AMITY SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY, NOIDA

UTTAR PRADESH

PROJECT REPORT

On

SATELLITE COMMUNICATION AND LAN/WAN

NETWORKING TECHNIQUES.

PROGRAMME : B.TECH ECE (2007-2011)

SEMESTER : SEVENTH

Faculty Guide: Submitted by:

Mr. Devesh Kumar ayeshna mehra

A2305119228
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the project entitled “SATELLITE

COMMUNICATION AND LAN/WAN NETWORKING TECHNIQUES” is
a bona fide record of the industrial training project under my supervision and
guidance,
guidance, in partial fulfillment
fulfillment of the requirements
requirements for the award of Degree
Degree
of Bachelor of Technology in Electronic and Communication Engineering
from Amity School of Engineering and Technology, Noida, Sec-125 .

Mr. DEVESH
KUMAR (guide)
Dept. of 
Electronics &

Communication Engineering
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Setting an endeavor may not always be an easy task; obstacles are bound to come in its
way and when this happens, help is welcome and needless to say without help of those
 people whom
whom I am mentioning
mentioning here,
here, this endeavor
endeavor would
would not have been
been successful.
successful.
The completion of any project brings with it a sense of satisfaction, but it is never 
complete
complete without thanking those people who made it possible
possible and whose constant
support has crowned our efforts with success. I would like to express my gratitude
to Ms
Ms Meena agarwal, DGM( IT) at NTPC for encouraging and inspiring me to carry out
the project in the Central Satellite Earth Station, NTPC
Station,  NTPC.. I would also like to thank all the
staff members of NTPC for providing me with the required facilities and support towards
the completion of the project .My sincere thanks to my faculty guide Mr. Devesh Kumar 
for his constant support and guidance. Without his corporation the project would not have
 been completed
completed successfully.
successfully. . I am extremely
extremely happy to acknowledge
acknowledge and express my
sincere gratitude to my parents for their constant support and encouragement.

ABSTRACT

The project basically deals with the study of satellite communication and how it works.
Organizations with many remote affiliates can create a private high-speed satellite intranet,
which links the main office reliably with all local sites. Within and amongst institutions
there is an ever-growing need to communicate and to enhance the existing networks. These
networks need high speed, reliable and cost-effective communications. This is especially
true when the locations are dispersed over remote regions , and barely connectable via a
terrestrial network infrastructure. In this case, satellite communications are an effective
 way
way to provid
providee priva
private
te or secu
secure
re data
data netwo
network
rks.
s. There
Therefor
foree for
for comm
communi
unica
cati
tion
on and
exchange of data between various sites a central satellite earth station has been installed at
 NTPC Noida since it is the hub station
station for communication
communication with its various other sites.
sites.
 NTPC Satcom Network
Network is working in STAR Configuration
Configuration with this Hub Earth
Station .NTPC has been assigned transponder number 3 in the
recently launched satellite INSAT 3E.
The project covers detailed
detailed study of the ground segment of satellite
satellite communication.
communication. The
transm
transmiss
ission
ion and receive
receive path which
which include
include various
various sub compone
componentsnts like MODEM
MODEM,,
up/down Converters etc have been studied and how they are connected practically.
 NTPC has a LAN for exchange of information
information within
within the building and a WAN for 
communication with various other sites so the project also covers a brief study of LAN and
WAN networking techniques and basics of services like audio and video conferencing.

Figure (1) - VSAT Star-shaped Network 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENTS
Certificate
Acknowledgement
Abstract

Chapter 1 : INTRODUCTION
Chapter 2 :  NTPC COMPA
COMPANY
NY PROFILE
PROFILE
2.1 Overview of organization
Chapter 3 : INTRODUCTION TO NETWORKING
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Networking topologies
3.3 Types of network 
3.4 Local area network 
3.5 Wide area network 
Chapter 4 : SATELLITE COMMUNICATION OVERVIEW
4.1 How it works
4.2 Types
Types of satellite
satellite
4.3 Types
Types of orbits
orbits
4.4 Frequency bands
Chapter 5 : VERY SMALL APERTURE TERMINAL
5.1 VSAT system architecture
5.2 VSAT topologies
5.3 Hub station
Chapter 6 : CENTRAL SATELLITE EARTH STATION NTPC NOIDA
6.1 Specifications
6.2 CSES block diagram
6.3 Functioning of CSES
6.4 Various subsystems
6.5 Multiple access schemes
6.6 Implementing VSAT
Chapter 7 :  NTPC NETWO
NETWORK
RK TODAY
TODAY
Chapter 8 : CONCLUSION
Chapter 9 : FUTURE IMPLICATIONS
Chapter 10: REFERENCES
CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
A satellite is an object that orbits or revolves around another object. Man-made satellites
 placed around the earth for the purpose of communicatio
communication
n are called as communication
communication
satellites.
satellites. They are highly specialized wireless receiver/transm
receiver/transmitters
itters that are launched by a
rocket and placed in orbit around the Earth. There are hundreds of satellites currently in
operation. Satellite communication is one particular example of wireless communication
systems. Similar and maybe more familiar examples of wireless systems are radio and
television broadcasting and mobile and cordless telephones. Satellite communication is
very simply the communication of the satellite in space with large number of earth stations
on the ground. Users are the ones who generate baseband signals, which is processed at the
earth
earth statio
station
n and then transm
transmitt
itted
ed to the satell
satellite
ite throug
through
h dish
dish antennas
antennas.. The satell
satellite
ite
receives the uplink frequency and the transponder present inside the satellite does the
 processing
 processing function
function and frequency
frequency down conversion
conversion in order to transmit
transmit the downlink 
signal at different frequency. The earth station then receives the signal from the satellite
through parabolic dish antenna and processes it to get back the baseband signal.

There are two basic elements of satellite communication:-

1) Sp
Spac
acee seg
segm
ment
ent
2) Gr
Grou
oun
nd segm
segment
ent

The space segment is primarily the satellite that is used for communication. The satellites
used are exclusively in the Geo-stationary orbit, located on an arc 36,000 km above the
equator.
equator. This
This segment
segment is availab
available
le from
from organiz
organizati
ations
ons that have procure
procured
d satell
satellites
ites,,
arranged launch and who operate these satellites on a commercial basis. In addition to
internat
international
ional agencies,
agencies, a number
number of private
private players
players have emerged
emerged who own or lease
lease
satellites which are used to carry their own or their customer’s data-traffic.

The ground segment is primarily called the Earth terminal segment or the earth station.
Earth stations are located either on the surface of the earth, or within earth’s atmosphere. It
maintains
maintains communication
communication link between
between earth and the satellite.
satellite. . Major components of a
earth station are generally grouped in two categories, ODU (outdoor unit) and IDU (indoor 
unit). The indoor unit interfaces with the end user equipment like stand alone PCs, LANs,
Telephones.

 NTPC has a LAN for exchange of information

information within
within the building.
building. A network
network is any
collection of independent computers that communicate with one another over a shared
network medium. LANs are networks usually confined to a geographic area, such as a
single building or a college campus. LANs can be small, linking as few as three computers,
 but often
often link hundreds
hundreds of computers
computers used
used by thousands
thousands of people.
people. Communication
Communication to
to other 
sites takes place by a WAN via satellite. A Wide area networking combines multiple LANs
that are geographically separate.

