A COHERENT ANALOG COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR OPTICAL INTERSATELLITE-LINKS

Klaus Pribil, Klaus Kudielka, Klaus Ruzicka, Peter Serbe Contraves Space AG, Zurich, Switzerland
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Abstract
Most optical crosslinks between satellites have been developed for digital signal transmission between digital (regenerative) payloads using a dedicated digital data format. Target applications were LEO, MEO and GEO constellations consisting of several more or less identical satellites which used the same optical terminals to communicate between them and a few inter orbit link applications. It was common to all these systems that their architecture was closed and no ISL traffic had to be routed outside the constellation. As there was no demand for interoperability between different satellite systems no standardization of the crosslinks was necessary and each system used its own (optical) communications technique. During that time we have introduced the coherent Syncbit data transmission technology for high performance digital data transmission. Syncbit BPSK modulation provides the best receiver sensitivity which in turn allows to keep the optical output power of the transmitter to an minimum. As a consequence, DC power consumption from the host spacecraft-a precious resource - can be kept to a minimum. Evolution towards digital satellite networks slowed down. However, direct interconnect of satellites is still an issue. Satellites systems of today use bent-pipe satellite technology. Consequently, there is a demand for optical terminals which can handle analog transparent communications channels. Taking advantage of the phase modulation technique from the digital communication system, we have developed an analog transmission system which allows to transmit analog channels between standard bent-pipe satellites. The communication system is designed such, that for analog transmission the same electro-optical signal chain (transmitter- laser, modulator, booster amplifier and optical receiver frontend) as for digital transmission can be used. This paper describes the principle of this transmission scheme, the realization and it reports on the performance obtained. In addition, the accommodation of such equipment on the satellite payload will be presented.

Introduction
Intersatellite links have been announced by different companies over the last many years. With the advent of the Teledesic and Celestri LEO and Spaceways or Astrolink GEO constellations digital crosslinks were recognized as a key building block and - in particular digital optical laser communication was commonly accepted as the enabling technology for high data rate intersatellite transport. Direct data transport between satellites is the most obvious application for intersatellite links. But there are many more advantages of a direct interconnection between satellites like extension of the coverage area, load sharing, increase of system redundancy and several more. Already now space communications industry should benefit from these advantages and therefore optical crosslinks had to tailored to fit onto the communications satellites of today. Most of the communications satellites currently used are analog bent-pipe satellites. To transport signals from one satellite to another via an optical crosslink the analog channels have to be packed and modulated onto the laserbeam and transmitted towards the counter terminal. We have developed an analog communication system which can transmit analog transponder channels. This communication system is based on the Syncbit data transmission principle used in our digital communication systems which offers superior receiver sensitivity and consequently best crosslink performance.

All authors are with Contraves Space AG, Schaffhauser Strasse 580, CH-8052 Zurich, Switzerland, Tel.: +41 1 306 2001

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In the design of the analog communication system a precondition was to use the same electro-optic building blocks in the analog as in the digital terminals. The analog communication system module is another extension of our modular product family and fits together with all other modules of our terminals.

Crosslink concept
In an analog satellite user data is contained in individual channels. Each channel has a certain bandwidth, for instance 36 MHz, and certain distance from the neighboring channels. In most cases channels are lined up in an equidistant frequency raster, the channel spacing, for instance, 41 MHz. The analog crosslink terminal accepts all channels from the uplink to satellite "A" which have to be transmitted to the counter terminal on satellite "B" and modulates them onto the optical carrier. The laserbeam is transmitted through the free-space channel to satellite "B". The optical counter terminal on satellite "B" receives the optical carrier, extracts the channels and inserts them into the microwave communications payload of satellite "B". Satellite "B" can now distribute the information in the usual way. Figure 1 shows one implementation concept of an optical crosslink between bent-pipe satellites. The figure shows that in this implementation channels can not only be transmitted to the another satellite, they can - as an option - be duplicated on board and in parallel distributed in the coverage area of this satellite. Furthermore the figure shows that - as another option - frequency and channel re-arrangements can be made to cope with a different frequency plan on satellite "B": Channels 2, 3 and 5 are selected from the uplink on satellite "A" and sent via the optical crosslink to satellite "B" ("crosslink function") Satellite "B" can now rearrange the channels received from the crosslink (option 1 "frequency rearrangement function") Satellite "A" can in parallel transmit channel 3 within its own coverage area (option 2 "parallel distribution function"
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OISL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 f A B C D E F G H I f 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 f

uplink "A"

downlink "A"

downlink "B"

if duplication on board

Figure 1:

Crosslink concept with baseline crosslink function and 2 options for - channel rearrangement and - parallel distribution by on board information duplication

SNR performance
In an analog system the crosslink SNR directly contributes to the link overall SNR, see figure 2. Taking typical upand downlink SNR values for standard data formats an SNR increase of 1 dB leads to a crosslink SNR requirement of 17.3 dB. This is equivalent to a Bit Error Rate on the user channel of 10-7 for QPSK. The link margin of the optical crosslink at end of life is 1 dB. For different overall signal to noise ratio or bit error rate requirements the ISL SNR can be easily increased or relaxed by varying the optical output power of the terminal transmitter. 2/6

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SNRISL

SNRup

SNRdown

Figure 2:

Signal path and SNR definitions for uplink (SNRup), downlink (SNRdown) and ISL crosslink (SNRISL)

Payload interface concept

The interface concepts between the ISL terminal and the traditional bent pipe microwave payload depends on the mission of the satellite. The following three primary consideration have to be taken into account: How many channels and which channels from the uplink shall be routed via the crosslink ? Is simultaneous downlink and crosslink operation (on - board information duplication) required ? Is frequency re-arrangement required or are whole frequency bands be transmitted ? Figure 3 shows one example of the architecture of the payload - terminal interface, for a satellite which transmits a whole band of channels from the RF-RX uplink section (which includes frequency converters and channel switchmatrix) over the optical link to and counter terminal. The splitter behind the down converter allows to simultaneously downlink the signal and in parallel route it to the partner satellite. Signal from the counter are inserted via a switch into the transmitter RF path (RF-TX). Signals to and from the OISL are down- and upconverted via one local oscillator in the transmitter and one in the receiver signal path respectively. This architecture may be slightly different for other satellites and different applications.
Drawing7 PRIB 29.03.01 13:49:12

to OISL Transmitter LO OISL Terminal Receiver LO

from OISL

RF

RF RX

RF TX

RF

Coupler

Duplex Switch

Figure 3:

Architecture (example) of the interconnection between analog RF payload (bent- pipe) and (analog) optical ISL terminals. The picture shows full duplex operation of the crosslink.

Analog communication system block diagram

By adopting the digital Syncbit data transmission scheme we could keep the block diagram of the analog transceiver similar to that of the digital transceiver. Figure 4 shows the block diagram of the communication signal path:

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 The channelized signal enters the "Analog Input Stage" in which some filtering and analog preprocessing is done. At the output the synchronization signal for the receiver phase synchronization is added from the "Syncbit Channel Generator". The combined electrical signal is fed into the "E/O Modulator & Driver" (pre-distortion unit, electro- optical modulator, modulator driver amplifier and modulator) and modulates the 1064 nm cw laser signal from the "Transmitter Laser". The "Booster Amplifier" brings the signal up to the required optical output power and laserbeam containing the user data is fed via the transmit telescope into the free-space transmission channel. After entering the "Receiver Frontend" through the receiver telescope and the optical bench the signal is backwards converted into an electric current, gain controlled and filtered in the "Low Pass & AGC Stage" A power splitter separates the frequency band containing the synchronization information from the user channels. The "Syncbit Sampler" block generates the phase error signal for the optical phase locked loop while "Analog Output Stage" delivers - after some postprocessing - the user channels to the microwave payload. The phase error signal is fed into the filter stage of the optical phase locked loop, the "Optical PLL Filter". The filter output signal drives the tuning inputs of the "Local Oscillator Laser" in which the phase of the locally generated light signal and of the received light signal are aligned.
Drawing1 PRIB 30.03.01 14:28:22

Local Oscillator Laser

Optical PLL Filter

Transmitter Laser

E/O Modulator & Driver

Booster Amplifier

Receiver Frontend

Low Pass & AGC

Syncbit Channel Generator

Analog TX Module

Analog RX Module

Syncbit Sampler

+
1 ... n

Analog Output Stage

1 ... n

Analog Input Stage

Figure 4:

Signal path block diagram for an analog crosslink transceiver showing the building blocks of: - analog communication system (green) - laser subsystem (magenta) - general communication functions, common to analog and to digital comms system (blue) The figure also shows for information the building blocks of a digital communication system as outlined boxes and the 3 switches to select either analog or digital operation.

