Η παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία ασχολείται με τις δορυφορικές επικοινωνίες και, πιο συγκεκριμένα, με τις δορυφορικές κινητές επικοινωνίες. Στόχος της είναι η μελέτη και ανάλυση όλων των φαινομένων που λαμβάνουν χώρα κατά τη διαδρομή ενός σήματος σε ένα δορυφορικό σύστημα, έτσι ώστε να είναι εφικτή η υλοποίηση ενός δορυφορικού συστήματος με τη βοήθεια ενός προγράμματος προσομοίωσης. / This project refers to satellite communications and specifically to satellite mobile communications. The aim of this project is to analyse all the effects that take place during the signal transmission in order to achieve the modelization of an Rf satellite link with the Simulink programm.

In today’s technologically driven world, antennas play an essential role in enabling wireless communications over long distances and allow communities to interact on a global scale. Typically, this is done using large networks of antenna systems on the ground and in space to ensure signals reliably arrive at their destinations, which can be very expensive in terms of replacement cost and maintenance as the number of nodes increase. We shall be discussing a new method for deploying space-borne antennas via CubeSats that will enable high speed communications with the ground and other satellites at a fraction of the cost and complexity of traditional communication systems. Specifically, the focus will be on the design of a phased array line feed and the backend systems for a CubeSat deployable inflatable spherical reflector that is electronically steerable to any direction in azimuth and elevation.

Satellite communication (SatCom) is an essential component of next-generation wireless communications. The existing terrestrial network will be overwhelmed due to the rapid growth of demand for data and serving remote areas by using only terrestrial networks is demanding. In addition, terrestrial communications are susceptible to natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. In order to overcome these disadvantages of the terrestrial communication systems, SatCom systems are being deployed and covering remote or sparsely populated areas. However, research on SatCom is still not enough and it has not been studied as much as on terrestrial communication. In this thesis, we investigate and analyze system models using SatCom. Furthermore, we present to improve the performance of SatCom by applying the proposed techniques in terrestrial communications. First of all, we analyze the outage probability and symbol error rate of the SatCom system. In single-beam and multi-beam situations, all factors that can be considered in the SatCom channel model are considered. Since the beam coverage of the satellite is broad, a number of users are randomly distributed within the beam. We investigate the performance of the SatCom system according to the user selection methods considering the user's location as well. Secondly, a system in which multiple gateways transmit signals over multiple beams is taken into account. Many users are placed in each beam, and inter-beam interference exists due to full-frequency reuse. To simultaneously cover the multiple users in the beam, signals are transmitted using non-orthogonal multiple access. In order to maximize system throughput, precoding for interference mitigation and NOMA optimization techniques are proposed. Finally, a cognitive radio network in which high-altitude platforms (HAPs) are applied to conventional SatCom systems and share frequency bands with SatCom is taken into consideration. HAPs are used to cover user-dense areas within satellite beam coverage. In order to properly handle interference caused by spectrum sharing and improve the system data rate, precoding and frequency band allocation schemes are proposed.

No / In the future mobile network, satellites will operate alongside cellular networks in order to provide seamless connectivity irrespective of the location of the user. Such a service scenario requires that the next generation of mobility management (MM) procedures are able to ensure terminal and user mobility on a global scale. This paper considers how the principles of Mobile-IP can be used to develop MM procedures for a heterogeneous access network, comprizing of satellite and cellular elements, connected to an IP core network.Initially, the system architecture is described. This is followed by a discussion of issues related to MM, where location, address and handover management are considered. A description of the signaling protocols for macro-mobility using Mobile-IP is then presented, emphasizing the need to minimize the change to the existing access network procedures. Finally, the performance of the protocols is analyzed in terms of the additional signaling time required for registration and handover.