CHAPTER 2

NATIONAL THERMAL POWER CORPORATION

CORPORATION
 COMPANY PROFILE

2.1 Overview of Organization

India’s largest
largest power company, NTPC was set up in 1975 to accelerate
accelerate power development
in India. NTPC is emerging as a diversified power major with presence in the entire value
chain of the power generation business. Apart from power generation, which is the mainstay
of the company, NTPC has already ventured into consultancy, power trading, ash utilization
and coal mining. NTPC ranked 317th in the ‘2009, Forbes Global 2000’ ranking of the
World’s biggest companies.
The total installed capacity of the company is 31,704 MW (including JVs) with 15 coal
 based and 7 gas based stations,
stations, located across
across the country. In addition
addition under JVs, 3 stations
stations
are coal based & another station uses naphtha/LNG
naphtha/LNG as fuel. By 2017, the power generation
generation
 portfolio
 portfolio is expected
expected to have a diversified
diversified fuel mix with coal based capacity of around
53000 MW, 10000 MW through gas, 9000 MW through Hydro generation, about 2000 MW
from nuclear sources and around 1000 MW from Renewable Energy Sources (RES). NTPC
has adopted a multi-pronged growth strategy which includes capacity addition through
green field projects, expansion of existing stations, joint ventures, subsidiaries and takeover 
of stations.

 NTPC has been operating

operating its plants at high efficiency
efficiency levels. Although
Although the company has
18.10% of the total national capacity it contributes 28.60% of total power generation due to
its focus on high efficiency.

In October 2004, NTPC launched its Initial Public Offering (IPO) consisting of 5.25% as
fresh issue and 5.25% as offer for sale by Government of India. NTPC thus became a listed
company in November 2004 with the government holding 89.5% of the equity share capital.
The rest is held by Institutional Investors and the Public. The issue was a resounding
succ
succes
ess.
s. NTPC
NTPC is amon
among
g the
the larg
larges
estt five
five comp
compan
anie
iess in Indi
Indiaa in term
termss of mark
market
et
capitalization.

At NTPC,  People before Plant Load Factor  is the mantra that guides all HR related
 policies.
 policies. NTPC has been awarded
awarded No.1, Best
Best Workplace
Workplace in India
India among large
large organizations
organizations
and the best PSU for the year 2009, by the Great Places to Work Institute,
Institute, India Chapter in
collaboration with The Economic Times.

 NTPC has integrated

integrated Informatio
Information
n Technology
Technology as a strategic tool in its manageme
management
nt systems
and aligned Business & Process based on Enterprise Resource planning using SAP AG
Product.

Services covered include the following:

1)  NTPC Ltd has mandated German

German business
business software
software major SAP selecting
selecting its entire
module and has pioneered as first organization in the country to implement all
modules. ERP software package that has helped NTPC in for better control over a
host
host of busine
business
ss activi
activitie
tiess such
such as produc
producti
tion,
on, sales
sales,, Mate
Materi
rial
al manag
managem
ement
ent,,
Codif
Codifica
icati
tion
on of Item
Items,
s, Plant
Plant & Oper
Operat
atio
ion
n Manag
Managem
ement
ent,, Cust
Custome
omerr Relat
Relation
ion
Manag
Managem
ement
ent , C-Fo
C-Folde
lderr for recei
receivin
ving
g draw
drawing
ings,
s, Inspe
Inspect
ction
ion manag
managem
ement
ent,, e-
Procurement, Knowledge portal, etc. across the organizational structure.
2) Management Information Systems
3) Satellite Communication captive network of NTPC established since 1989 hiring
1/2 Transponders on INSAT series of Satellites.
4) Reviewed IT infrastructure for Network Strengthening in view of ERP, Video-
Conferencing, and other applications with retaining consultants from IIT-D .
5) Esta
Establ
blis
ished
hed Mult
Multii Prot
Protoco
ocoll Label
Label Swit
Switchi
ching
ng (MPL
(MPLS)
S) Netw
Network
ork with
with BSNL
BSNL's
's
Backbone for Wide area Network connectivity. IP packets to travel through WAN
networks as well as to ease the routers' overhead by simplifying routing tables.

CHAPTER 3

INTRODUCTION TO NETWORKING
NETWORKING
3.1 INTRODUCTION
Networking is the concept of sharing resources and services. A network of 
computers is a group of interconnected systems sharing resources and interacting using a
shared communications
communications link. A network,
network, therefore,
therefore, is a set of interconnected
interconnected systems
systems with
something to share. The shared resource can be data, a printer, a fax modem, or a service
such as a database or an email system. The individual systems must be connected through a
 pathway (called the transmissio
transmission
n medium)
medium) that is used to transmit
transmit the resource or service
 between
 between the computers.
computers. All systems
systems on the pathway must follow a set of common
common
communication rules for data to arrive at its intended destination and for the sending and
receiving systems to understand each other. The rules governing computer communication
are called protocols.
In summary, all networks must have the following:
1. A resou
resource
rce to
to share
share (re
(reso
sour
urce
ce))
2. A pathway
pathway to
to transfe
transferr data (tran
(transmi
smissi
ssion
on medium
medium))
3. A set of rule
ruless governi
governing
ng how to commu
communica
nicate
te (protoc
(protocols
ols))

Figure(2) - Simplest form of a computer network 

Having a transmission pathway does not always guarantee

comm
commun
unic
icat
atio
ion.
n. When
hen two
two enti
entiti
ties
es comm
commun
unic
icat
ate,
e, they
they do not
not mere
merely
ly exch
exchan
ange
ge
information; rather, they must understand the information they receive from each other.
The goal
goal of comp
comput
uter
er netwo
networki
rking
ng,, ther
theref
efor
ore,
e, is not simp
simply
ly to excha
exchange
nge data
data but to
understand and use data received from other entities on the network.
An analogy is people speaking, just because two people can speak, it does not mean they
automatically can understand each other. These two people might speak different languages
or interpret words differently. One person might use sign language, while the other uses
spoken language. As in human communication, even though you have two entities who
"speak," there is no guarantee
guarantee they will be able to understand
understand each other. Just because two
computers are sharing resources, it does not necessarily mean they can communicate.

Figure (3) - An analogy of a computer network 

Because computers can be used in different ways and can be located at

different distances from each other, enabling computers to communicate often can be a
daunting task that draws on a wide variety of technologies.
The two main reasons for using computer networking are to provide
serv
service
icess and
and to reduc
reducee equip
equipme
ment
nt costs
costs.. Netw
Networ
orks
ks enabl
enablee comput
computer
erss to share
share thei
their 
r 
resources by offering services to other computers and users on a network. The following
are specific reasons for networking PCs
1. Shari
haring
ng file
filess
2. Sharing
Sharing printer
printerss and
and othe
otherr device
devicess
3. Enablin
Enabling
g centraliz
centralized
ed administ
administrat
ration
ion and security
security of the resources
resources within
within the
system.
4. Supporting network applications such as electronic mail and database services
5. Limi
Limite
ted
d res
resou
ourc
rces
es
6. Desi
Desire
re to
to share
share the
the reso
resour
urce
cess
7. Cost
Cost Reduc
educti
tion
on
Today, that's a limiting view, because the most important resource is
information. Network lets us share information and Resource Sharing achieves the same.
 Resource
 Resource Sharing 
The purpose of many computer networks is to permit a far-flung community of 
users to share computer resources. Many such users now have their own microcomputers,
so the shared resources have to be interesting
interesting enough to warrant access via a networ
n etwork.
k. The
facilities accessible by networks are in fact becoming more interesting at a rapid rate.
The remot
remotee comput
computer
er may
may conta
contain
in soft
softwa
ware
re that
that a user
user needs
needs to emplo
employ.
y. It may
may be
 proprietary
 proprietary software kept at one location.
location. It may require a larger
larger machine than any at the
user's
user's locat
location
ion.. The
The dist
distant
ant comp
comput
uter
er may
may prov
provide
ide acces
accesss to data
data that
that is stor
stored
ed and
maintai
maintained
ned at its location.
location. Someti
Sometimes
mes the remote
remote machine
machine controls
controls a large
large or special
special
 printing facility.
facility. Sometimes
Sometimes the remote
remote machine compiles
compiles programs
programs that are used on
smaller peripheral machines.

Cost Reduction
There are various aspects of technology that are likely to force the price of 
term
termina
inall usage
usage dras
drasti
tica
call
lly
y lowe
lower.
r. This
This is impor
importa
tant
nt becau
because
se almo
almost
st all
all aspe
aspect
ctss of 
telecommunications are characterized by high price elasticity. In other words, when the
 price comes
comes down,
down, the usage
usage goes up.
up.

