelled. Major assets are satellite ground work on different Models.
terminals, network control cenms and satellites. These
major assets are comprised of a number of DEVELOPMENT OF THE MODEL
interconnected minor assets such as digital multiplexers,
modems, upconverters, HPAs, antennas and so on Asset Modelling
enabling the overall system to be modelled to an
arbitrary depth. The circuits are the set of Witbin the software model items of bardware are
communicatiom links passing through the model during regarded as 'assets'. These assets process a set of input
the time period being modelled signals in.a predetermined way to produce a set of
output signals. For example an amplifier might increase
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I Available Remaining
l resouxes I
I I
I I

I I
1 Input signal data output signal I

j set data set f

the power level of all signals present at its input by a the more detailed network planning functions will be
fixed amount, provided that the total power of the output impaired
signals did not exceed a maximum value. Figure 2
illustrates the architecture of a typical asset. The approach adopted was to associate the following
performance parameters with each signal:
Resources. Each asset has a number of resources,
typically power and bandwidth, which are 'consumed' 0 Power;
by signals. The resources available and their quantities 0 Frequency;
are fixed in the asset definition and may nol be routinely 0 Bandwidth;
altered during system operation. Remaining resources are 0 Data rate;
calculated by the asset transfer function which will not 0 cost.
allow greater than 100% use of resources. The resource
usage of any asset may be &splayed to the planner on In addition to these fundamental performance parameters
selection of the 'show resources' function. several status labels identifying modulation
characteristics. quality, priority, access source and
ConFiguration definition. The configuration definition destination and so on were associated with each signal.
defines how an asset is configured and how it may be
modified. A good example of this would be the power When a signal passes through an asset its characteristics
gain of an amplifier. The current value of 23 dB would are modified by the asset tranyfer function and the
be defined, as would the fact that the gain could be set resource usage of the asset is calculated accordingly.
anywhere in the range 15 to 35 dB. The user is free to The connection of a series of assets together results in
modify the configuration values within the defined signals passing right through the system with their
ranges during operation of the system. characteristics changing in a representative manner. At
key points additional signals such as noise and
Transfer function. The transfer function is a set of intermodulation products are generated and pass through
fixed linear equations relating the input to the output the system in the same way as user defined signals. The
signals and available resources to remaining resources. demodulator assets analyse all signals present at their
Where this transfer function may be modlfied by an input in order to calculate the overall performance of the
equipment setting, the information relating to the current satellite link in terms of bit e m r rate. This calculation
setting is held in the configuration definition. is based upon measured demodulator performance
characteristics rather than theoretical or specified values
Signal Modelling enabling the system to handle system degradations due
to sources other than noise in an empirical manner.
The way in which signals are modelled is a critical
factor in determining the usefulness of the planning tool. The 'Cost' Parameter
If they are modelled in too much detail the software will
be cumbersome, have a slow response time and consume In the representation of the signals passing through the
excessive memory. On the other hand if too many model a 'cost' parameter has been incorporated.During
simplifications are imposed the accuracy with which the the early stages of the software development this is
software reflects the performance of the system being intended to act as a way for the user to identify the most
modelled will be reduced, and the capability to handle efficient way to route signals through the system. The
 64

cost associated with each signal is inaeased as that

signal consumes system resources. Each circuit Uplink Earth Station
comprises a string of interconnected signals passing
between assets.and by looking at the cost parameter of Location (51.5'N,2.0°W)
the final signal in the chain the cost to the system of that Maximum EIRP 90 dE3w
circuit may be identified Frequency 8187.5 MHz
Antenna gain 58 dBi
This enables a number of statistics to be identified: the Modulation QPSK (no FEC)
proportion of the current system 'value' that is lost to
noise and intermodulation signals for instance, or the Downlink Earth Terminal
relative usage of the system by the different user groups
(Army, Navy and Air Force). Location (60.2°N,1.20W)
G/r 12 dB/K
The cost parameter can also be used to associaie a time Frequency 1462.5 M H z
delay with each item of equipment enabling optimisatioa Antenna gain 39 dBi
of routing on grounds of end to end propagation delay, Demodulation 1 dB worse than
a critical factor in the planning of packet switched theoretical
networks. Alternatively a risk factor may be allocated to
equipment, enabling the most secure route through the Satellite
system to be identified
Location (0.0"N,34.0°W)
In later phases of the project it is hoped that the use. of G/r -7.0 dB/K
the cost function can be expanded to enable the software Antenna receive gain 19.0 dBi
to optimise the Model configuration and circuit routing Transponder gain 113.0 dB
in a semi-automatic manner using a degree of artificial Maximum output power 12.0 dBW
intelligence within the Planner. Antenna Transmit Gaia 22.0 dBi

