Chapter 20: Satellite Communications

TRUE/FALSE
1. Communications satellites could be just passive reflectors.
ANS: T
2. A typical communications satellite can cover half of the earth's surface.
ANS:
!. "ost communications satellites are in a #eosynchronous orbit.
ANS: T
$. "ost communications satellites are in a #eostationary orbit.
ANS: T
%. &'eostationary& means the same thin# as &#eosynchronous&.
ANS:
(. A #eosynchronous orbit is about !)(** +m above the e,uator.
ANS:
-. Si#nals from satellites in a #eosynchronous orbit suffer a #reat deal of free.space attenuation.
ANS: T
/. 0t is easier to reach a #eosynchronous satellite from hi#her northern latitudes.
ANS:
1. At the fre,uencies satellites use) the ionosphere has ne#li#ible effect.
ANS: T
1*. The closer a satellite is to earth) the faster the velocity it needs to stay in orbit.
ANS: T
11. 0n the Northern 2emisphere) an antenna must face south to reach a satellite.
ANS: T
12. 3ou cannot communicate 4ith a #eosynchronous satellite from the Southern 2emisphere.
ANS:
1!. 3ou cannot communicate 4ith a #eosynchronous satellite from the South 5ole.
ANS: T
1$. Typically) #round antennas must be movable to &trac+& a #eosynchronous satellite.
ANS:
1%. The a6imuth and elevation needed for an antenna to &see& a certain satellite depend on the
location of the antenna on the #round.
ANS: T
1(. The po4er in the uplin+ si#nal to a typical communications satellite is in the ran#e of %* to 2$*
4atts.
ANS:
1-. The po4er in the do4nlin+ si#nal from a typical communications satellite is in the ran#e of 1* to
2%* 4atts per transponder.
ANS: T
1/. The 7085 of a satellite depends on the #ain of its antenna.
ANS: T
11. The 7085 of a satellite is the same any4here reception is possible.
ANS:
2*. 0t ta+es over half a second for a si#nal to #o from point A to point 9 and bac+ a#ain via
#eostationary satellite.
ANS: T
21. The useful life of a communications satellite is over 4hen it runs out of fuel.
ANS: T
22. The ma:imum useful life of a communications satellite is about three years.
ANS:
2!. ;sin# the C band for satellites may conflict 4ith terrestrial micro4ave communications.
ANS: T
2$. <u.band antennas can be smaller than C.band antennas.
ANS: T
2%. Conventional analo# satellite transponders cannot be used 4ith di#ital data si#nals.
ANS:
2(. 0t is possible to transmit si#nals from one satellite to another.
ANS: T
2-. 0n practice) the beam4idth of a parabolic reflector is independent of its diameter.
ANS:
2/. Communications satellites are particularly 4ell suited to lon#.distance telephony.
ANS:
21. =ith T>"A) more than one hundred earth stations can use the same satellite transponder.
ANS: T
!*. ?7@ communications satellite systems have been a #reat commercial success.
ANS:
MULTIPLE C!ICE
1. The hei#ht of the #eosynchronous orbit above the e,uator is about:
a. !)%-/ +m c. !%-)/** +m
b. !%)-/* +m d. depends on satellite velocity
ANS: 9
2. The hi#h and lo4 points of a satellite's orbit are called) respectively):
a. apo#ee and peri#ee c. uplin+ and do4nlin+
b. peri#ee and apo#ee d. do4nlin+ and uplin+
ANS: A
!. The area on the earth that is &covered& by a satellite is called its:
a. earth station c. footprint
b. do4nlin+ d. plate
ANS: C
$. The velocity re,uired to stay in orbit:
a. is constant
b. is 6ero AfreefallB
c. is lo4er close to the earth than far from the earth
d. is hi#her close to the earth than far from the earth
ANS: >
%. An antenna is aimed by adjustin# the t4o &loo+ an#les& called:
a. a6imuth and elevation c. declination and elevation
b. a6imuth and declination d. apo#ee and peri#ee
ANS: A
(. The po4er per transponder of a typical <u.band satellite is in the ran#e:
a. % to 2% 4atts c. %** to 2%** 4atts
b. %* to 2%* 4atts d. depends on its orbit
ANS: 9
-. The po4er level for an earth station to transmit to a satellite is on the order of:
a. 1*
1
4atts c. 1*
!