3.2 NETWORK
NETWORK TOPOLOGIE
TOPOLOGIES
S

The term topology refers to the way a network is laid out, either physically or 
logically. Two or more devices connect to a link; two or more links form a topology. The
topology of a network is the geometric representation of the relationship of all the links and
linking
linking devices
devices (usuall
(usually
y called
called nodes)
nodes) to each
each other.
other. There
There are five
five basic
basic topolog
topologies
ies
 possible:
 possible: mesh,
mesh, star, tree,
tree, bus, and ring.
 Figure(4) - Multipoint Line Configuration

Figure (5) - Categories of Topologies

These five labels describe how the devices in a network are interconnected rather 
than their physical arrangement. For example, having a star topology does not mean that all
of the computers in the network must be placed physically around a hub in a star shape. A
consideration when choosing a topology is the relative status of the devices be linked. Two
relationships are possible: peer-to-peer, where the devices share the link equally, and
 primary-second
 primary-secondary,
ary, where one device controls traffic and the others must transmit through
through
it. Ring and mesh topologies are more convenient for peer-to-peer transmission, while star 
and tree are more convenient for primary-secondary, bus topology is equally convenient for 
either.

•  Mesh
 In a mesh topology,
topology, every device has a dedicated
dedicated point-to-point
point-to-point link to every other 
device. The term dedicated means that the link carries traffic only between the two devices
it connects. A fully connected mesh network therefore has n*(n - l)/2 physical channels to
link n devices. To accommodate that many links, every device on the network must have 7
input/output (I/O) ports.

Figure (6) - Fully Connected Mesh

Mesh Topology
A mesh offers several advantages over other network topologies. First, the use of 
dedica
dedicate
ted
d links
links guar
guarant
antee
eess that
that each
each conne
connect
ction
ion can carry
carry its
its own
own data
data load,
load, thus
thus
eliminating the traffic problems that can occur when links must be shared by multiple
devices.
Second, a mesh topology is robust. If one link becomes unusable, it does not
incapacitate the entire system.
Another advantage is privacy or security. When every message sent travels along
dedicated line, only the intended recipient sees it. Physical boundaries prevent other users
from gaining access to messages.
Finally
Finally,, point-t
point-to-po
o-point
int links
links make fault
fault identif
identificat
ication
ion and fault
fault isolat
isolation
ion easy.
easy.
Traffic can be routed to avoid links with suspected problems. This facility enables the
network manager to discover the precise location of the fault and aids in finding its cause
and solution.
The main disadvantages of a mesh are related to the amount of cabling and the
number of I/O ports required. First, because every device must be connected to ever other 
device, installation and reconfiguration are difficult. Second, the sheer bulk of the wiring
can be greater than the available space (in walls, ceilings, or floors) can accommodate.
And, finally, the hardware required connecting each link (I/O ports and cable can be
 prohibitively
 prohibitively expensive).
expensive). For these reasons a mesh topology
topology is usually implemented
implemented in a
limited fashion—for example, as a backbone connecting the main computers of a hybrid
network that can include several other topologies.

•  Star 
In a star topology, each device has a dedicated point-to-point link only to a central
controller,
controller, usually called a hub.
h ub. The devices are not directly
directly linked to each other. Unlike a
mesh topology, a star topology does not allow direct traffic between devices. The controller 
acts as an exchange. If one device wants to send data to another, it sends the data to the
controller, which then relays the data to the other connected device.

Hub

Figure (7) - Star topology

A star topology is less expensive than a mesh topology. In a star, each device needs
only one link and one I/O port to connect it to any number of others. This factor also makes
it easy to install and reconfigure. Far less cabling needs to be housed, and additions, moves,
and deletions involve only one connection: between that device and the hub.
Other advantages include robustness. If one link fails, only that link is affected. All
other links remain active. This factor also lends itself to easy fault identification and fault
isolation. As long as the hub is working, it can be used to monitor link problems and
 bypass defective
defective links.
links.
However, although a star requires far less cable than a mesh, each node must be
linked to a central hub. For this reason more cabling is required in a star than in some other 
topologies (such as tree, ring, or bus).
 • Tree
A tree topology is a variation of a star. As in a star, nodes in a tree are linked to a
central hub that controls the traffic to the network. However, not every device plugs
directly into the central hub. The majority of devices connect to a secondary hub that in
turn is connected to the central hub.
The central hub in the tree is an active hub. An active hub contains a repeater,
which is a hardware device that regenerates the received bit patterns before sending them
out. Repeating strengthens trans- missions and increases the distance a signal can travel.

Figure (8) - Tree Topology

The secondary hubs may be active or passive hubs. A passive hub provides a
simple physical connection between the attached devices.
The advantages and disadvantages of a tree topology are generally the same as
those of a star. The addition of secondary hubs, however, brings two further advantages.
First, it allows more devices to be attached to a single central hub and can therefore
increase the distance a signal can travel between devices. Second, it allows the network to
isola
isolate
te and priori
prioriti
tize
ze comm
communi
unica
cati
tions
ons from
from diffe
differe
rent
nt comput
computer
ers.
s. For
For exam
example
ple,, the
the
computers
computers attached to one secondary hub can be given priority over computers attached to
another secondary
secondary hub. In this way, the network
network designers and operator
operator can guarantee
guarantee that
time-sensitive data will not have to wait for access to the network.
 A good example of tree topology can be seen in cable TV technology where the
main cable from the main office is divided into main branches and each branch is divided
into smaller branches and so on. The hubs are used when a cable is divided.

•  Bus
The preceding examples all describe point-to-point configurations. A bus topology,
on the other hand, is multipoint. Nodes are connected to the bus cable by drop lines and
taps. A drop line is a connection running between
between the device and the main cable. A tap is a
connector that either splices into the main cable or punctures the sheathing of a cable to
create a contact with the metallic core. As a signal travels along the backbone, some of its
energy is transformed into heat. Therefore, it becomes weaker and weaker the farther it has
to travel. For this reason there is a limit on the number of taps a bus can support and on the
distance between those taps.
Advantages of a bus topology include ease of installation. Backbone cable can be
laid along the most efficient path, then connected to the nodes by drop lines of various
lengths. In this way, a bus uses less cabling than mesh, star, or tree topologies. In a star, for 
example,
example, four network devices in the same room require four lengths of cable reaching all
the way to the hub. In a bus, this redundancy is eliminated. Only the backbone cable
stretches through the entire facility. Each drop line has to reach only as far as the nearest
 point on the
the backbone.
backbone.

Figure (9) - Bus Topology

 Disadvantages include difficult reconfiguration and fault isolation. A bus is usually
designed to be optimally efficient at installation. It can therefore be difficult to add new
devices. As mentioned above, signal reflection at the taps can cause degradation in quality.
This
This degr
degrada
adati
tion
on can be contr
control
olle
led
d by limi
limiti
ting
ng the numbe
numberr and
and spaci
spacing
ng of devic
devices
es
connec
connecte
ted
d to a give
given
n lengt
length
h of cable
cable.. Addi
Adding
ng new device
devicess may
may there
therefor
foree requi
require
re
modification or replacement of the backbone.
In addition, a fault or break in the bus cable stops all transmission, even between devices
on the same side of the problem. The damaged area reflects signals back in the direction of 
origin, creating noise in both directions.

