Spacecraft Comm Data

5.
Communication and
Data Handling
LRT 2011 5.1 Spacecraft Technology II
Communication Systems
Link Budgets
Data Handling
Spacecraft Technology II
Communication & Data Handling
COMM (Tele-) Communication
OBDH On-Board Data Handling
CDS Command & Data Subsystem
C&DH Command & Data Handling Subsystem
TT&C Telemetry, Tracking and Command

Literature
Charles D. Brown, Elements of Spacecraft Design
AIAA Education Series, ISBN, 1-56347-524-3

Spacecraft Systems Engineering, 2
nd
edition, P. Fortescue, J. Stark (eds.)
John Wiley & Sons, ISBN 0-471-95220-6

Space Mission Analysis & Design, 3
rd
edition, J.R.Wertz, W.J.Larson (eds.)
ISBN 1-881883-10-8

E.Messerschmid, S. Fasoulas Raumfahrtsysteme
Springer Verlag, 2000, ISBN 3-540-66803-9

M.D. Griffin, J.R.French, Space Vehicle Design
ISBN 0-930403-90-8

V.L.Pisacane, R.C.Moore, Fundamentals of Space Systems
Oxford University Press, 1994, ISBN 0-19-507497-1

Special Literature
Space Engineering Radio frequency and modulation, European Cooperation for Space
Standardization (ECSS), ECSS-E-50-05A, 24 Januar 2003
Space Engineering Ground Systems and operations Telemetry and telecommand packet
utilisation, European Cooperation for Space Standardization (ECSS), ECSS-E-70-41A, 30 Januar
2003
Tasks of the Data-handling & Communication-Subsystem
Telemetry, Tracking & Command = TT&C
Telemetry = data collection, storage, multiplexing, RF modulation,
transmitting/receiving
Tracking = determination of orbital data of the satellite
Command = performing of Up-link Commands (e.g. Satellite-reconfiguration,
reorientation/deployment of antennas or solar arrays)

Storage of payload data (data collection)

Transmitting data to other users and satellites (data relay)
= Transponder Service
The Data-handling & Communication Subsystem comprises the following three
tasks:
Communication Structures
Possible Communication Links
Inter-Orbit
Link IOL
LEO
GEO
Inter-Satellite
Link ISL
Communication-Architectures
Molnija
Store & Forward
USA: TDRSS (Tracking &
Data Relay Satellite System)
Example of an complex Communication Link
Example of Complex Communication Link
Atmospheric Windows to Electromagnetic Radiation
Frequency Bands
RF Modulation Frequency Bands
To pass the ionosphere: Frequencies > 0,1 GHz.
O
2
-Absorption at 60 GHz, hence, no
Jamming from Earth possible.
Satellite communication on one of the following bands has to be applied for and has to be approved by the ITU
(International Telecommunications Union).
Telemetry
Crosslink
Above 20 GHz: H
2
O + O
2
attenuation
Frequency Allocations
Satellite Frequencies
GEO Satellites Frequency Bands
Link Budget
N S
r

Communication Link
P
t

G
t

Transmitter
TX
L
l

Receiver
RX
G
r

L
s

2
4
|
.
|
\
|
=
tr
L
s
T
sys

B P
t

L
c

L
t

L = Loss
G = Gain
r
2
4
t
= Surface L
s
( )
B T k
L G
L L P
B T k
L G L L G L P
N
S
sys B
c r
t s EIRP
sys B
c r t s t l t r
1
1
1 1
1 1 1 1
=

=

Figure of Merit
(Quality) of RX
Figure of Merit
(Quality) of TX
Space Loss
B T k N
sys B
=
t t
A G
2
4
t
=
Link Budget
N noise signal = N
0
B
N
0
noise signal density = kT
sys

P
t
transmitter power (typ.: for every Watt P
t
, four times the electrical power)
B bandwidth = range of frequencies included in signal
R data rate [bps]
G
t
transmit-antenna gain
G
r
receive-antenna gain
L
s
space loss
L
t
transmission path loss (rain, atmospheric absorption)
L
l
transmitting antenna line loss
L
c
receiving antenna cable loss
T
sys
system noise temperature
P
EIRP
effective isotropic radiated power
in m
dBbps dBK sys dB c dB r dB t dB s dB t dB l dBW t
dB
b
G dB
R T L G L L G L P
N
E
arg
, , , , , , , ,
0
10 5
60 . 228
+ ~
+ + + =
|
|
.
|
\
|
dB EIRP
P
,
received energy per bit
dB B
k
,
1
see Bit Error Rate
!
< 10 GHz: 4-5 dB, > 10 GHz: 6-20 dB (Atmosphere & Rain!)
B S R S E
r r b
= =
N S N E
r b
=
0

