Applications of Satellite Systems: Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSAT)
Applications of Satellite Systems: Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSAT)
Applications of Satellite Systems: Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSAT)
Systems
There are several commercial applications of satellite
communications that have become widespread including: TV
Broadcast (DVB-S), very small aperture terminals (VSAT),
and global positioning systems (GPS). In the following we
discuss these in some details:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Very-small-aperture_terminal
http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/definition/VSAT
http://www.vsat-systems.com/
• VSAT is used for bi-directional transferring digital data from/to small end-user terminals,
• The data is transferred via satellites to/from an Earth station that acts as a hub computer,
• VSAT uses GEO satellites,
• Bit rates range from 56 kbps to 4 Mbps.
• The terminals have small antennas that are less than 3 m in diameter, with most terminals
having antennas in the range of 0.75 m to 1.50 m.
• The access algorithm is TDMA with dynamically allocated bandwidth,
• VSAT is used for transmission of voice, video, and other types of data,
• If an end user needs to communicate with another end user, the transmission is done in
one of two configurations:
o Transmission is sent via the satellite from the initial end user to the hub station
first, which is then retransmitted via the satellite to the destination end user
forming a star network topology,
o Transmission is sent directly from the initial end user to the destination end user
forming a mesh network topology,
• Customers using VSAT include homer users who subscribe to Internet service with some
satellite Internet service provider.
• Customers using VSAT also include companies which require a large number of
terminals, where the company may lease their own satellite bandwidth.
• Advantage of VSAT over terrestrial communication systems such as DSL, microwave
links, …, include
o Companies leasing their own VSAT satellite channel have full control of their
communication system and independence of communication companies
providing terrestrial communication systems.
o Usually high bit rates can be achieved compared to terrestrial systems (several
Mbps for downlink to end users and several 100s of kbps for uplink from end
users)
• Some low data rate applications of VSAT systems are point-of-sale and automatic
teller machine (ATM) transactions,
• Some high data rate applications of VSAT systems are Internet service, video, and
voice transmissions,
• Other applications of VSAT systems also include mobile applications that use
phase array antennas such as Internet service on board of airplanes and ships,
• The structure of a VSAT terminal include the
following units:
o Parabolic Antenna: used for both
transmission and reception.
o Block Up-Converter (BUC): for
transmission to up-convert the frequency
to RF.
o Low-Noise Block down-converter
(LNB): for reception to down-convert the
received signal to IF frequency.
o Orthomode Transducer (OMT): is a waveguide component that allows the
same feed-horn and parabolic antenna to be used for transmission and
reception. Note that the uplink and downlink transmissions are done at
orthogonal polarizations.
o Coaxial cables
o Indoor Unit (IDU): is basically a Modem with an Ethernet port and 2
coaxial cable connectors that connect it to the BUC for transmission and to
the LNB for reception.
The transmitted power of typical VSAT terminals is on the order of 1-2 W.