•  Ring 
In a ring topology, each device has a dedicated point-to-point line configuration
only with the two devices on either side of it. A signal is passed along the ring in one
direction, from device to device, until it reaches its destination. Each device in the ring
incorporates a repeater. When a device receives a signal intended for another device, its
repeater regenerates the bits and passes them along.
A ring is relatively easy to install and reconfigure. Each device is linked only to its
immediate neighbors (either physically or logically). To add or delete a device requires
moving only two connections. The only constraints are media and traffic considerations
(maximum ring length and number of devices). In addition, fault isolation is simplified.
Generally in a ring, a signal is circulating at all times. If one device does not receive a
signal
signal within a specif
specified
ied period,
period, it can issue
issue an alarm.
alarm. The alarm
alarm alerts
alerts the networ
network 
k 
operator to the problem and its location.
However, unidirectional traffic can be a disadvantage. In a simple ring, a break in
the ring (such as a disabled station) can disable the entire network. This weakness can be
solved by using a dual ring or a switch capable of closing off the break.
 Figure (10) - Ring Topology

3.3 TYPES OF NETWORK- LAN, WAN AND MAN

Today when we speak of networks, we are generally referring to three primary

categories: local area networks, metropolitan area networks, and wide area networks. Into
which category a network its size, its ownership, the distance it covers, and its physical
architecture determine falls.

Figure(11) - Categories of networks

 Local Area Network (LAN)

A local area network (LAN) is usually privately owned and links the devices in a
single office, building,
building, or campus.
campus. Depending on the needs of an organization
organization and the type
of technology used, a LAN can be as simple as two PCs and a printer in someone's home
offic
office,
e, or it can extend
extend thro
throug
ughou
houtt a compa
company
ny and incl
include
ude voice
voice,, sound,
sound, and vide
video
o
 peripherals.
 peripherals. Currently,
Currently, LAN
LAN size is limited
limited to a few kilometer
kilometers.
s.

Figure(12) - LAN
LANs are designed to allow resources to be shared between personal computers or 
workstations. The resources to be shared can include hardware e.g., a printer, software e.g.,
an application program, or data. A common example of a LAN, found in many business
environm
environment
ents,
s, links
links a work
work group
group of task-r
task-relat
elated
ed compute
computers,
rs, for exampl
example,
e, enginee
engineering
ring
workstations
workstations or accounting PCs. One of the computers
computers may be given a large-capacity disk 
drive and become a server to the other clients. Software can be stored on this central server 
and used as needed by the whole group. In this example, the size of the LAN may be
determined by licensing restrictions on the number of users per copy of software, or by
restrictions on the number of users licensed to access the operating system.
In addition to size, LANs are distinguished from other types of networks by their 
transmission media and topology. In general, a given LAN will use only one type of 
transmission medium. The most common LAN topologies are bus, ring, and star.
Traditionally, LANs have data rates in the 4 to 16 Mbps range. Today, however speeds are
increasing and can reach 100 Mbps with gigabit systems in development.

 )
 Metropolitan Area Network (MAN 
A metropolitan area network (MAN) is designed to extend over an entire city. It
may be a single network such as a cable television network, or it may be a means of 
connecting a number of LANs into a larger network so that resources may be shared LAN-
to-LAN as well as device-to-device. For example, a company can use a MAN to connect
the LANs in all of its offices throughout a city.
 Figure(13) - MAN
A MAN may be wholly owned and operated by a private company, or it may be a
service provided by a public company, such as a local telephone company. Many telephone
companies provide a popular MAN service called Switched Multi-megabit Data Services
(SMDS).

 )
Wide Area Network (WAN 
A wide area network (WAN) provides long-distance transmission of data, voice,
image, and video information over large geographical areas that may comprise a country, a
continent, or even the whole world.

Figure(14) - WAN

In contrast to LANs (which depend on their own hardware for transmission),

WANs
WANs may
may util
utilize
ize publi
public,
c, lease
leased,
d, or priva
private
te comm
communi
unica
cati
tion
on devic
devices
es,, usual
usually
ly in
combinations, and can therefore span an unlimited number of miles. A WAN that is wholly
owned and used by a single company is often referred to as an enterprise network.
 3.4 LOCAL AREA NETWORK
NETWORK (LAN)

Local area networks,

networks, generally
generally called LANs, are privately-owne
privately-owned
d networks
networks within a single
 building or campus of up to a few kilometres
kilometres in size. They are widely used to connect
 personal computers and workstations
workstations in company offices and factories
factories to share resources
(e.g., printers) and exchange information. LANs are distinguished from other kinds of 
networks by three characteristics: (1) their size, (2) their transmission technology, and (3)
their topology.

LANs are restricted in size, which means that the worst-case transmission time is bounded
and known in advance. Knowing this bound makes it possible to use certain kinds of 
designs that would not otherwise be possible. It also simplifies network management.
LANs transmission technology consisting of a cable to which all the Desktops/Nodes are
connected, similar to like telephones connected to an EPABX Exchange, however here the
data and voice both are transmitted.

Various topologies are possible and are implemented for LANs such as; Star, Bus, or Ring
topology.

3.5 WIDE AREA NETWORK 

NETWORK 

A wide
wide area
area netwo
network,
rk, or WAN,
WAN, spans
spans a larg
largee geog
geogra
raphi
phica
call area
area,, often
often a count
country
ry or 
continent. It contains a collection of machines intended for running user (i.e., application)
 programs.
 programs. These machines are called hosts. The hosts are connected by a communication
communication
subnet. The hosts are owned by the customers (e.g., people's personal computers), whereas
the communication subnet is typically owned and operated by a telephone company or 
Internet
Internet service provider. The job of the subnet is to carry messages from host to host, just
as the telephone system carries words from speaker to listener. Separation of the pure
communication aspects of the network (the subnet) from the application aspects (the hosts),
greatly simplifies the complete network design.

In most wide area networks, the subnet consists of two distinct components:
 i. Transmission li
lines and
ii. Switching elements.

Transmission lines move bits between machines. They can be made of copper wire, optical
fibre, or even radio links whereas;

Switchi
Switching
ng elemen
elements
ts are special
specialized
ized compute
computers
rs that
that connect
connect three
three or more
more transm
transmiss
ission
ion
lines.
lines. When
When data
data arrive
arrive on an incomi
incoming
ng line,
line, the switching
switching element
element must
must choose
choose an
outgoing line on which to forward them.

Figure(15)- WAN

CHAPTER 4

SATELLITE COMMUNICATION OVERVIEW

 4.1 HOW IT WORKS

The basic elements

elements of satellite
satellite communication
communication are the earth stations, terrestrial
terrestrial system and
the users. The earth stations on the ground linked with a satellite in the space. The user is
connected to the earth station through a terrestrial network and this terrestrial network may
 be a telephone
telephone switch
switch or a dedicated
dedicated link
link to the earth
earth station.
station. The user
user generates
generates a baseband
baseband
signal that is processed through a terrestrial network and transmitted to a satellite. The
satellite consists of a large number of repeaters in space, that receives the modulated RF
carrier in its uplink frequency spectrum from all the earth stations in the network, amplifies
these carriers and retransmits them back to the earth stations in the down link frequency
spectrum. To avoid interference the downlink frequency spectrum should be different from
the uplink frequency spectrum.
spectrum. The signal at the receiving earth station is processed
processed to get
 back the baseband
baseband signal,
signal, it is sent to the user through a terrestrial
terrestrial network.
network. There are
various frequency bands utilized by satellites but the most recognized of them is the uplink 
frequency of 6 Ghz and the downlink frequency of 4 Ghz. Actually the uplink frequency
 band is 5.725
5.725 to 7.075
7.075 Ghz and the actual
actual downlink
downlink frequency
frequency band is
is from 3.4 to 4.8 Ghz.

Satellite communication is one particular example of wireless communication systems.

Similar and maybe more familiar examples of wireless systems are radio and television
 broadcasting
 broadcasting and mobile
mobile and cordless
cordless telephones.
telephones.

4.2 TYPES OF SATELL

SATELLITE:-
ITE:-

The satellite can be classified into two categories:

• Active satellite

• Passive satellite

The major difference between these two is that weather the communication
communication relay involves
 passive reflect
reflection
ion or active
active electronic
electronic system
system

An active satellite is one which has transmitting

transmitting equipment abroad such as a transponder.
transponder.
It is a device which receives a signal from earth, amplifies it and retransmits it back to
earth.
A passive satellite merely reflects or scatters the incident radiation from earth. Passive
satellite relays would require surface transmitters of greater power than would active relay ,
however the active satellite relays must carry abroad receiving and transmitting equipment
and the necessary power sources.

