King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals

Department of Electrical Engineering

EE 418 Introduction to Satellite Communication
Section 01 (071)
Homework Assignment # 2 (Due Sunday, 25 November 2007)

As this homework set is relatively simple, you are asked to work on it alone.
No cooperation between students is allowed in solving this homework
assignment
1. A satellite receiver has an overall System Temperature of TS = 97.45 K, and the
following other specifications:

TIn = 35 K
TRF = 50 K GRF = 1000
TM = 250 K GM = 0.125
TIF = Unknown GRF = 10

a) Find the noise temperature of the IF stage (TIF),

b) If the bandwidth of the signal we are interested in is 20 MHz, find the noise
power that would be accompanying this signal at i) the output of the antenna, ii)
the output of the RF stage, iii) the output of the mixer, and iv) the output of the
IF stage.

a) We know that the System Noise Temperature TS is given by

TM T IF
T S  T In  T RF  
G RF G RF G M

So,

250 T IF
97.45  35  50  
1000 (1000)(0.125)

T IF  1525 K

b) The noise power that would accompany the signal at

i) the output of the antenna is a function of TIn only
 Pat output of antenna  k   T In   B N
  1.39*1023   35   20*106 

ii) the output of the RF stage is a function of TIn , TRF , and GRF

Pat output of RF  k   T In T RF  G RF   B N

  1.39*1023   35  50   1000    20*106 

iii) the output of the Mixer stage is a function of TIn , TRF , TM , GM

and GRF


Pat output of M  k   T In T RF  G RF T M  G M  B N
 
  1.39*1023   35  50   1000   250  0.125  20*106 

iv) the output of the IF stage is a function of TIn , TRF , TM , TIF , GIF ,
GM and GRF

 
Pat output of IF  k   T In T RF  G RF T M  G M T IF G IF  B N

  1.39*1023    35  50   1000  250 0.125  1525 10  20*10 

6

Note that this could have also been obtained using

Pat output of IF  k  T S G RF G M G IF   B N

2. A circular antenna on a GEO satellite is transmitting signals in the frequency range

10.2 GHz to 12.5 GHz. Determine the minimum diameter of the antenna in each case
(consider the worst situation in each case) that will be able to provide:

a) a minimum 3-dB coverage area on Earth with a circular shape around the sub-
satellite point with radius of 500 km,
b) a minimum antenna gain of 56.80 dB given that the antenna reflector has an
efficiency of 0.7

a) The altitude (not radius) of a GEO is (42,164 – 6,378 = 35,786 km)

So, a circular coverage area of radius 500 km will represent an angle of
 3dB  500 
 tan 1    0.800
2  35, 786 

So,

 500 
3dB  2 tan 1    1.600
 35, 786 

Now, consider the two frequency extremes knowing that the 3 dB beamwidth in
   
degrees is given by 3dB  75   or D  75  :
D   3dB 

3*108  0.0294 
f C  10.2 GHz    9
 0.0294 m  D  75    1.379 m
10.2*10  1.600 

3*108  0.024 
f C  12.5 GHz    9
 0.024 m  D  75    1.125 m
12.5*10  1.600 

For an antenna to work for all of our frequency range and provide coverage
to our area with radius of 500 km, it must have a radius of 1.125 m to do so.
If the larger diameter was used, it will provide coverage for low frequencies
around 10.2 GHz, but when frequency is increased, coverage area will
become smaller than 500 km in radius.

a) Consider the two frequency extremes knowing that the gain is given by
 D
2
 G  478,630
G   A     56.8 dB  478, 630 or D   :
   A  0.7

