Experimental advanced mobile satellite communications system in the mm‐wave and ka‐band using communications and broadcasting engineering test satellite

Abstract

AbstractIt is expected that the demand for personal satellite communications will increase and systems providing various services enabling direct communications between automobiles and portable stations will be in demand in the near future. Load transponders and experimental systems are being developed and studied for the advanced mobile satellite communications systems of the Communications and Broadcasting Engineering Test Satellite (COMETS) expected to be launched in 1997 in order to develop and verify multibeam interconnection technologies and regenerative repeater technologies as technologies required to implement such next‐generational mobile satellite communications systems.In this paper, the functions required by COMETS experimental systems have first been clarified, assuming future systems. Next, the payload configuration satisfying the required functions and performance has been designed based on the conditions restricting the load. As a result, a batch‐type regenerator using a digital polyphase‐fast Fourier transform (FFT) filter bank, Ka‐band 20‐W solid‐state power amplifier, and a millimeter‐wave low‐noise amplifier (N.F. = 2.4 dB) has been realized. In addition, experiments have been considered employing the experimental system using the foregoing.