4.3 DIFFERENT TYPES OF ORBITS

Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO): 35,786 km above the earth

Figure(16) -GEO

• Orbiting at the height of 22,282 miles above the equator (35,786 km), the satellite
travels in the same direction and at the same speed as the Earth's rotation on its axis,
taking 24 hours to complete a full trip around the globe. Thus, as long as a satellite is
 positioned
 positioned over the equator in an assigned
assigned orbital location, it will appear to be
"stationary" with respect to a specific location on the Earth.
• A single geostationary satellite can view approximately one third of the Earth's surface.
If three satellites are placed at the proper longitude, the height of this orbit allows
almost all of the Earth's surface to be covered by the satellites.

Medium Earth Orbit (MEO): 8,000-20,000 km above the earth

Figure(17) - MEO

• These orbits are primarily reserved for communications satellites that cover the
 North and
and South Pole
Pole
• Unlike the circular orbit of the geostationary satellites, MEO's are placed in an
elliptical (oval-shaped) orbit

Low Earth Orbit (LEO): 500-2,000 km above the earth

Figure(18) -LEO

• These orbits are much closer to the Earth, requiring satellites to travel at a very high
speed in order to avoid being pulled out of orbit by Earth's gravity
• At LEO, a satellite can circle the Earth in approximately one and a half hours

GEO vs. MEO vs. LEO

Most communications satellites in use today for commercial purposes are placed in the
geostationary orbit, because of the following advantages:

• One satellite can cover almost 1/3 of Earth's surface, offering a reach far more
extensive than what any terrestrial network can achieve
• Communications require the use of fixed antennas. Since geosynchronous satellites
remain
remain statio
stationary
nary over
over the same
same orbita
orbitall locatio
location,
n, users
users can point
point their
their satell
satellite
ite
dish
dishes
es in the
the righ
rightt dire
direct
ctio
ion,
n, with
withou
outt cost
costly
ly trac
tracki
king
ng acti
activi
viti
ties
es,, maki
making
ng
communications reliable and secure
• GEO satellites are proven, reliable and secure - with a lifespan of 10-15 years

4.4 FREQUENCY BANDS FOR SATELLITE

SATELLITE COMMUNICATION
COMMUNICATION

Satellite communications, like any other means of communication (radio, TV, telephone,
etc)
etc),, use
use frequ
requeency
ncy band
bandss that
hat are
are par
part of the
the elect
lectro
roma
magn
gneetic
tic spe
spectru
ctrum.
m. The
electromagnetic radiation spectrum starts with the longest waves (including those in the
audible range) and extends through radio waves and the visible light, which is effectively a
very small part of the spectrum, all the way to the extremely short wavelengths such as
radi
radioa
oact
ctiv
ivee radi
radiat
atio
ion.
n. With
Within
in this
this broa
broad
d rang
rangee of freq
freque
uenc
ncie
ies,
s, the
the Inte
Intern
rnat
atio
iona
nall
Telecommunications Union (the United Nations institution that regulates worldwide use of 
airwa
airwave
ves)
s) has allo
allocat
cated
ed parts
parts of the spect
spectru
rum
m that
that are
are suit
suitabl
ablee for and
and dedicat
dedicated
ed to
transm
transmiss
ission
ion via satell
satellite
ite.. Some
Some of these
these bands
bands are exclus
exclusivel
ively
y dedicat
dedicated
ed to satell
satellite
ite
transmission.
 Figure (19) Spectrum

Band Downlink Uplink

L/S 1.610 to 1.625 GHz 2.483 to 2.50 GHz

C 3.7 to 4.2 GHz 5.924 to 6.425 GHz

Ext C band 4.5 to 4.8 GHz 6.725 to 7.025 GHz

Ku 11.7 to 12.2 GHz 14.0 to 14.5 GHz

Ka 17.7 to 21.7 GHz 27.5 to 30.5 GHz

Figure(20)- Various Bands

The satellite transmission bands that are of interest to us are the C-, Ku- and Ka-bands.

C-band is the oldest allocation and operates in the frequency range around 6 GHz for 
tran
transm
smis
issi
sion
on (upl
(uplin
ink)
k) and
and betw
betwee
een
n 3.7
3.7 and
and 4.2
4.2 GHz
GHz for
for rece
recept
ptio
ion
n (dow
(downl
nlin
ink)
k)..
Ku-band is the most common transmission format in Europe for satellite TV and uses
aro
around
und 14 GHz for upl
uplink and
and between 10.9 and 12.75
2.75 GHz for dow
downli
nlink.
nk.
Ka-band uses around 30 GHz up- and between 18 and 20 GHz downlink frequency.

C-band and Ku-band are becoming congested by an increasing amount of users, so satellite
service operators are more and more turning to the use of Ka-band.

The selection of the band is not something that individual service providers decide, but is
rather chosen by large satellite operators based on different factors:

• Availa
Availabili
bility:
ty: C-band
C-band is still
still the most
most widely
widely availab
available
le worldw
worldwide.
ide. Ku-band
Ku-band is
 becoming more available
available recently
recently in regions which were less covered in the past
(South America, Asia, Africa)
• C-band is more prone to interference from other transmission services that share the
same frequencies (adjacent satellites or terrestrial transmissions) than the higher 
 bands
• While the C-band technology is cheaper in itself, it requires larger dishes (1 to 3 m)
than
than Ku- and Ka-band
Ka-band (0.6 to 1.8 m) and therefore
therefore impose
imposess relati
relatively
vely higher 
(installation) costs on the end-user 
• Ku- and especially Ka-band make better use of satellite capacity
 • Higher frequency bands (Ku- and especially Ka-) suffer significantly more from
signal
signal deteri
deteriorat
oration
ion caused
caused by rainfal
rainfall:
l: to ensure
ensure availab
availabilit
ility
y in bad weather 
weather 
conditions, the signal has to be much stronger. 0.1% of unavailability means in fact
that the service will be interrupted for almost 9 hours over a 1-year period. 1%
unavailability represents 90 hours or almost 4 full days

CHAPTER 5

VERY SMALL APERTURE TERMINAL NETWORKS

(VSAT)

Communication using VSAT (Very

Satellite Communication (Very Small Aperture
Aperture Terminal)
Terminal) since the science
fiction on radio transmission through space using geo-synchronous earth satellite, provider 
has progressed significantly in the field of satellite communications. VSAT is a satellite-
 based communicatio
communications
ns service that offers
offers businesses
businesses and government
government agencies flexible
flexible and
reliable communications solutions, both nationally and internationally, on land and at sea.
VSAT is a term widely used in the satellite industry to describe an earth station that is
installed on the ground to receive communications from a satellite or to communicate with
other
other ground
ground statio
stations
ns by transm
transmitt
itting
ing to and receiving
receiving from
from satell
satellite
ite spacecr
spacecraft.
aft. The
antenna size being restricted to 3.8m.. Terminals installed at distant sites are connected to a
central hub via satellite using small diameter antenna dishes. It is an earth station connected
to the
the geo-
geo-sy
sync
nchr
hron
onou
ouss sate
satell
llit
itee suit
suitab
able
le for
for supp
suppor
orti
ting
ng a vari
variet
ety
y of two
two – way
way
telecommunication and information, services like voice, data and video.

5.1 VSAT SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

A VSAT system consists of a satellite transponder, central hub or a master earth station,
and remote VSATs. The VSAT terminal has the capability to receive as well as transmit
signal
signalss via
via the
the sate
satell
llite
ite to other
other VSAT
VSATss in the
the netw
networ
ork.
k. Depen
Dependi
ding
ng on the
the acces
accesss
technology used the signals are either sent via satellite to a central hub, which is also a
monitoring centre, or the signals are sent directly to VSATs with the hub being used for 
monitoring
monitoring and control.
control. In addi
additio
tion,
n, the star topo
topolog
logy
y all
allows
ows VSATs to use smaller 
smaller 
antennas and lower power transmitters, since they’re communicating only with the large
hub antenna.