The P
EIRP
or short EIRP tells what
transmitter power would be needed for
an isotropically radiating antenna to
have an identical power density
compared to the main lobe of a
concentrating antenna..
Hence, the EIRP value is not real
existing power, but a mere calculated
value.
Receiver Noise Receiver T
rec
| |
0 0 1
1 1
1
: ...
...
... T T k G T T
G G
T
k G G P
rec B rec
n
n
B n n
+ =
(
+ + +

=
1
1 1 1
2
1
...
... : T
G G
T
G
T
T T
n
n
rec
~

+ + + =
From figure:
Noise temperature of cascaded amplifiers
0 0
0
0
1 :
T
T
T
T T
G P
P
F
rec rec
rec
n
+ =
+
=
=
Receiver Noise Number
figure of merit for receiver:
typical: F=2.5 (4 dB)
low-noise 1
st
-stage amplifier
= Low-Noise Amplifier = LNA

K 290 =
0
T
0
0
0
System Noise Temperature
rec
c
c
c
c
ant
sys
T
L
L
T
L
T
T +
+ =
1
B T k N
sys B
=
~
K
K
K
T
sys
750
500
130 Downlink (cooled Ground-station Receiver: F=1.25)
Uplink (uncooled S/C Receiver: F=2.5, Temp. of Earth!)
T
c
= Cable temperature, mostly ~290K
L
c
= Cable attenuation at receiver
0
1
T
T
F
rec
+ =
( )
0 0
1
1
1
T
L
F
L
T
T F
L
L
T
L
T
T
c c
ant
c
c
c
c
ant
sys
|
|
.
|
\
|
+ ~ +
+ =
Downlink (uncooled Ground-station Receiver: F=2.5)
For L
c
~ 1.12

for limiting range: 2-12 GHz

( )
0
1T F T
rec
=
0
T T
c
~ for
System Noise, expressed as a tempertaure, consists of
antenna noise, cable noise, receiver noise.
Antenna noise T
ant
is
characterized by:
System Noise T
sys
Antenna
Background noise
Objects near transmitter path
Surface of Earth (T = 290 K)
Atmosphere, rain
~
K
K
T
ant
290
90 Ground station to space
S/C to Earth
The system noise comprises:
Antenna noise T
ant

Cable noise T
c
and
Receiver noise T
rec
:

rec
c
c
c
c
ant
sys
T
L
L
T
L
T
T +
+ =
1
Atmospheric and Rain Attenuation
Case A is with rain
Influence of rain fall
and fog
Satellite Downlink Characteristics
B P
t

Bandwidth B
Antennae
Beam Characteristics
D
dB

u ~ 70
3
Side lobe
dB 3
u
Note: Side lobes can pick-up noise from the Sun (up to 10
6
K!),
Back lobe of a ground station can pick-up noise form Earth (290 K)!
Back lobe
Valid for parabolic
dish and horn
antenna
2
3
max,
12 ) (
|
|
.
|
\
|
=
dB
dB
G G
u
u
u
depointing loss
typical 30 dB
Antenna-Types
Horn
suitable for: f > 4 GHz,
high gain:
G=10(A/)
2
~15-20 dB
Helix
suitable for: f < 4 GHz,
low gain: G<14dB
simple design, leightweight
Dishes (Parabolic)
universal usage
suitable for high gains:
G~7(A/)
2
~15-20 dB
Antenna Types Patch Array Antenna
Phased Array Antenna:
Beam can be directed electronically.
Very narrow beams possible.
Very complex fabrication (Electronics for active PAA)
Interference of Waves
Phased-Array Antenna - Example TerraSar
Phase Shifters
Active Phased Array Antenna (GEO Comm. Satellite)
Spot-Beam Antennen
Advantage of Multi-Spotbeam Architectur
High Antenna Gain
high EIRP und G/T small terminals
Flexible channel addition to different spots
adapt to current bandwidth usage
High Frequency Reuse Capabilities
High effective bandwidth
F1/2 = Frequency 1/2
P1/2 = Polarization 1/2
Telemetry, Tracking and Command
Satellite health and status, house keeping data, resources, performance
Orbit data / synchronizing with Guidance Navigation Control GNC
Payload Data (image data, science data, coordinates of other satellites,
etc.
Commands to the satellite

How to transfer these data
Telemetry - Signal processing steps
ADC
Sensor Sensor Sensor Sensor i Sensor n
commutator
formatter
steps cyclically through sensor signals and generates data
frames
Analog to Digital signal Converter (8, 16, 24 , ... bit)
adds meta information: sync word, frame count, s/c ident, error
detection/correction bits, frame format ident, s/c time, ...
data store
modulator
transmitter
stores data temporarily for data downlink
modulates & encrypts data onto RF carrier
transmits RF signal to ground station or other satellite
Data Rate = n f R
frame
= f
frame
= number of modulated data
frames per second
n = bits per frame
T
D
M

