Validation of a Digital Noise Power Integration Technique for Radiometric Clear Sky Attenuation Estimation at Q-Band

Alexios Costouri,James Nessel,George Goussetis

doi:10.1109/tap.2020.3001452

Alexios Costouri, James Nessel + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1109/tap.2020.3001452

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Abstract

This article presents the validation of a digital signal processing technique that can be used to estimate radiometric sky noise, and hence atmospheric absorption, within existing digital receivers at little/no additional cost. To demonstrate this, a receiver was constructed that simultaneously records the beacon signal power from the ALPHASAT Aldo Paraboni technology demonstration payload, as well as the integrated noise power in the adjacent band. Calibration from the digital radiometer is performed using tip-curve calibration procedures. Atmospheric fading is then obtained by observing the beacon as well as the radiometric signals. This enables the comparison of fading obtained by the two techniques and provides a means to calibrate the received beacon power level to obtain total atmospheric attenuation. It is shown that for low levels of fading, up to a few dB, the two techniques provide good agreement. This approach can, therefore, provide a low-cost option for geostationary mm-wave satellite channel measurements in the low fading regime, which can be useful in the design and operation of the feeder links in emerging satcom systems.

Highlights

T HE trends toward broadband services, high-throughput satellites, and reduction of the per MB/s cost drive the use of ever higher frequencies in satellite communications
In order to enable concurrent measurements from the beacon and radiometric signals, the receiver was pointed to the geostationary ALPHASAT satellite
A Q-band software-defined radio (SDR)-based terminal installed at Heriot-Watt University receiving the Aldo Paraboni beacon was used to evaluate the potential of utilizing digital noise power integration as an estimate for passive radiometry

Summary

Introduction

T HE trends toward broadband services, high-throughput satellites, and reduction of the per MB/s cost drive the use of ever higher frequencies in satellite communications. While the use of K a-band is well established, there is an increasing interest in higher bands, such as Q-/V -bands (40/50 GHz) [1] and W -band [2]. Broad bandwidths available at these frequency bands offer attractive opportunities for exploitation in the feeder links since they can support high capacity with fewer gateways. The cost of the ground segment is reduced, while the entire K a-band.

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