Satellite Multiple Access

Technique
1. Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA)

– a satellite transponder is divided into smaller

frequencies hand segments where each
segment is assigned to use for his uplink or
downlink frequency.
Satellite Multiple Access
Technique
a. Pre-assigned – a given number of
available voice hand channels from each
earth station are assigned dedicated
destinations. This method is only
economically feasible in situations where
sources / destination locations have very
low traffic density during the busy hour.
b. Demand Assigned (DAMA) – voice band
channels are assigned on “as-needed”
basis. It provides more versatility and
more efficient use of the frequency
spectrum.
 Satellite Multiple Access
Technique
Three Methods of Controlling DAMA Systems

a. Polling – a master station “polls” other

stations sequentially. When a positive
reply is received, a channel is assigned
accordingly. As the polling interval
becomes longer and the system tends to
become unwieldy because of excessive
post dial delay as a call attempt waits for
the pulling interval to run its course
 Satellite Multiple Access
Technique
b. Random Access Central Control – a
central computer located at the master
station coordinates the status of the
channels. Call requests are passed to the
central computer and a channel is
assigned if available. Once the call is
completed and the subscriber goes on
the hook, the speech path is taken down
and the channel used is returned to the
demand access pull of ideal channels.
 Satellite Multiple Access
Technique
c. Random Access Distributed Control –
uses a processor controller at each earth
station accessing the system. All earth
stations in the network monitor the
status information by means of the
digital order wire circuit. When an idle
channel is seized, all users are informed
to the fact and the circuit is removed
from the poll
 Satellite Multiple Access
Technique
SPADE – Single Channel Per Carrier PCM
Multiple Access Demand Assignment
Equipment – an 800-PCM encoded voice
band channels separately QPSK modulate
an IF carrier frequency. Each 4 kHz voice
band channel is sampled at an 8 kHz rate
and converted into bit PCM CODE. This
produces a 64 kbps PCM code for each
band channel
 Satellite Multiple Access
Technique
2. Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)

- works in the time domain and is applicable

to digital systems because information
storage is required. In this method, stations
are restricted to precise time slot. It has no
restrictions on frequency or bandwidth.
Presently, it is the most dominant method
used of providing the most efficient method
of transmitting digitally modulated carries
(PSK).
 Satellite Multiple Access
Technique
- each earth station transmits a short burst
of a digitally modulated carrier during a
precise time slot which TDMA frame. Each
burst is synchronized so that it arrives at
the satellite transponder at a different
time avoid collision with another station's
carrier. It is a “store-and-forward” system
whereby earth stations, can consult only
during their specified time slot, although
the incoming voice had signals is
continuous.
 Satellite Multiple Access
Technique
- in TDMA, only one user appears on the
transponder at any given time. Each user
is assigned a time slot to the satellite;
transponder power and bandwidth are
shared by several earth stations.
 Satellite Multiple Access
Technique
Store and Forward – a technique in which a
message received from earth termed is
held in storage until the satellite is in view
of a second earth terminal, at which time
the message is transmitted.
 Satellite Multiple Access
Technique
3. Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) or
Spread Spectrum Multiple Access (SSMA)

- each station may transmit whenever it

wishes and can use any or all of the
bandwidth allocated. Transmissions are
separated through envelope, encryption,
and decryption techniques. It uses
unique binary words called CHIP CODES
to receive a particular earth station’s
transmission.
 Satellite Multiple Access
Technique
- a correlator checks or compares orthogonal codes
with original chip codes to allow access to users
- the transmitted signal is spread over part or all of the
available transponder hand width in a time-frequency
relationship by a code transformation. Typically, the
modulated carrier is ten to hundreds of times greater
than the information bandwidth.
 Satellite Multiple Access
Technique
Frequency Hopping – is a form of CDMA
where a digital code is used to continually
change the frequency of the carrier. The
total available bandwidth is partitioned to
smaller frequency bands and total
transmission time is subdivided into
smaller time slots. Each station uses the
entire RF spectrum but never occupies
more than a small portion of that
spectrum at any one time.
 Satellite Organizations
INMARSAT (International Maritime Satellite
Organization)