Thesis (MScEng (Electrical and Electronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Stellenbosch University and the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven has a joint undertaking to develop a satellite communications payload. The goals of the project are: to undertake research and expand knowledge in the area of dynamically configurable antenna beam forming, to prove the viability of this research for space purposes and to demonstrate the feasibility of the development in a practical application. The practical application is low Earth orbit satellite communication system for applications in remote monitoring. Sensor data will be uploaded to the satellite, stored and forwarded to a central processing ground station as the satellite passes over these ground stations. The system will utilise many low-cost ground sensor stations to collect data and distribute it to high-end ground stations for processing. Applications of remote monitoring systems are maritime- and climate change monitoring- and tracking. Climate change monitoring allows inter alia, for the monitoring of the effects and causes of global warming. The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven is developing a steerable antenna to be mounted on the satellite. Stellenbosch University is developing the communications payload to steer and use the antenna. The development of the communications protocol stack is part of the project. The focus of this work is to implement the application layer protocol, which handles all file level communications and also implements the communications strategy. The application layer protocol is called the Satellite Communications Software System (SCSS). It handles all high level requests from ground stations, including requests to store data, download data, download log files and upload configuration information. The design is based on a client-server model, with a Station Server and Station Handler. The Station Server schedules ground stations for communication and creates a Station Handler for each ground station to handle all ground station requests. During the design, all file formats were defined for efficient ground station-satellite communications and system administration. All valid ground station requests and handler responses were also defined. It was also found that the system may be made more efficient by scheduling ground stations for communications, rather than polling each ground station until one responds. To be able to schedule ground station communications, the times when ground stations will come into view of the satellite have to be predicted. This is done by calculating the positions of the Satellite and ground stations as functions of time. A simple orbit propagator was developed to predict the satellite distance and to ease testing and integration with the communications system. The times when a ground station will be within range of the satellite were then predicted and a scheduling algorithm developed to minimise the number of ground stations not able to communicate. All systems were implemented and tested. The SCSS executing on the Satellite was developed and tested on the satellite on-board computer. Embedded implementations possess strict resource limitations, which were taken into account during the development process. The SCSS is a multi-threaded system that makes use of thread cancellation to improve responsiveness. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Universiteit van Stellenbosch ontwerp tans ’n satelliet kommunikasieloonvrag in samewerking met die Katolieke Universiteit van Leuven. Die doel van die projek is om navorsing te doen oor die lewensvatbaarheid van dinamies verstelbare antenna bundelvorming vir ruimte toepassings, asook om die haalbaarheid van hierdie navorsing in die praktyk te demonstreer. Die praktiese toepassing is ’n satellietkommunikasiestelsel vir afstandsmonitering, wat in ’n Lae-Aarde wentelbaan verkeer. Soos die satelliet in sy wentelbaan beweeg, sal sensor data na die satelliet toe gestuur, gestoor en weer aangestuur word. Die stelsel gebruik goedkoop sensorgrondstasies om data te versamel en aan te stuur na kragtiger grondstasies vir verwerking. Afstandsmoniteringstelsels kan gebruik word om klimaatsverandering, sowel as die posisie van skepe en voertuie, te monitor. Deur oa. klimaatsveranderinge te dokumenteer, kan gevolge en oorsake van globale verhitting gemonitor word. Die Katholieke Universiteit van Leuven is verantwoordelik vir die ontwerp en vervaardiging van die satelliet antenna, terwyl die Universiteit van Stellenbosch verantwoordelik is vir die ontwerp en bou van die kommunikasie loonvrag. ’n Gedeelte van hierdie ontwikkeling sluit die ontwerp en implementasie van al die protokolle van die kommunikasieprotokolstapel in. Dit fokus op die toepassingsvlak protokol van die protokolstapel, wat alle leêrvlak kommunikasie hanteer en die kommunikasiestrategie implementeer. Die