National thermal power corporation limited has a VSAT network or a SATCOM

network for communication and exchange of data and information amongst various
sites. NTPC Noida is the central hub and also the monitoring centre.

5.2 VSAT TOPOLOGIES

• Star

The hub station controls and monitors can communicate with a large number of dispersed
VSATs. Generally, the Data Terminal Equipment and 3 hub antenna is in the range of 6-
11m in diameter. Since all VSATs communicate with the central hub station only, this
network is more suitable for centralized data applications.

• Mesh

A group of VSATs communicate directly with any other VSAT in the network without
going through a central hub. A hub station in a mesh network performs only the monitoring
and control functions. These networks are more suitable for telephony applications.

• Hybrid Network 

In practice usually using hybrid networks, where a part of the network operates on a star 
topology while some sites operate on a mesh topology, thereby accruing benefits of both
topologies.
topologies.

The satellite communic

communicatio
ation
n network
network of NTPC
NTPC is operating
operating in star topology
topology with
NTPC Noida being the Hub station. So a central satellite earth station (CSES) is
installed at NTPC Noida (The study of which is the core aim of the project). One major 
advantage of this configuration is that there is virtually no limit on the number of remote
VSATs that can be connected to the hub.
5.3 HUB STATION

The hub station is usually a relatively large, high performance earth station with an antenna

diameter of anything between 6 and 9m or 11. The hub consists of a control centre
which
which manage networ k, includi
managess the networ  including
ng an outdoor
outdoor antenna,
antenna, for the transmi
transmissi
ssion
on and
rece
recepti
ption
on of signa
signals
ls.. Hub
Hub stat
station
ionss are
are quite
quite expen
expensiv
sivee and
and consi
consist
st of sever
several
al main
main
subsyst
subsystems
ems;; except
except for the antenna
antenna these
these are usually
usually fully
fully redunda
redundant
nt with
with automat
automatic
ic
switchover in the event of failure.
Hub stations can be shared between several networks, resulting in a sharing of costs. Two
 principal options for network
network implementati
implementation
on can be adopted.
adopted. Firstly,
Firstly, some very large
users will wish to purchase their own dedicated VSAT networks including a hub. Other 
users will choose to buy or lease the user terminals and to lease access to a hub which will
 be owned by the system operator.
operator. In contrast
contrast to the hub station,
station, the remote terminals
terminals are
much simpler. To minimise total system costs, VSAT networks are designed to have a
single expensive hub and a large number of much smaller remote terminals.
The actual communication between remote sites is through hub and happens in two steps
 because, of which there is a time delay of approximately
approximately 0.5 seconds and makes the
technology highly synchronized.
 CHAPTER 6

Central satellite earth station- NTPC Noida

6.1 SPECIFICATIONS

1)  NTPC has
has been assigned
assigned transponde
transponderr number 3 in ISRO's
ISRO's communicat
communication
ion satellite
satellite
INSAT 3E.
2) INSAT-3E, was successfully launched on September 28, 2003 by the Ariane-5
launch vehicle of Arianespace.
3) INSAT-3E is positioned at 55 deg East longitude in the geosynchronous orbit.
4) INSAT-3E is being tracked, monitored and controlled from the Master Control
Facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka
5) The INSAT series of satellites have typically 12/18 transponders in various
frequency bands; the bandwidth of each transponder is typically 40 MHz but
the usable bandwidth is only 36 MHz. Out of this 36 MHz bandwidth NTPC is
allott
allotted
ed only
only 27 MHz
MHz bandw
bandwidth. The Ku-Ban
idth. Ku-Band
d is interna
internatio
tionall
nally
y popular 
popular 
frequency band. This Ku-Band because of its higher frequency can support traffic
with smaller antenna sizes in comparison to C/Ext – C band. However it can be
affected by rain which makes it unsuitable for use in Southern regions.

6) Presently,
Presently, Indian
Indian service provider
providerss hire a space
space segment
segment only on the INSAT
INSAT series
series
and operate in C band only.

CSE
SES
S NOIDA is the hub stati
tation
on for
for NTP
NTPC Satc
Satcom
om netw
etwork provi
rovidi
din
ng
facilities to:-

• 28 power stations.
 • 5 regional offices & NCPS, DADRI.

• Two corporate centre’s at New Delhi.

Using transponder no. 3 of satellite INSAT 3E with allotted bandwidth of 27 MHz.

Services provided by CSES

• Telephone & fax services among all sites & with CC.

• Connecting about 1000 users through transit switch at SCN.

• Generat
Generation
ion data
data from power
power proje
projects
cts to CC contro
controll room
room on high speed
speed data
data
(WAN)
• Online
Online packag
packages
es of stor
stores
es,, finan
finance
ce,, contr
contrac
acts
ts & gener
generat
ation
ion throug
through
h WAN
WAN
connectivity (256 -512 kbps) provided by multiport router at SCN, Noida .

• Internet services to all sites through multiport router 

• Round the clock technical support to sites.
6.2 CSES NTPC
NTPC BLOCK
BLOCK DIAGRA
DIAGRAM
M

6.2.1 Transmission path

 Figure(21) -transmission path block diagram.

6.2.2 Receive path

 Figure (22)- receive path block diagram

The hub station consists of several main subsystems:-

6.2.3 TRANSMISSION PATH SUBSYSTEMS:-
 • Modem

• Up converters

• High power amplifier (HPA)

• Antenna

6.2.4 RECEIVE PATH SUBSYSTEMS:-

• Low noise amplifier (LNA)

• Down converters

• Modem

The modem
modem interf
interface
acess with
with vario
various
us end user
user equip
equipme
ment,
nt, rangi
ranging
ng from
from stan
stand
d alone
alone
computers, LAN's, routers, multiplexes, telephone instruments as per the requirement.

6.3 FUNCTIONING OF CSES NTPC

•  NTPC has a local

local area network
network (LAN) for exchange
exchange of data and informat
information.
ion. So all
the computers are connected by a switch. But in order to communicate with various
other sites (stations) i.e. a wide area network (WAN) a router is required. Therefore
the switch is connected to the router in order to establish a Wide area network. At
 NTPC along with data communicatio
communication,
n, voice communication
communication is also taking place.
for
for voic
voicee comm
commun
unic
icat
atio
ion,
n, earl
earlie
ierr they
hey were
were usin
using
g a mult
multip
iple
lexe
xerr in which
hich
mult
multip
iple
lexi
xing
ng of data
data and
and voic
voicee was
was done
done.. But
But now
now they
they are
are usin
using
g anot
anothe
her 
r 
technology called VOIP for voice communication. VOIP is basically voice over 
internet protocol. It is a technology in which the telephone is connected to VOIP
which converts voice signal into a digital signal. The output of VOIP is given to the
switch to which all the PC’s are connected. This forms the complete LAN at NTPC.
The switch is connected to the router for WAN.
•  Now the modem interfaces with the end user equipment which is the router
router here.
Since NTPC is the hub station working in star topology. There are around 28 sites
located in various regions of the country. So for every site there is a modem. Now
for the transmission of voice/data to a remote site the router output is given to every
modem. The modulator part of the modem modulates an analog carrier  signal to
encode digital information. The modem has IF( intermediate frequency) output that
is 70 ± 18 MHz

• The output of modem is given to the up converter which translates or converts this
IF frequency to RF (radio frequency) – 6GHz.

Finally the up converter output is given to HPA for amplification the output of 
which is transmitted
transmitted to the antenna which transmits
transmits the data out to the satellite
satellite and
eventually to other ground stations.