- recommended by the panel of experts

commissioned by the Intergovernmental
Maritime Consultative Organization
(IMCO). They consider the introduction of
satellite communications to the maritime
sphere with the aim of improving
communications with ships, particularly
for safety and distress purposes.
Satellite Organizations
- born in July 1979, very much along the
INTELSAT lines, with COMSAT as the
largest shareholder.
 Satellite Organizations
INTELSAT
(International Telecommunications Satellite
Consortium)

- Founded in 1964 at Washington D.C. by

COMSAT (Communication Satellite
Corporation) of the United States,
Overseas Telecommunications
Commission of the Australia and nine
other world communications agencies
Satellite Organizations
 Satellite Organizations
MARISAT

- a ship-to-shore and shore-to-ship

communications via a dedicated
geostationary satellite system, providing
high-quality telephony, data and
telex/telegraphy circuits
 Questions
1. The first passive satellite
a. Telstar
b. Early Bird
c. Sputnik I
d. Moon
 Questions
2. The first active satellite
a. Sputnik I
b. Telstar
c. INTELSAT I
d. Explorer I
 Questions
3.The first geostationary satellite
launched in 1965 is
a. Syncom I
b. Sputnik I
c. Explorer I
d. Early Bird
 Questions
4. The average lifetime of
geosynchronous satellites is
about __________ years.
a. 5
b. 10
c. 15
d. 20
 Questions
5. A communication satellite is a repeater
between
a. A transmitting station and receiving
station
b. Many transmitting stations and many
receiving stations
c. A transmitting station and many
receiving stations
d. Many transmitting stations and a
receiving station
 Questions
6. One of the main applications of
satellite communications is
monitoring the ecological situation of
the earth. This is known as
a. Navigation
b. Surveillance
c. Remote control
d. Remote sensing
 Questions
7. What vacuum tube used to
amplify RF signal for transmission
through the downlink to station
receiver?
a. Magnetron
b. Klystron
c. Twystron
d. TWT
 Questions
8. A high power tube used in
transmission of RF signal
uplink
a. Magnetron
b. Klystron
c. BWO
d. TWT
 Questions
9. A stage in transponder and
downlink system which amplifies
the signal and ensuring that
noise is suppressed as possible
a. Mixer
b. Demodulator
c. LNA
d. IF amplifier
 Questions
10. A transponder is a satellite
equipment which
a. Receives a signal from earth
station and amplifies it
b. Changes the frequency of the
received signal
c. Retransmit the received signal
d. All of the above
 Questions
11. Multiple repeaters in
communications satellites are
known as
a. Transponders
b. Detectors
c. Modulators
d. Transceivers
 Questions
12. Satellite-to-satellite link
is also called
a. Uplink
b. Downlink
c. Crosslink
d. Weakest link
 Questions
13. The expression for satellite link
frequencies such as 14/12 GHz denotes
that
a. 12 GHz is the uplink frequency and 14
GHz is the downlink frequency
b. the system is operating at a mean
frequency of 13 GHz
c. 14 GHz is the uplink frequency and 12
GHz is the downlink frequency
d. the 14 GHz frequency is backup for 12
GHz frequency or vice versa
 Questions
14. The most widely used
microwave bands for
commercial applications are
a. C band and X band
b. X band and S band
c. C band and Ku band
d. S band and Ku band
 Questions
15. At present, the RF band
mainly used by most
satellites is
a. EHF
b. UHF
c. SHF
d. VHF
 Questions
16. The required antenna size
__________ as the operating
frequency of a system increases,
assuming that antenna gain remains
unchanged.
a. Remains the same
b. Increases
c. Decreases
d. All of the above
 Questions
17. A 20-m antenna gives a certain
up-link gain at frequencies of 4/6
GHz. For getting the same gain in
20/30 GHz band, antenna size
requires __________ meters.
a. 100
b. 4
c. 1
d. 10
 Questions
18. Orbital disturbances of a
geosynchronous satellite are
caused by
a. Moon
b. Sun
c. Earth
d. All of the above
 Questions
19. Geosynchronous satellites
a. Has the same period as
that of the earth
b. Has a circular obit
c. Rotates in the equatorial
plane
d. All of the above
 Questions
20. To cover all inhabited regions of
the earth, the number of
