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Satellite Communication Basics

Satellite communication involves the use of satellites as microwave repeater stations to facilitate telecommunications, radio, television, and internet applications. It operates through uplink and downlink frequencies, where signals are transmitted from earth stations to satellites and vice versa. While it offers extensive coverage and bandwidth, it also has disadvantages such as high launch costs and propagation delays.

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20 views2 pages

Satellite Communication Basics

Satellite communication involves the use of satellites as microwave repeater stations to facilitate telecommunications, radio, television, and internet applications. It operates through uplink and downlink frequencies, where signals are transmitted from earth stations to satellites and vice versa. While it offers extensive coverage and bandwidth, it also has disadvantages such as high launch costs and propagation delays.

Uploaded by

dijudaniel007
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Satellite Communication Basics

A satellite is a body that moves around another body in a particular path. A communication satellite
is nothing but a microwave repeater station in space. It is helpful in telecommunications, radio and
television along with internet applications.

A repeater is a circuit, which increases the strength of the received signal and then transmits it. But,
this repeater works as a transponder. That means, it changes the frequency band of the transmitted
signal from the received one.

The frequency with which, the signal is sent into the space is called as Uplink frequency. Similarly,
the frequency with which, the signal is sent by the transponder is called as Downlink frequency. The
following figure illustrates this concept clearly.

The transmission of signal from first earth station to satellite through a channel is called as uplink.
Similarly, the transmission of signal from satellite to second earth station through a channel is called
as downlink.
Uplink frequency is the frequency at which, the first earth station is communicating with satellite.
The satellite transponder converts this signal into another frequency and sends it down to the second
earth station. This frequency is called as Downlink frequency. In similar way, second earth station
can also communicate with the first one.

The process of satellite communication begins at an earth station. Here, an installation is designed to
transmit and receive signals from a satellite in an orbit around the earth. Earth stations send the
information to satellites in the form of high powered, high frequency (GHz range) signals.

The satellites receive and retransmit the signals back to earth where they are received by other earth
stations in the coverage area of the satellite. Satellite's footprint is the area which receives a signal of
useful strength from the satellite.

Advantages

 Area of coverage is more than that of terrestrial systems


 Each and every corner of the earth can be covered
 Transmission cost is independent of coverage area
 More bandwidth and broadcasting possibilites

Disadvantages

 Launching of satellites into orbits is a costly process.


 Propagation delay of satellite systems is more than that of conventional terrestrial systems.
 Difficult to provide repairing activities if any problem occurs in a satellite system.
 Free space loss is more
 There can be congestion of frequencies.

Applications of Satellite Communication


 Radio broadcasting and voice communications
 TV broadcasting such as Direct To Home (DTH)
 Internet applications such as providing Internet connection for data transfer, GPS applications,
Internet surfing, etc.
 Military applications and navigations
 Remote sensing applications
 Weather condition monitoring & Forecasting

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