• The receive subsystem consisting of a Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) which removes
the noise present in the signal. The frequency of the signal received is 4 GHz.

• The LNA output is given to the down converter which converts this RF frequency
to IF frequency i.e. 70 MHz

• The output of down converter is given to the modem for the demodulation process
in order to extract the baseband signal. And finally the modem interfaces with the
router and the information or data reaches the user.

 Now each subcomponent

subcomponent of
of the centralized
centralized earth station
station NTPC will
will be discussed
discussed in
a little more detail. The router and the LAN part will be discussed in the networking
 part to follow.
6.4 THE VARIOUS
VARIOUS SUBSYSTEMS:-
SUBSYSTEMS:-

6.4.1 MODEM

A modem (modulator-demodulator ) is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to

encode
encode digital
digital informat
information,
ion, and also
also demodul
demodulate
atess such
such a carrie
carrierr signal
signal to decode
decode the
transmitted information. The goal is to produce a signal that can be transmitted easily and
decoded
decoded to reprodu
reproduce
ce the original
original digital
digital data. A satellite modem or  sat modem is a
modem used to establish data transfers using a communications satellite as a relay. Data to
 be transmitted
transmitted are transferr
transferred
ed to a modem from Data
Data terminal
terminal equipment
equipment (e.g. a computer).
computer).
The modem usually has Intermediate frequency (IF) output (that is, 50-200 MHz). At
 NTPC the modems
modems has an
an output of IF that
that ranges
ranges from 70±18
70±18 MHz .This
.This frequency
frequency has to
 be converted
converted using an up .converter
.converter before amplificatio
amplification
n and transmission.
transmission. Similarly,
Similarly, a
signal received
received from a satellite
satellite is firstly down converted
converted then demodulated
demodulated by a modem,
and at last handled by data terminal equipment.

Popular modulation types being used for satellite communications:

a) Binary phase shift keying (BPSK);

 b) Quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK);
c) Orthogonal quadrature phase shift keying (OQPSK);
d) 8PSK;
e) Quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), especially 16QAM.

The modulation techniques used at NTPC are mainly QPSK and 16QAM.

MODEMS USED AT NTPC:-

 NTPC is currently
currently using four types
types of modems:
modems:--

a) UMOD
  b) SSE
c) Datum
d) DMD 20

DMD 20 is the latest modem used here. The main features of this modem are:-

• Frequency- 50-90 MHz

At NTPC 70±18 MHz

• Data rate- 2.4 Kbps-20Mbps

At NTPC 6Mbps

• Modulation
At NTPC QPSK, 16QAM

The various options available in it are:-

• Monitor 

• Modulation

• Demodulation

• Test

• Interface etc

The various configurations done in the DMD 20 are:-

• Frequency

• Modulation

• Data rate

• FEC rate etc

16QAM is the latest modulation technique used at NTPC. The main advantage of this
technique is that it saves the bandwidth. Since there are around 28 sites to which service is
 provided
 provided so the bandwidth
bandwidth is allocated
allocated to each site according
according to the site traffic
traffic and the
requirement. So the
27 Hz bandwidt
bandwidth
h is allocated
allocated accordi
accordingly
ngly..

6.4.2 UP/DOWN CONVERTER 

An up converter works in the transmitting side whereas the down converter functions in the
receive path. The main function of the up converter is that it converts or translates the
intermediate frequency (which is the output of the modem) to the radio frequency (RF)
which is 6GHz. The up converter used at NTPC is a block up converter which converts a
 band (or "block") of frequencies
frequencies from a lower frequency
frequency to a higher frequency.
frequency. Just the
opposite work is done by the down converter that is it takes the radio frequency and
converts it to an intermediate frequency before giving to the modem.

6.4.3
6.4.3 HIGH
HIGH POWE
POWER
R AMPL
AMPLIFI
IFIER
ER (H
(HPA
PA))

The high power amplifier (HPA) is an earth station facility that provides the RF carrier 
 power to the input terminals
terminals of the antenna.
antenna. The output power typically
typically may few watts
watts for 
a single data channel, around a hundred watts or less for a low capacity system, or several
kilowatts
kilowatts for high capacity traffic. An RF power amplifier
amplifier is a type of electronic
electronic amplifier 
used to convert a low power radio frequency signal into a larger signal of significant
 power, typically
typically for driving the antenna of a transmitter.
transmitter. It is usually
usually optimized
optimized to have
high efficiency, high output power compression, good return loss on the input and output,
good gain, and optimum heat dissipation.
 C-band high power amplifiers offer output powers of 50, 100, 150 or 200 watts
Built for reliable, trouble-free service, the amplifiers incorporate microprocessor-
 based monitor
monitor and
and control
control systems.
systems.

6.4.
6.4.4
4 LOW
LOW NO
NOISE
ISE AMP
AMPLI
LIFI
FIE
ER 

The low-noise amplifier

amplifier (LNA) is a special type of electronic amplifier
amplifier or amplifier
amplifier used
in communication systems to amplify very weak signals captured by an antenna. It is often
located very close to the antenna, so that losses in the feed line become less critical.
critical. Using
an LNA, the noise of all the subsequent stages is reduced by the gain of the LNA, while the
noise of the LNA itself is injected directly into the received signal.

6.4.
6.4.5
5 ANTEN
NTENNA
NA SU
SUBS
BSY
YST
STEM
EM

The antenna subsystem consisting of a large antenna (6 to 9 m or 11m in diameter) on a

mount with a tracking system which allows the antenna to follow the satellite as it moves
very slightly in the sky. A feed horn is fitted at the focus of the dish to collect the received
signals from the antenna and to feed the transmit signals to it.

 Software configuration (in NTPC):

 IF frequency: 70+-18 MHz

 Threshold level (at the Rx side): -70 dB

 Power range (at the Tx side): -25 dB to 0dB

 Signal to noise ratio (at the Rx side): 9dB

 Type of modulation: BPSK, QPSK, 16-QAM

 Data rate: 512 Kbps

6.5 MULT
MULTIPL
IPLE
E ACC
ACCES
ESS
S SCHE
SCHEME
MES
S

The primary objective of the VSAT networks is to maximize the use of common satellite
and other
other resour
resources
ces amongs
amongstt all VSAT sites.
sites. The methods
methods by which
which these
these networ
networks
ks
optimize the use of satellite capacity, and spectrum utilization in a flexible and cost-
effective manner are referred to as satellite access schemes. . Good network efficiency
depends very much on the multiple accessing schemes. There are many different access
techniques tailored to match customer applications.

The VSAT services are primarily based on one of two technologies:

i.Single-carrier per channel (SCPC) and

ii. Time-division multiple access (TDMA).

6.5.1 SCPC (Single-Carrier Per Channel)

SCPC-based design provides a point-to-point technology, making it the VSAT equivalent

to conventional leased lines.
6.5.2 TDMA (Time-division multiple access)

In a TDMA network, all VSATs share satellite resource on a time-slot basis. Remote
VSATs use TDMA channels or inroutes for communicating with the hub. There could be
several inroutes associated with one outroute. Several VSATs share one inroute hence
sharing the bandwidth. Typical inroutes operate at 64 or 128 Kbit/s.

6.5.3 FDMA (Frequency Division Multiple Access)

It is the oldest and still one of the most common methods for channel allocation. In this
scheme,
scheme, the availabl
availablee satell
satellite
ite channel
channel bandwid
bandwidth
th is broken
broken into
into freque
frequency
ncy bands
bands for 
different earth stations. This means that guard bands are needed to provide separation
 between
 between the bands.

i. PAMA (Pre-Assigned Multiple Acceess)

It implies that the VSATs are pre-allocated a designated frequency. Equivalent of the
terrestrial leased line solutions, PAMA solutions use the satellite resources constantly.
Consequently, there is no call-up delay what makes them most suited for interactive data
applications or high traffic volumes. As such, PAMA connects high data traffic sites within
an organization.