geosynchronous satellites required is
a. 5
b. 10
c. 2
d. 3
 Questions
21. A geostationary satellite is one
which
a. Hangs motionless in space about
36,000 km above the earth
b. Travels around the earth about 24
hrs.
c. Remains stationary above the earth
d. Appears stationary above the earth
 Questions
22. Geosynchronous Communication
satellites travel around the earth in
circular orbits with forward speed of
about __________km/hr.
a. 100,000
b. 36,000
c. 11,200
d. 22,800
 Questions
23. The period of the satellite is
a. The amount of time it takes for a
satellite to complete one orbit
b. The point on an orbit where satellite to
complete one orbit
c. The time it takes the satellite to travel
from perigee to apogee
d. An orbital arc that extends from 60
degrees west longitude to 145 degrees
west longitude
 Questions
24. What is the satellite's period
orbiting in a circular pattern with
elevation of 1000 km?
a. 1 hr 45 mins
b. 2 hrs 45 mins
c. 2 hrs 30 mins
d. 3 hrs
 Questions
25. A satellite, orbiting in a
circular orbit,
a. Has constant velocity
b. Has varying velocity
c. Is not moving at all
d. Both a and b
 Questions
26. What is a descending pass
for a satellite?
a. A pass from west to east
b. A pass from east to west
c. A pass from south to north
d. A pass from north to south
 Questions
27. Satellite rotating in an
orbit takes it over the north
and south poles is in
a. Inclined orbit
b. Polar orbit
c. Equatorial orbit
d. Declined orbit
 Questions
28. The farthest point a
satellite can reach is
a. Apogee
b. Perigee
c. Altitude
d. Attitude
 Questions
29. Include all earth stations
within line-of-sight path of a
satellite
a. Satellite shadow
b. Earth shadow
c. Zonal
d. Global
 Questions
30. The different multiple accesses
which permit many satellite users to
operate in parallel through
a. A Single Transponder Without
Interfering With Each other are
b. FDMA
c. TDMA
d. CDMA
e. All of the above
 Questions
31. A digital technology that uses a low
power signal spread across a wide
bandwidth. With this technology, a phone
call is assigned a code instead of a certain
frequency. Using identifying code and a
low power signal, a large number of
channels can used the entire bandwidth
a. TDMA
b. PCDMA
c. PMA
d. CDMA
 Questions
32. The use of the same
frequency on the same
geographical area
a. Frequency reuse
b. Roaming
c. Homing
d. Cellular
 Questions
33. In selecting a satellite
system, the first determining
factor is
a. Coverage area
b. EIRP
c. Antenna size
d. Antenna gain
 Questions
34. The earth's area or region
that the satellite can receive
from or transmit to
a. Footprint
b. Skip zone
c. Primary area
d. Finger print
 Questions
35. Satellite radiation pattern
that covers 1/3 of the earth's
surface
a. Earth
b. Zonal
c. Spot
d. Global
 Questions
36. A satellite position is
measured by its _________
angle with respect to the
horizon.
a. Elevation
b. Depression
c. Azimuth
d. Incidence
 Questions
37. The _________ angle
measures the satellite position
clockwise from the direction of
true North
a. Elevation
b. Depression
c. Azimuth
d. Incidence
 Questions
38. GPS has a total number
satellites equal to
a. 12
b. 24
c. 36
d. 48
 Questions
39. How many elliptical orbits
does Navstar GPS have?
a. 5
b. 6
c. 7
d. 8
 Questions
40. What is the free space
attenuation of a satellite system
operating at 36,000 km above
the earth operating at 5 GHz?
a. 180 dB
b. 190 dB
c. 198 dB
d. 189 dB
 Questions
41. The FDMA technique wherein
voice band channels are
assigned on “as needed" basis.
a. PAMA
b. DAMA
c. SSMA
d. CDMA
 Questions
42. A satellite equipped with
electronic devices to receive,
amplify, convert, and retransmit
signals.
a. Passive
b. Active
c. Uplink
d. Downlink
 Questions
43. An earth station transmits signal to
a satellite 38,500 km, directly
overhead it. What is the propagation
delay when the signal is received back
at the same earth station, in
milliseconds?
a. 257
b. 200
c. 285
d. 185
 Questions
44. A satellite communication link between
Pinugay Earth Station, Philippines and Mt.
Fucino Earth Station, Italy is to be
established. If the assigned uplink
frequency at Pinugay Earth Station is