=

t
i
m
e
-
d
i
v
i
s
i
o
n

m
u
l
t
i
p
l
e
x
e
r

ADC Sampling, Quantization, Modulation
NRZ-PCM =
Non-Return-to-Zero
Pulse-Code Modulation
PCM
Telemetry - Signal Processing Overview
signal sampling
f f 2 . 2 > Nyquist Theorem:
modulation
onto carrier
ADC
RF
Modulation
sampling
quantization
digital
modulation
S
e
q
u
e
n
c
e

o
f

p
r
o
c
e
s
s

Formatting
data packaging
encoding
bit representation
adding redundancy bits
for error correction
sampled
signal
conversion into
binary digits
analog signal
RF Modulation - Carrier Modulation
A carrier is a RF wave: ( ) ( ) e + = t E t E sin
0
With three characteristic parameters: Amplitude E
0
, Frequency e, Phase
Modulation = impressing an information on this carrier
The different ways of modulation are distinguished which of those three parameters is
modulated:
Binary PSK = BPSK
( )
( ) ( ) t t
t
e t e
e
sin sin : 1
sin : 0
= +
Quadrature PSK = QPSK
two bits define the 4 carrier
frequencies, respectively
( ) ( )
( ) ( ) 2 3 sin , sin
2 sin , sin
t e t e
t e e
+ +
+
t t
t t
binary
ASK is seldom used, since multi path propagation strongly influences the amplitude.
Higher data rate with increased
multi path sensitivity.
Data Rates
Pulse Code Modulation
Compressed Rates
Bit Error Rate R
BER
To achieve a good Forward-
Error-Correction Code R
BER

<10
-5
, you should have E/N
0
~
5-10 dB.

(see. Link Equation)
Telemetry code standard used
by NASA and ESA
Wegen Steilheit, link margin
unbedingt ntig!
For very complex digital
encodings, one
combines encodings in
Concatenations.
0
1
N
E
R
b
BER

Example Globalstar: Reed-Solomon + rate 1/2, K=7 coding). This results in R
BER
<10
-10
with
only E/N
0
= 5 dB.
Formatting - Command-String
Multiple command frames are combined to a Stack, and packetized to a Command-String
packetiert. The string starts for synchronization with a pure carrier wave of 500 ms, followed by a
16-bit Bit-Synchronization-Word, followed by the Frame-Stack, and closed with ASW.
This Command-String is transmitted and initially stored in the so-called command pending queue
aboard the satellite.
The correct receipt is verified by downlink, and only executed through an additional Command-
Uplink if confirmed correct.
Most commands are executed at a desired time or condition at a later time, which will also be
transmitted. There is very few real-time commanding of satellites themselves. Payloads on teh
other hand use real-time commanding more often.
The Command Error Rate with this approach is about 10
-18
to 10
-22
Encoding (Forward Error Correction, FEC)
Transmitting errors can be reduced by increasing the redundancy of the telemetry
information Forward Error Correction FEC
1. Convolutional encoding:
i Information-bits are shifted through a register (shift register) of length K; the contents are
correlated n-fold (typ. n=2, K=7); code-bits are generated (Rate 1/2 , K=7 Registers).
From n information bits, in Code-bits are generated.
Encoding - Convolutional Coding: Rate 1/2, K=7
Input bits (0101101) are shifted step by step through the register.
Adding bits at correct position
Output bits
+
.
.
.
.
Encoding - Block Coding
2. Block-Coding:
Block coding combines
bits to blocks of equal
(or unequal) length and
a Parity Bit (even or
uneven )is added.
Formatting - Telemetry Data Format
Format counter: increments value from one format to the next
Timing Channel: binary readout of onboard clock
SIW: Synchronization & Identification Word =
fixed code identifying the originating satellite
Format
A typical (but variable in
length) telemetry format
Formatting - Command
1. 16-bit Address & Synchronization Word (ASW): contains
Barker sync words = pseudo random words and
S/C Address Word (address of connected satellite)
2. 2x 4-bit Mode Selection Word (contains Command-type = addressed function)
e.g. : On/Off, Memory Load, Computer Load, ...) (2x: MSW is repeated once)
3. 2x3 (8+4)-bit Data Words (opcode = operation code = specific action)
e.g.: Relay-, Pulse-, Level-, Data-Commands (2x3: 3 different tasks, each one is
repeated once; 8+4: 8-bit command, 4-bit Hamming code)
A tele-command frame for carrying out an instruction is usually 96 bits long (ESA standard):

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