toepassingsvlaksagteware word die Satellietkommunikasie sagtewarestelsel (SKSS) genoem. Die SKSS is daarvoor verantwoordelik om alle navrae vanaf grondstasies te hanteer. Hierdie navrae sluit die oplaai en stoor van data, die aflaai van data, die aflaai van logs en die oplaai van konfigurasie inligting in. Die ontwerp is op die standaard kliënt-bediener model gebasseer, met ’n stasiebediener en ’n stasiehanteerder. Die stasiebediener skeduleer die tye wanneer grondstasies toegelaat sal word om te kommunikeer en skep stasiehanteerders om alle navrae vanaf die stasies te hanteer. Gedurende die ontwerp is alle leêrformate gedefinieer om doeltreffende adminstrasie van die stelsel, asook kommunikasie tussen grondstasies en die satelliet te ondersteun. Alle geldige boodskappe tussen die satelliet en grondstasies is ook gedefnieer. Daar is gevind dat die doeltreffendheid van die stelsel verhoog kan word deur die grondstasies wat wil kommunikeer te skeduleer, eerder as om alle stasies te pols totdat een reageer. Om so ’n skedule op te stel, moet die tye wanneer grondstasies binne bereik van die satelliet gaan wees voorspel word. Hierdie voorspelling is gedoen deur die posisies van die satelliet en die grondstasies as funksies van tyd te voorspel. ’n Eenvoudige satelliet posisievoorspeller is ontwikkel om toetsing en integrasie met die SKSS te vergemaklik. ’n Skeduleringsalgoritme is toe ontwikkel om die hoeveelheid grondstasies wat nie toegelaat word om te kommunikeer nie, te minimeer. Alle stelsels is geimplementeer en getoets. Die SKSS, wat op die satelliet loop, is ontwikkel en getoets op die satelliet se aanboord rekenaar. Die feit dat ingebedde stelsels oor baie min hulpbronne beskik, is in aanmerking geneem gedurende die ontwikkeling en implementasie van die SKSS. Angesien die SKSS ’n multidraadverwerkingsstelsel is, word daar van draadkansellasie gebruik gemaak om die stelsel se reaksietyd te verbeter.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 28-31, 1996 / Town and Country Hotel and Convention Center, San Diego, California / Over a dozen commercial remote sensing programs are currently under development representing billions of dollars of potential investment. While technological advances have dramatically decreased the cost of building and launching these satellites, the cost and complexity of accessing their data for commercial use are still prohibitively high. This paper describes Reconfigurable Gateway Systems which provide, to a broad spectrum of existing and new data users, affordable telemetry data acquisition, processing and distribution for real-time remotely sensed data at rates up to 300 Mbps. These Gateway Systems are based upon reconfigurable computing, multiprocessing, and process automation technologies to meet a broad range of satellite communications and data processing applications. Their flexible architecture easily accommodates future enhancements for decompression, decryption, digital signal processing and image / SAR data processing.

In remote areas without conventional cellular service, satellite communication is often the only viable option. Handheld devices for use with satellite communication networks require a high transmit power to obtain a reliable signal. The need for a high transmit power makes it difficult for the device to meet specific absorption rate (SAR) restrictions. An adaptive beam forming technique for shaping radiation away from the user’s head is proposed. This technique uses a back-to-back patch antenna design with an impedance monitoring based system capable of adaptively controlling the pattern of the antenna. The adaptive antenna system was designed, simulated, fabricated, and measured. The system could detect a head phantom within 3 cm of the antenna. SAR levels were verified to be within safety restrictions at 3 cm through simulation. By turning off the patch facing the user’s head when the phone is transmitting, and the user’s head is within 3 cm, it was shown that SAR levels could be reduced to safe levels. / February 2017

L’objectif de la thèse est l’étude des codes correcteurs d’erreurs au niveau applicatif (Application Layer – Forward Error Correction, ou AL-FEC) pour les communications par satellite. Dans ce contexte, pendant les deux première années de thèse, nous avons proposé de nouvelles méthodes d’analyse, de construction et d’optimisation des codes à effacements définis par des matrices de parité à faible densité (code LDPC, pour « Low Density Parity Check » en anglais). La troisième année de la thèse a été consacrée à : (1) La suite des études portant sur de nouvelles méthodes de construction des codes LDPC non-binaires. D’une part, nous avons développé un nouvel algorithme (Scheduled-PEG) qui permet d’optimiser la construction des codes LDPC non-binaires pas rapport aux métriques de performance spécifiques à la couche application, notamment dans le cadre des systèmes de diffusion de contenu (broadcasting). D’autre