Evolution strategy
In addition to the analog function blocks the above block diagram also shows the outline of the building blocks of a digital communication system. It can be seen that: Both communication systems use the same electro-optical building blocks (blue and magenta building blocks of the "laser subsystem" and the "general communications functions") and that Only electronics modules need to be exchanged between an analog and a digital terminal which allows that

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 Both - analog and digital - communication system can be implemented in the same terminal - switchable via command from the terminal control computer This is a key issue for the long term evolution strategy of a satellite network in which a first generation will use bentpipe satellites interconnected by analog crosslinks and the later satellite generations use regenerative payloads and digital crosslinks. By using such hybrid terminals which have an analog communication system and also a digital communication system in the satellites of the crossover generation full and continuous use of the in-orbit communications infrastructure can be maintained. The modular Electronics and Laser Unit (ELU) in which all electronics modules are mechanically stacked and interconnected by a local control bus makes it easy to accommodate analog or digital communication systems modules in the same ELU, see figure 5. In case a terminal with a hybrid communication system is required, analog and digital communications modules are stacked together.

Figure 5:

Modular concept of the terminal Electronics and Laser Unit: green = analog communications modules (modules also include receiver frontend, Low Pass & AGC, optical PLL filter, and modulator driver amplifier)

Subchannel feature
With the adaptation of the Syncbit data transmission scheme, all features of the digital communication system can also be provided for the analog communication system. A separate digital communications channel is realized by inserting low data rate of up to 1 MHz data information into the synchronization stream. With this subchannel the following features can be offered at terminal level: Independent Subchannel for low data rate TM/TC transmission over the link Provision of range and range rate information between the spacecraft Autonomous link control and optimization (for instance for transmitter output power adjustment and tracking loop optimization) The analog communication system is full compliant to the digital communication system with respect to all optical and control parameters. Therefore, all other modules and the three Optical Heads of the terminals of the OPTEL terminal family can be used in analog terminals.

Realization & performance

To adapt the high-speed Syncbit electronics to the analog communications system we had to make only minor modifications: The data rate of the digital communications subchannel has been reduced to 20 Mbit/s. This data rate is sufficient for phase synchronization and for subchannel data transmission. The modulation index of the digital communications subchannel has been reduced. The low data rate allowed us to implement the Syncbit electronics using FPGAs. 5/6

 Since the transmission characteristic of a homodyne communications channel is a sinusoidal one, intermodulation affects the quality of each subchannel. To diminish this effect, we have developed a pre-distortion unit, which compensates for third-order intermodulation, as shown in figure 6 and figure 7. At the receiver, the digital subchannel is separated from the analog subchannels by a simple frequency splitter. The resulting performance of the complete analog transmission system is shown in figure 8. In order to transmit five 36 MHz channels with a signal to noise plus intermodulation ratio of 17 dB, an optical power of 51 dBm is required at the receiver front end.
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Figure 6:
0.5

-4

-2 -0.5

Ideal (linear) transmission characteristic and characteristics of a homodyne system with or without pre-distortion. The predistortion unit moves the characteristic closer to the ideal one for small signals.

-1

-20

Figure 7:
-30 -40

-50

-60

Two-tone measurement (power/dBm vs. frequency/MHz) of intermodulation within the homodyne communications channel. The red trace indicates the spectrum at the receiver output with pre-distortion turned off, the blue trace indicates the spectrum at the receiver output with pre-distortion turned on.

-70

-80

-90 290

292

294

296

298

300

302

304

306

308

310

-45 -50 -55 -60 -65

Figure 8:

Required optical power at the receiver front end in dBm, as a function of the number of sub-channels. The required ratio of the subchannel signal power to the sum of noise and intermodulation is assumed to be 17.3 dB.

Conclusion
The OPTEL terminal product family has been extended with an analog communication system which allows to directly interconnect today's bent-pipe communication satellites with high capacity intersatellite links. The analog communication system uses a modified version of the high sensitivity homodyne Syncbit data transmission principle and uses the proven Nd:YAG laser technology operating at 1064 nm. Therefore, it can use the same electro- optical building blocks (lasers, modulator, laser amplifier) as the digital system. The analog communication system fits into the modular concept of the OPTEL terminals and is fully compatible to all optical heads of the terminal family.

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