3*108 0.0294 478, 630

f C  10.2 GHz     0.0294 m  D   7.738 m
10.2*109
 0.7

3*108 0.024 478, 630

f C  12.5 GHz     0.024 m  D   6.317 m
12.5*10 9
 0.7

For an antenna to work for all of our frequency range and provide the
minimum required gain, it must have a radius of 7.738 m to do so. If the
smaller diameter was used, it will provide the required gain at the high
frequency around 12.5 GHz, but when frequency is reduced, the gain will
become smaller than 56.8 dB.
3. Solve Problem 3 on page 93 of your textbook (Remember that the sun provides 1.39
kW/m2 of power. Part of this is absorbed by solar cells depending on their efficiency
and that spinner satellites have an effective area of the satellites illuminated by the
sun that is equal to Height * Width = Height * Circumference / π).

a) For the 3-axis stabilized satellite,

Total Power Output by SCs  Efficincy * Effective SC Area * Sun Radiation per 1 m 2
So,

Total Power Output by SCs

Effective SC Area 
Efficincy * Sun Radiation per 1 m 2

Therefore,

4 kW
Effective SC Area   19.18 m 2
kW
0.15 * 1.39 2
m

If the width of the solar sail is 2 m, the length of would be 9.59 m.

b) For the spinner satellite,

Total Power Output by SCs  Efficincy * Effective SC Area * Sun Radiation per 1 m 2
So,

Height * Circumference
Effective SC Area  Height * Diameter =

Total Power Output by SCs

Efficincy * Sun Radiation per 1 m 2

Therefore,

4 kW
Effective SC Area   15.98 m 2
kW
0.18 * 1.39 2
m

If the Diameter of the satellite is 3.5 m, its height would be 4.56 m.

 4. For a satellite downlink with the following specifications

Satellite Output Power   15.00 W

Satellite Output Backoff   2.5 dB
Antenna Efficiency 0.85
Satellite Antenna Gain
Diameter 1.20 m
Edge of Beam Loss for Sat. Antenna   3 dB
Signal Bandwidth   22 MHz
Carrier Signal Frequency   11.3 GHz
Minimum Permitted C/N ratio at
receiver   16 dB
Antenna Efficiency 0.6
Earth Station Antenna Gain
Diameter 0.85 m
Tin = 25 K
TRF = 35 K GRF = 100
Receiver Noise Specifications
TM = 100 K GM = 0.1
TIF = 200 K GIF = 20
Maximum Sat.-Earth Station Distance   40000 km
Clear Air Atmospheric Loss   2 dB
Rain Loss   8 dB
Other Losses   1 dB

a) Fill in the table given below with the proper results obtained from the table above
both in linear units and in dB units (Include a sheet that shows all of your work).
Remember that losses represent gains that are smaller than zero or negative dBs.

Carrier Results
Effective Satellite Transmitted Power   W dBW
Satellite Antenna Gain   Linear dB
Earth Station Antenna Gain   Linear dB
Free Space Path Loss at Edge of Beam   Linear dB
All Other Losses   Linear dB
  Earth Station Received Carrier Power   Linear dB

Noise Results
Boltzmann's Constant   J/K dB(W/K/Hz)
System Noise Temperature   K dBK
Noise Bandwidth   MHz dBHz
  Earth Station Received Noise Power   W dBW

C/N Ratio
  C/N Ratio at Earth Station Antenna Output   Linear dB

b) Determine if this system will satisfies the minimum system carrier to noise ratio
(C/N) of not. Determine the (C/N) margin in dBs (remember that the (C/N)
 margin is positive if the system performs better than minimum (C/N) permitted
and negative if does not).
c) If you were able to modify the satellite antenna diameter only, what would be the
new satellite antenna diameter that will give a (C/N) margin of +3 dB?
d) If you were able to modify the satellite transmitted power, how much would the
satellite transmit in W for the downlink to have (C/N) margin of +1 dB?
e) Statistics indicate that the coverage area of this satellite experiences rain
attenuation according to table below. If the (C/N) margin obtained in (b) is
completely allocated to rain attenuation, how many hours a year will this
downlink provide a (C/N) ratio below the minimum allowed (called outage time).
Use interpolation between two points to find an accurate outage time.