SCPC (Single Channel Per Carrier) refers to the usage of a single satellite carrier for 
carrying a single channel of user traffic. The frequency is allocated on a pre-assigned basis
in case of SCPC VSAT which is also synonymously known as PAMA VSAT.
ii. DAMA (Demand Assigned Multiple Access)

The network uses a pool of satellite channels, which are available for use by any station in
that network. On demand, a pair of available channels is assigned so that a call can be
established. Once the call is completed, the channels are returned to the pool for an
assignment to another call. . DAMA systems allow the number of channels at any time be
less than the number of potential users. Satellite connections are established and dropped
only when traffic demands them.

iii. CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access)

Under this, a central network monitoring system allocates a unique code to each of the
VSATs
VSATs enab
enablin
ling
g multi
multiple
ple VSAT
VSATs
s to trans
transmit
mit simul
simultan
taneou
eously
sly and
and share
share a commo
common
n
frequency band. Although this is best applicable for very large networks with low data
requir
requirem
emen
ents
ts,, ther
there
e are prac
practic
tical
al restr
restrict
iction
ions
s in the
the use
use of sprea
spread
d spec
spectru
trum.
m. It is
employed mainly for interference rejection or for security reasons in military systems.
 VSAT Accessing Schemes

6.6 IMPLEMENTING VSAT

The Pros:

• Provides an integrated solution for Voice, data and video communication.

• Better Reach- Installable in difficult terrain, remote areas.

• Reliability – uptime of up to 99.5 % is achievable in VSAT network compared to

lease line (in Indian conditions).

• Maintenance - A single point contact with the service provider – lesser elements
involved and hence easy fault finding.
• Better Network Management.

• Quick establishment of new sites.

• Wide geographic coverage.

The Cons:

• Very high Initial Cost of Implementation.

• High Propagation delay

CHAPTER 7

NTPC NETWORK TODAY

 NTPC Communication
Communication Network
Network connects all its Projects,
Projects, Regional
Regional HQ’s, and Regional
Regional
Inspection
Inspection Offices
Offices & Commercial
Commercial Offices to Corporate
Corporate Centers
Centers at SCOPE and at EOC
 NOIDA
 NOIDA for Voice
Voice and Data
Data Communicati
Communication
on via Satellite
Satellite,, MPLS & Leased
Leased Lines.
Lines. The data
network supports all applications like Internet, Email, etc.

 NTPC Satcom Network

Network working in STAR Configuration
Configuration with the Hub Earth Station
located at EOC Noida (U.P.). These are working in C Band on leased capacity on the
INSAT satellite. Data Links are working at the data rate of 1024/512kbps on PAMA to
form WAN connectivity using Multiport Router at hub earth station. Internet, Mail &
GDAMS are working on Satcom Network. Telephony is through DAMA/VOIP in most
location.NTPC has implemented MPLS Network hired from supplier for ERP and other 
online applications
applications at the data rate of 34 Mbps for Data Center
Center Noida,2 Mbps for power 
power 
 plants & RHQ’s
RHQ’s and
and 256 Kbps lines
lines for RIO’s
RIO’s & Commer
Commercial
cial offices.
offices. For running
running ERP 24
*7 a Back
Back up router
router in case of failure
failure of main router
router at Data
Data Centre NOIDA
NOIDA,, is to be
installed
installed which shall
shall be exact replica of Main
Main Data Centre router
router but work in 1+1 with
with
mail router.

Satellite Communication Network 

Network Features

SATELLITE C-BAND LEASED TRANSPONDER (3/4th) CAPACITY ON INSAT 3E.

HUB: INSAT TYPE ‘A’ WITH 11m Ø ANTENNA

SATELLITE EARTH STATION

Phase I: 5 NOS. INSAT TYPE ‘B’ WITH 7.5 m Ø ANTENNA WITH MCPC 512 Kbps
DATA RATE

Phase II: 6 NOS. 3.8 m Ø ANTENNA WITH MCPC 512 Kbps DATA RATE.

Phase III: 8 NOS. 3.8 m Ø ANTENNA WITH 256 Kbps DATA RATE

Phase IV: 3 NOS. 3.8 m Ø ANTENNA WITH 256 Kbps DATA RATE

MICROWAVE LINKS: 2 GHz 2/8 MBPS DIGITAL RADIO SYSTEM.

 NODES CONNECTED
CONNECTED:: 29 (22 POWER
POWER PROJECTS,
PROJECTS, 5 RHQS
RHQS TO CC & EOC
EOC NOIDA)
NOIDA)

NTPC – Business Reach

COAL BASED SITES - 15 No’s

SINGRAULI, RIHAND, DADRI, UNCHAHAR, BADARPUR 

TANDA NR / NCR  

FARAKKA, KAHALGAON, TALCHER,TTPS ER  

KORBA, VINDHYACHAL, SIPAT WR  

RAMAGUNDAM, SIMHADRI SR  

COMBINED CYCLE - 7 No’s (6+1)

DADRI**, AURIYA, ANTA, FARIDABAD NCR 

KAWAS, GANDHAR WR  

KAYAMKULAM SR  

HYDRO

KOLDAM

CC HEAD QUARTER / REGIONAL HQ. 8 No’s (3 + 5 No s)

SCOPE, EOC, PMI, NOIDA

LUCKNOW, PATNA, MUMBAI, HYDERABAD

** CO - LOCATED WITH DADRI THERMAL

NTPC VSAT NETWORK 

  N T P C N E T W O R K 

Central Network H ub/

K o ld a m D a t a c e n t e r L o c a t io
io n a t N O I D A

NEW DELHI

Noida
F a r id a b ad D ad ri
B ad ar p u r LUCKNOW
T an d a
A ura iyaU nc hBa arh
ha Pr A T N A
S ing rau li K a h a lg a o n
A nt a R ih a nd
V i n d h y a c h al F ara k k a
K o rb a
G an d h ar S ip a t T a lc h Se ru p e r
K aw as T alc h Te rhe rm a l

MUM BAI
R a m a g u nd a m

H y d e ra b adS im h a d ri

K a y a m k u la m

CHAPTER 8

CONCLUSION
Hence we have seen the NTPC’s communication network and learnt about the satellite link,
satellite bandwidth what we are using, and about the main equipments and their technical
specifications. I have also learnt the basics of networking and the LAN/WAN networking
techniques. Since the central satellite earth station that has been installed at NTPC Noida is
the hub station for various other sites therefore it needs a continuous supervision so that the
requests
requests and the traffic from various other sites is efficiently handled and managed. I have
learnt how satellite communication practically works and the functioning of a VSAT hub
station. Latest technologies keep coming in the market and NTPC also tries to update itself 
so that it is able to manage the increasing traffic and utilize the bandwidth allotted to it
efficiently.
 CHAPTER 9

FUTURE IMPLICATIONS

In future if I get an opportunity to work on the same project then I would like to learn more
about the networking in NTPC. Now in the new era of ERP the communication facilities
have to very rugged and they should provide communication with zero down time. NTPC
has introduced new services like ERP. Due to time limitation our main focus was on the
satellite
satellite communication
communication but in future I would like to research
research and study further about how
the video conferencing works in NTPC and the latest services that are being introduced in
its IT department. I would also like to understand how link budget calculations are done.
 CHAPTER 10

REFERENCES

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_satellite

• http://www.tutorialsweb.com/satcom/fundamentals-of-satellite-
communications.htm

• http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/524891/satellite-
communication

• http://www.gatewayforindia.com/technology/satellite.htm

• http://www.wtec.org/loyola/satcom/toc.htm

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_station

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Very_small_aperture_terminal

• http://www.angelfire.com/electronic/vikram/tech/vsattut.html

• http://hubpages.com/hub/How-the-VSAT-Technology-Works

• http://www.crystalcommunications.net/satellite/vsat/about_vsat.htm

• http://www.gilat.com/Content.aspx?
Page=how_to_communicate_across_satellite_networks