Mobile Communications
Chapter 5: Satellite Systems
support mobile communications
global coverage without wiring costs for base stations
implementation of varying population densities
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, [Link]
MC SS02
5.1
Satellites
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, [Link]
MC SS02
5.2
History of satellite communication
1945
1957
1965
1982
1998
Arthur C. Clarke publishes an essay about Extra Terrestrial
Relays Satellite communication began after Second World War.
Scientists knew that is was possible to build rockets that could
carry radio transmitters into space.
first satellite SPUTNIK
The satellite was launched by the Soviet Union and the event
chocked the Western world.
first commercial geostationary satellite Satellite Early Bird
(INTELSAT I): It weighed 68 kg and offered 240 duplex
telephone channels or 1 TV channel, 1.5 years lifetime.
first mobile satellite telephone system INMARSAT-A
global satellite systems for small mobile phones
Today more than 250 geostationary satellites orbit the earth!!
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, [Link]
MC SS02
5.3
Applications
Traditionally
weather satellites, delivering infrared or visible light pictures
radio and TV broadcast satellites
military satellites
satellites for navigation and localization (e.g., GPS)
Telecommunication
global telephone connections
replaced by fiber optics
backbone for global networks
connections for communication in remote places or underdeveloped areas
global mobile communication
satellite systems to extend cellular phone systems (e.g., GSM)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, [Link]
MC SS02
5.4
Basics
Satellites in circular orbits
attractive force Fg = m g (R/r)
centrifugal force Fc = m v/r
m: mass of the satellite
R: radius of the earth (R = 6370 km)
r: distance to the center of the earth
g: acceleration of gravity (g = 9.81 m/s)
v: satellite speed
Stable orbit
Fg = Fc
mgR/r = mv/r
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, [Link]
r = g R/v
MC SS02
5.5
Satellite period and orbits
24
satellite
period [h]
velocity [ x1000 km/h]
20
16
12
8
4
synchronous distance
35,786 km
10
20
30
40 x106 m
radius
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, [Link]
MC SS02
5.6
Basics
elliptical or circular orbits
complete rotation time depends on distance satellite-earth
LOS (Line of Sight) to the satellite necessary for connection
high elevation needed, less absorption due to e.g. buildings
Uplink: connection base station - satellite
Downlink: connection satellite - base station
typically separated frequencies for uplink and downlink
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, [Link]
MC SS02
5.7
Inclination
plane of satellite orbit
satellite orbit
Perigee (closest point to the earth)
d
inclination d
equatorial plane
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, [Link]
MC SS02
5.8
Elevation
Elevation:
angle e between center of satellite beam
and surface
minimal elevation:
elevation needed at least
to communicate with the satellite
LOS (Line of Sight) to the satellite
necessary for connections.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, [Link]
MC SS02
5.9
Atmospheric attenuation
Attenuation of
the signal in %
Example: satellite systems at 4-6 GHz
50
40
rain absorption
30
fog absorption
e
20
10
atmospheric
absorption
5 10
20
30
40
elevation of the satellite
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, [Link]
MC SS02
5.10
50
Orbits I
Four different types of satellite orbits:
GEO: geostationary orbit,
ca. 36000 km above earth surface
LEO (Low Earth Orbit):
ca. 500 - 1500 km
MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) or
ICO (Intermediate Circular Orbit):
ca. 6000 - 20000 km
HEO (Highly Elliptical Orbit) elliptical orbits
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, [Link]
MC SS02
5.11
Orbits II
GEO (Inmarsat)
HEO
MEO (ICO)
LEO
(Globalstar,
Irdium)
inner and outer Van
Allen belts
earth
1000
10000
Van-Allen-Belts:
ionized particles
2000 - 6000 km and
15000 - 30000 km
above earth surface
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, [Link]
35768
km
MC SS02
5.12
Geostationary satellites
Orbit 35,786 km distance to earth surface, orbit in equatorial
plane (inclination 0)
complete rotation exactly one day, satellite is synchronous
to earth rotation
fix antenna positions, no adjusting necessary
satellites typically have a large footprint (up to 34% of earth
surface!), therefore difficult to reuse frequencies
bad elevations in areas with latitude above 60 due to fixed
position above the equator
high transmit power needed
high latency due to long distance (ca. 275 ms)
not useful for global coverage for small mobile phones and
data transmission, typically used for radio and TV
transmission
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, [Link]
MC SS02
5.13
LEO systems (Low Earth Orbit)
Orbit ca. 500 - 1500 km above earth surface
visibility of a satellite ca. 10 - 40 minutes
global radio coverage possible
latency comparable with terrestrial long distance
connections, ca. 5 - 10 ms
smaller footprints, better frequency reuse
many satellites necessary for global coverage
more complex systems due to moving satellites
Examples:
Iridium (start 1998, 66 satellites)
Globalstar (start 1999, 48 satellites)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, [Link]
MC SS02
5.14
Communication satellites
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, [Link]
MC SS02
5.15
Classical satellite systems
Inter Satellite Link
(ISL)
Mobile User
Link (MUL)
Gateway Link
(GWL)
GWL
Some satellites have
special antennas to
create smaller cells
using spot beams
(e.g. 163 spot beams
MUL
per Satellite in then
ICO-system)
small cells
(spotbeams)
base station
or gateway
footprint
ISDN
PSTN: Public Switched
Telephone Network
PSTN
GSM
User data
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, [Link]
MC SS02
5.16
Satellites
Iridium
Globalstar
ICO
(LEO)
(LEO)
(MEO)
The have all gone
Bankrupt!
LEO: low earth orbit
MEO: medium earth orbit
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, [Link]
MC SS02
5.17
Iridium satellites
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, [Link]
MC SS02
5.18
MEO systems
Orbit ca. 5000 - 12000 km above earth surface
comparison with LEO systems:
slower moving satellites
less satellites needed
simpler system design
for many connections no hand-over needed
higher latency, ca. 70 - 80 ms
higher sending power needed
special antennas for small footprints needed
Example:
ICO (Intermediate Circular Orbit, Inmarsat) start 2000
Bankruptcy, planned joint ventures with Teledesic, Ellipso cancelled
again, start planned for 2011
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, [Link]
MC SS02
5.19
Routing
One solution: inter satellite links (ISL)
reduced number of gateways needed
forward connections or data packets within the satellite network as long
as possible
only one uplink and one downlink per direction needed for the
connection of two mobile phones
Problems:
more complex focusing of antennas between satellites
high system complexity due to moving routers
higher fuel consumption
thus shorter lifetime
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, [Link]
MC SS02
5.20
Handover in satellite systems
Several additional situations for handover in satellite systems
compared to cellular terrestrial mobile phone networks caused
by the movement of the satellites
Intra satellite handover
handover from one spot beam to another
mobile station still in the footprint of the satellite, but in another cell
Inter satellite handover
handover from one satellite to another satellite
mobile station leaves the footprint of one satellite
Gateway handover
Handover from one gateway to another
mobile station still in the footprint of a satellite, but gateway leaves the
footprint
Inter system handover
Handover from the satellite network to a terrestrial cellular network
mobile station can reach a terrestrial network again which might be
cheaper, has a lower latency etc.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, [Link]
MC SS02
5.21
End
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jochen Schiller, [Link]
MC SS02
5.22