Attenuation (dB) Duration

(Hours a year)
1 dB 350
2 dB 300
3 dB 250
4 dB 210
5 dB 160
6 dB 130
7 dB 100
8 dB 85
9 dB 70
10 dB 55
11 dB 30
12 dB 22
13 dB 15
14 dB 10
15 dB 7
16 dB 3

a) To fill in the table, first consider the quantities given in the first table. Assume that these
quantities are represented by the variables shown below:
 b)
Satellite Output Power   Pmax W
Satellite Output Backoff   Pbackoff dB
Antenna Efficiency S
Satellite Antenna Gain
Diameter DS m
Edge of Beam Loss for Sat. Antenna   Ledge dB
Signal Bandwidth   BWSignal MHz
Carrier Signal Frequency   fc GHz
Minimum Permitted C/N ratio at
receiver   (C/N)min dB
Antenna Efficiency ES
Earth Station Antenna Gain
Diameter DES m
Tin = 25 K
TRF = 35 K GRF = 100
Receiver Noise Specifications
TM = 100 K GM = 0.1
TIF = 200 K GIF = 20
Maximum Sat.-Earth Station Distance   Dist km
Clear Air Atmospheric Loss   LA dB
Rain Loss   LR dB
Other Losses   LO dB

Now, the requested table can be filled easily using the following formulas (either the linear of
the dB value is found in each case, the other one can be obtained easily using the 10 log (.) or 10 (
. /10)

Carrier Results
PT  PMax (dB)
Effective Satellite Transmitted Power   W  PBackoff (dB) dBW
2
 DS 
G S  S   
Satellite Antenna Gain    c /fC  Linear dB
2
 D 
G ES   ES   ES 
Earth Station Antenna Gain    c /fC  Linear dB
2
 Dist 
L P   4 
Free Space Path Loss at Edge of Beam    c /fC  Linear dB
All Other Losses   Linear L A  L R  LO dB
PR  PT (dB)
G S (dB)
G ES (dB)
L P  L A
  Earth Station Received Carrier Power   Linear  L R  LO dB

Noise Results
 Boltzmann's Constant   1.39*10-23 J/K dB(W/K/Hz)
T S  T In  T RF
TM

G RF
T IF

System Noise Temperature   G RF G M K dBK
Noise Bandwidth   BWSignal MHz dBHz
  Earth Station Received Noise Power   PN = (1.39*10-23)Ts BWSignal W dBW

C/N Ratio
(C / N ) 
  C/N Ratio at Earth Station Antenna Output   Linear PR (dB)  PN (dB) dB

b) If (C/N) is greater than (C/N)min , the system is working fine, otherwise it is not working
properly.

c) The satellite antenna needs to be modified so that the C/N margin is only 3 dB. Weather
the (C/N) in dB was positive or negative, the satellite antenna gain will be changed to
make such that the new (C/N) is greater than (C/N)min by only 3 dB. That is,

The new gain of the antenna GS,new = GS,old – [(C/N) – ((C/N)min + 3)] (All in dB)

c G S ,new
Once the new gain is obtained, use D S  to obtain the new diameter
f C S

d) The same concept as in (c) is applied here to make the C/N margin only 3 dB. Weather
the (C/N) in dB was positive or negative, the satellite needs to transmit an amount of
power in dB that is equal to

The new transmitted power PT,new = PT,old – [(C/N) – ((C/N)min + 3)] (All in dB)

e) We will have to first obtain the total loss allocated to rain in dB. This can be obtained by
adding using the following formula
LR,max = LR (8 dB as given in problem) + [(C/N) – (C/N)min] (All in dB)

Once this is found, use interpolation to find the amount of time (using the last table) by
interpolation in the following form (for illustration, let L R,max = 12.35 dB)

TOutage  22 L R ,max  12 12.35  12

   0.35
15  22 13  12 13  12
Solving for Toutage gives the required value.