part, nous avons proposé une nouvelle méthode de construction de codes à faible rendement, qui utilise l’image binaire étendue d’un code LDPC non-binaire. Ces études ont fait l’objet de deux publications dans deux conférences internationales : (a) “Scheduled-PEG construction of LDPC codes for Upper-Layer FEC”, International Workshop on Coding and Cryptography, April 2011, Paris, France. (b) “Extended Non-Binary Low-Density Parity-Check Codes over Erase Channels”, IEEE International Symposium on Wireless Communication Systems, November 2011, Aachen, Germany. (2) Une étude portant sur l’analyse asymptotique de codes cluster-LDPC non-binaires. Cette nouvelle classe de codes – introduite récemment (ISIT’2011) – se distingue par ses excellentes propriétés en termes de distance minimale. Notre étude a permis de déterminer de manière analytique la capacité de correction des codes cluster-LDPC non-binaires, aussi bien pour le décodage itératif par propagation de croyances (BP, pour « Belief Propagation ») que pour le décodage par maximum de vraisemblance (ML, pour « Maximum Likelihood »). Ces résultats seront intégrés à une publication scientifique sur les codes cluster-LDPC, en cours de rédaction, qui sera soumise à « IEEE Transactions on Information Theory », avant la fin de l’année 2011. (3) Une étude portant sur une méthode de construction des codes LDPC qui permet de réduire de manière significative le plancher d’erreur (« error floor ») du code, sans dégrader ses performances dans la région de « waterfall ». Ainsi, nous avons proposé la structuration de la matrice de parité du code, de manière à intégrer une partie irrégulière, optimisée pour la partie « waterfall », et une partie régulière, qui permet de réduire le plancher d’erreur du code. Cette étude fera l’objet d’une publication dans une conférence internationale (à déterminer), à soumettre début 2012. / The advent of content distribution, IPTV, video-on-demand and other similar services accelerate the demand for reliable data transmission over highly heterogeneous networks and toward terminals potentially heterogeneous too. In this context, Forward Error Correction (FEC) codes that operate at the transport or the Application Layer (AL-FEC) are used in conjunction with the FEC codes implemented at the physical layer, in order to improve the overall performance of the communication system. AL-FEC codes are aimed at recovering erased data packets and they are essential in many multicast/broadcast environments, no matter the way the information is transported, for instance using a wired or wireless link, and a terrestrial, satellite-based or hybrid infrastructure.This thesis addresses the design of Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes for AL-FEC applications. One the one hand, we provide an asymptotical analysis of non-binary LDPC codes over erasure channels, as well as waterfall and error-floor optimization techniques for finite-length codes. On the other hand, new concepts and coding techniques are developed in order to fully exploit the potential of non-binary LDPC codes.The first contribution of this thesis consists of the analysis and optimization of two new ensembles of LDPC codes. First, we have derived the density evolution equations for a very general ensemble of non-binary LDPC codes with rank-deficient coefficients. This allows improving the code performance, as well as designing ensembles of LDPC codes that can be punctured in an effective manner. The second approach allows the asymptotical optimization of a particular ensemble of LDPC codes, while ensuring low error-floors at finite lengths.The second contribution is the construction of finite length LDPC codes with good waterfall and error floor performance. Two approaches were investigated, according to the metric used to evaluate the code. The “Scheduled” Progressive Edge Growth (SPEG) algorithm is proposed, in order to optimize the waterfall performance of the code. Another method is proposed which consists in optimizing a specific structure of the parity check matrix. This approach gives low error-floors.The third contribution investigates a new technique of rate adaptability for non-binary LDPC codes. We propose a new method to generate “on-the-fly” incremental redundancy, which allows designing codes with flexible coding rates, in order to cope with severe channel conditions or to enable Fountain-like distribution applications.The fourth contribution focuses on a new class of LDPC codes, called non-binary cluster-LDPC codes. We derive exact equations of the density evolution for the iterative decoding and an upper bound for the maximum-likelihood decoding.Finally, we propose a practical solution to the problem of reliable communication via satellite to high-speed trains. Here, the challenge is that obstacles present along the track regularly interrupt the communication. Our solution offers optimal performance with a minimum amount of redundancy.