WORKED EXAMPLE

Definition of Link Characteristics Table I: Link Characteristics

This example gives a conventional link budget for a E R P to the uplink performance,however the fixed gain
fictitious satellite access and shows how the same link nature of the satellite transponder means that this is the
calculation is handled within the model in terms of case. Thus a rain fade of 6 dB on the uplink will result
signal power. For clarity the other signal parameters in a reduction of the satellite downlink EIRP by 6 dB.
(frequency, bandwidth, etc.) are not considered, nor are
other accesses passing through the same equipment. The performance calculation is performed by calculating
the carrier to noise ratio in a reference (1 Hz)bandwidth
The example only considers the portion of the signal for the uplink and downlink separately. These ratios are
path between satellite modems and shows a 64 kbps combined (using the 'resistors in parallel' formula) and
SCPC signal passing from an anchor station war Bath then scaled to give the carrier to noise ratio in the signal
to a 2 metre transportable ground terminal located in the
Shetland Islands. It is muted through a fictitioussatellite
at 34 degrees West. Details of the Link a ~ eshown in Parameter Uplink Downlink Overall
Table 1.
EIFUJ 74.0 25.4
Conventional Link Budget Ls -202.6 -201.9
GP- - 7.0 12.0
Table 2 presents a conventional link budget analysis of k -228.6 -228.6
the example. Factors of interest regarding this link cmo 93.O 64.1 64.I
budget are that the uplink W O is considerably better
than the downlink Cmo. This meam that the Bandwidth 46.5
performance of the link is dominated by the downlink, Eb/No achieved 17.6
and increasing the performance of the receive SGT will Ebmo required 11.6
result in a substantial saving in satellite transmit power Margin 6.0
resource. I

The Link budget does not explicitly relate the downlink Table 2: Conventional Link Budget
 85

bandwidth. This gives the Eb/No value which is used to In order to enable us to identify whether the uplink or
determine the bit error rate performance of the link. downlink dominates the link performance we need to
identify which component of the noise signal comes
Modelled Link Budget from the uplink and which from the downlink, hence
their separate handling. It is clear from the figures
Table 3 illustrates how the same example link presented that this link is dominated by the downlink,
calculation is represented by the model. Here the power enabling the software within the Planner to identify a
gain transfer function and output power characteristics possible improvemnt in system efficiency by increasing
are displayed for the wanted signal and the introduced the performance of the receiving satellite ground
noise as we pass through a number of blocks within the terminal.
system. For clarity only the signal of interest and the
dominant noise signals are shown. Within the model DISCUSSION
similar parameters are simultaneouslycalculated for all
signals passing through the.system. This paper has described how a software planning tool
has been developed enabling a complex satellite
Significaat noise primarily enters the system at the communications system to be broken down into smaller
satellite and earth station antennas, where the wanted components and represented in a simple mamer. The
signal power is at very low levels arid susceptible to user interface to this tool is both user friendly and
noise. At other places in the link the signal is at a much powerful in that it enable the user to selea the level of
higher level and the noise contributiondue to equipment detail and type of information that he wishes to view,
can be ;gnored without seriously affeaing the accuracy without in any way affecting the accuracy with which
of the calculation. the model represents the current system.

It should be noted that the power gain function affeas Although the software has been developed for a military
the wanted signal and the unwanted noise in the same satellite system, specifically the UKMSCS, it has wider
way, except at the demodulator. lhis is the only filtering applications.With minor modificationsit could represent
device illustrated here, and it attenuates the absolute other completely different satellite systems, including
noise power in accordance with the waoted signal low earth orbiting satellites and inter-satellite links.
bandwidth. Hence the attenuation of noise and
improvement in the signal to noise ratio. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

At the modem the ratio of the wanted signal power (- The authors would like to acknowledge Flt.U. M
54.5 dBW) to the unwanted noise power (-72.1 dBW) is Davies, C Williams and T Farwell of DRA Defford for
17.6 dl3, which is 6 dE3 greater than the required value their substantial technical contributions to this project.
of 11.6 dJ3, hence the performance margin is 6 dE3. In
This work was carried out with the
this case the model has performed the link calculation
support of the Defence Research Agency
using power throughout, rather than calculating C/No Defford
separately for the uplink and the downlink. The results
are the same.

Equipment 1 E I signal Power

(dBW
Uplink Noise
Power (dBW)
Downlink Noise
Power (dBW)

Transmit satellite modem - 55.0

Ground station traosmit chain 71.0 16.0
Ground station transmit antenna 58.0 74.0
Ground to Space link -202.6 -128.6
Satellite receive antenna 19.0 -109.6 -123.3
Satellite transponder 113.0 3.4 - 10.3
Satellite transmit antenna 22.0 25.4 11.7
Space to ground link -201.9 -176.5 -190.2
Ground terminal receive antenna 39.0 -137.5 -151.2 -122.3
Ground terminal receive chain 83.0 - 54.4 - 68.2 - 39.3
Receive satellite modem
~~ ~~
- 54.5 ~
-101.0 - 72.1

Table 3: Modelled Link Budnet