6175 MHz, what is the downlink frequency
at Mt. Fucino Earth Station, in MHz?
a. 4545
b. 3950
c. 3789
d. 4200
 Questions
45. "The orbit of any planet is an
ellipse with the sun at one
focus". This is
a. Kepler's First Law
b. Kepler's Second Law
c. Kepler's Third Law
d. Law of universal Gravitation
 Questions
46. When a satellite orbits in the
opposite direction as the earth's
rotation with an angular velocity
less than that of the earth
a. Orbital
b. Prograde
c. Retrograde
d. Geostationary
 Questions
47. The actual user information
conveyed through the satellite
system
a. Bus transmission
b. Payload
c. Prograde
d. Retrograde
 Questions
48. The spatial separation
between geosynchronous
satellites
a. 1-3 degrees
b. 3-6 degrees
c. 6-8 degrees
d. 8-10 degrees
 Questions
49. The footprint which covers
a very small geographical
area.
a. Spot coverage
b. Zonal coverage
c. Earth coverage
d. Regional coverage
 Questions
50. The satellite frequency reuse method
which sends different information
signals using vertical or horizontal
electromagnetic polarization
a. Multiple coverage areas
b. Dual polarization
c. Spatial separation
d. Spread spectrum
 Questions
51. __________ detects the
satellite signal relayed from the
feed and converts it to an electric
current, amplifies and lower its
frequency.
a. Feedhorn
b. Satellite dish
c. Satellite receiver
d. LNA
 Questions
52. Satellites used for intercontinental
communications are known as
a. Comsat
b. Domsat
c. Marisat
d. Intelsat
 Questions
53. What is the basic function of a
communications satellite?
a. To act as a receiving antenna for
broadcast FM
b. To compensate for the antenna
limitations
c. To eliminate aerodynamic drag
d. To act as a receiving antenna for
broadcast AM
 Questions
54. What do you call of a satellite
used to provide satellite services
within a single country?
a. Orbital satellite
b. Geostationary satellite
c. Non-synchronous satellite
d. Domestic satellite
 Questions
55. A satellite beam that
covers almost 42.5% of the
earth's surface.
a. Zone beam
b. Hemispheric beam
c. Spot beam
d. Global beam
 Questions
56. The first Philippine satellite
has how many channels?
a. 30
b. 24
c. 48
d. 50
 Questions
57. Aguila I has how many
transponders?
a. 36
b. 48
c. 24
d. 12
 Questions
58. How many satellite orbital
slots were requested by the
Philippine Government from
ITU?
a. 2
b. 4
c. 6
d. 8
 Questions
59. The most common
device used as an LNA is
a. Zener diode
b. Tunnel diode
c. IMPATT diode
d. Shockley diode
 Questions
60. The radiation patterns of
earth coverage antennas have a
beamwidth of approximately
a. 21degrees
b. 5 degrees
c. 17 degrees
d. 35 degrees
 Questions
61. The main power sources
for satellites are
a. Batteries
b. Solar cells
c. Fuel cells
d. Thermoelectric generators
 Questions
62. What is the common up-
converter and down-converter
IF?
a. 36 MHz
b. 40 MHz
c. 70 MHz
d. 500 MHz
 Questions
63. When the satellites are spaced 4
degrees of the 360 degrees
complete circle, how many parking
spaces or orbit slots are available?
a. 90
b. 85
c. 95
d. 80
 Questions
64. The first satellite launched for
a geosynchronous orbit but
unfortunately lost during orbit
injection.
a. Syncom I
b. Telstar I
c. Sputnik I
d. Early Bird
 Questions
65. Geostationary satellites
are located _______ with
respect to the equator.
a. 0 deg longitude
b. 0 deg latitude
c. 90 deg latitude
d. 45 deg latitude
 Questions
66. Incidentally proposed the
geostationary scheme or
orbit of satellites in 1940's.
a. Clarke
b. Gauss
c. Morse
d. Gray
 Questions
67. The control routine necessary
to keep the satellite in position is
referred to as
a. Station keeping
b. Station tracking
c. Station monitoring
d. Station maintenance
 Questions
68. A satellite which simply
reflects the signal without
further amplification.
a. Passive
b. Active
c. Geostationary
d. Posigrade
 Questions
69. What is the line joining the
ascending and descending nodes
through the center of the earth?
a. Line of apsides
b. Line of nodes
c. Line of shoot
d. Line of sight
 Questions
70. The line joining the
perigee and apogee through
the center of the earth.
a. Line of sight
b. Line of nodes
c. Equatorial belt
d. Line of apsides