<p>The next generation satellite communication networks will provide multimedia services supporting high bit rate, mobility, ATM, and TCP/IP. In these cases, the satellite technology will act as the internetwork infrastructure of future global systems and assuming a global wireless system, no distinctions will exist between terrestrial and satellite communications systems, as well as between fixed and 3G mobile networks. In order for satellites to be successful, they must handle bursty traffic from users and provide services compatible with existing ISDN infrastructure, narrowcasting/multicasting services not offered by terrestrial ISDN, TCP/IP-compatible services for data applications, and point-to-point or point-to-multipoint on-demand compressed video services. This calls for onboard processing payloads capable of frequency multiplexing and demultiplexing and interference suppression.</p><p>This thesis introduces a new class of oversampled complex modulated filter banks capable of providing frequency multiplexing and demultiplexing. Under certain system constraints, the system can handle all possible shifts of different user signals and provide variable bandwidths to users. Furthermore, the aliasing signals are attenuated by the stopband attenuation of the channel filter thus ensuring the approximation of the perfect reconstruction property as close as desired. Study of the system efficient implementation and its mathematical representation shows that the proposed system has superiority over the existing approaches for Bentpipe payloads from the flexibility, complexity, and perfect reconstruction points of view. The system is analyzed in both SISO and MIMO cases. For the MIMO case, two different scenarios for frequency multiplexing and demultiplexing are discussed.</p><p>To verify the results of the mathematical analysis, simulation results for SISO, two scenarios of MIMO, and effects of the finite word length on the system performance are illustrated. Simulation results show that the system can perform frequency multiplexing and demultiplexing and the stopband attenuation of the prototype filter controls the aliasing signals since the filter coefficients resolution plays the major role on the system performance. Hence, the system can approximate perfect reconstruction property by proper choice of resolution.</p>

The next generation satellite communication networks will provide multimedia services supporting high bit rate, mobility, ATM, and TCP/IP. In these cases, the satellite technology will act as the internetwork infrastructure of future global systems and assuming a global wireless system, no distinctions will exist between terrestrial and satellite communications systems, as well as between fixed and 3G mobile networks. In order for satellites to be successful, they must handle bursty traffic from users and provide services compatible with existing ISDN infrastructure, narrowcasting/multicasting services not offered by terrestrial ISDN, TCP/IP-compatible services for data applications, and point-to-point or point-to-multipoint on-demand compressed video services. This calls for onboard processing payloads capable of frequency multiplexing and demultiplexing and interference suppression. This thesis introduces a new class of oversampled complex modulated filter banks capable of providing frequency multiplexing and demultiplexing. Under certain system constraints, the system can handle all possible shifts of different user signals and provide variable bandwidths to users. Furthermore, the aliasing signals are attenuated by the stopband attenuation of the channel filter thus ensuring the approximation of the perfect reconstruction property as close as desired. Study of the system efficient implementation and its mathematical representation shows that the proposed system has superiority over the existing approaches for Bentpipe payloads from the flexibility, complexity, and perfect reconstruction points of view. The system is analyzed in both SISO and MIMO cases. For the MIMO case, two different scenarios for frequency multiplexing and demultiplexing are discussed. To verify the results of the mathematical analysis, simulation results for SISO, two scenarios of MIMO, and effects of the finite word length on the system performance are illustrated. Simulation results show that the system can perform frequency multiplexing and demultiplexing and the stopband attenuation of the prototype filter controls the aliasing signals since the filter coefficients resolution plays the major role on the system performance. Hence, the system can approximate perfect reconstruction property by proper choice of resolution.