4atts
b. 1*
2
4atts d. 1*
$
4atts
ANS: C
/. The &payload& on a communications satellite consists of:
a. transponders c. solar cells
b. batteries d. all of the above
ANS: A
1. &Station.+eepin#& refers to:
a. antenna maintenance c. orbital adjustments
b. po4er.level adjustments d. none of the above
ANS: C
1*. >9S stands for:
a. decibels of si#nal c. direct.broadcast system
b. do4n.beam si#nal d. direct.broadcast satellite
ANS: >
11. ?NA stands for:
a. lo4.noise amplifier c. lo4.noise amplitude
b. lo4 north an#le d. lo4.noise array
ANS: A
12. A reduction in T=T po4er for linearity is called:
a. bac+do4n c. po4er.do4n
b. bac+off d. 7085 drop
ANS: 9
1!. TC8@ stands for:
a. television receive only c. television remote ori#in
b. television repeater only d. none of the above
ANS: A
1$. T>"A stands for:
a. transponder.directed multiple antennas c. time.division multiple access
b. television distribution master antenna d. transmit delay minimum aperture
ANS: C
1%. CSAT stands for:
a. video satellite c. very small antenna terminal
b. video si#nal antenna terminal d. very small aperture terminal
ANS: >
1(. @n the uplin+ from a terminal) a CSAT system uses:
a. hi#h po4er to a small antenna c. lo4 po4er to a lar#e antenna
b. lo4 po4er to a small antenna d. ?7@ satellites
ANS: 9
1-. A typical CSAT system is confi#ured as a:
a. star c. rin#
b. mesh d. repeater
ANS: A
1/. ?7@ stands for:
a. lon# elliptic orbit c. lateral earth orbit
b. lo4.earth orbit d. lon#itudinal earth orbit
ANS: 9
11. or real.time communication) ?7@ systems re,uire:
a. a constellation of satellites c. very hi#h po4er
b. trac+in# dish antennas d. all of the above
ANS: A
2*. The fre,uency bands used by <u.band satellites are:
a. $ '26 and ( '26 c. 2* '26 and !* '26
b. 12 '26 and 1$ '26 d. none of the above
ANS: 9
C!MPLETI!"
1. A satellite in #eosynchronous orbit ta+es DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD hours to complete one orbit.
ANS: 2$
2. The DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD is the si#nal path from the earth station to the satellite.
ANS: uplin+
!. The DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD is the si#nal path from the satellite to the earth station.
ANS: do4nlin+
$. A satellite in a DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD orbit appears to stay directly above one spot on the
e,uator.
ANS: #eostationary
%. Non.#eostationary satellites are sometimes called DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD satellites.
ANS: orbital
(. A #eosynchronous orbit is about DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD +m above the earth.
ANS: !%)-/*
-. A DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD is an outline of the area on the earth's surface that a satellite
broadcasts to.
ANS: footprint
/. All satellite orbits are DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD in shape.
ANS: elliptical
1. The DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD is the distance of a satellite's closest approach to the earth.
ANS: peri#ee
1*. The DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD is a satellite's farthest distance from the earth.
ANS: apo#ee
11. An antenna's DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD is its an#ular direction bet4een east and 4est.
ANS: a6imuth
12. An antenna's DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD is its vertical an#le 4ith respect to the earth's surface.
ANS: elevation
1!. An antenna's DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD is the an#le by 4hich it is offset from the earth's a:is.
ANS: declination
1$. Satellites usin# the DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD band operate on 12 '26.
ANS: <u
1%. The time for a si#nal to ma+e a round trip via satellite is about DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
milliseconds.
ANS: %**
1(. A DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD is a type of repeater used on communications satellites.
ANS: transponder
1-. 9oth the #ain and the beam4idth of a dish antenna depend on its DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD.
ANS: diameter
1/. CSAT systems commonly use a DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD net4or+ confi#uration.
ANS: star
11. To date) ?7@ satellite systems have been a financial DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD.
ANS: failure
2*. C.band antennas are DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD than <u.band antennas.
ANS: lar#er
S!RT A"S#ER
1. A receivin# antenna 4ith a #ain of $$.$ d9i loo+s at a s+y 4ith a noise temperature of 1% <. The
loss bet4een the output of the antenna and the input of the ?NA is *.$ d9) and the ?NA has a
noise temperature of $* <. Calculate the 'ET.
ANS:
2% d9
2. A receiver has a noise fi#ure of 1.- d9. ind its e,uivalent noise temperature.
ANS:
1!1 <.
!. A receivin# antenna 4ith a 'ET of 2% d9 is used to receive si#nals from a satellite !/)*** +m
a4ay. The satellite has a 1**.4att transmitter and an antenna 4ith a #ain of !* d9i. The si#nal
has a band4idth of 1 "26 at a fre,uency of 12 '26. Calculate the CEN at the receiver.
ANS:
!/ d9