SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS I

1. Calculate the length of the path to a geostationary satellite from an earth station
where the angle of elevation is 30 degrees.
GIVEN:

=30
Geostationary satellite
REQD:
Length of the path (d)
SOLN:
Recall:

d km = [( R+h) R cos ]Rsin

Where:
R = 6371 km is the average earth radius or
6378 km, equatorial earth radius
h = 35 786 km, is the height of the geostationary satellite

is the angle of elevation

Solve for the length of the path (d).

d km = [(6378+35 786)2( 6378 )2 cos 2(30 ) ]( 6378 ) sin(30 )

d km =38 608.88 km
Therefore,

d km =38 611.64 km

2. Calculate the gain of a 3 m paraboloid antenna operating at a frequency of 12 GHz.

Assume an aperture frequency of 0.55.
GIVEN:
D=3m
f = 12 GHz
= 0.55
REQD:
G
SOLN:
Recall:

G=

( )

Where:
is the aperture efficiency
D is the diameter of the parabolic antenna

c
f

c = 3x

,is the wavelength and

10

m/s is the speed of light

Solve for the G.

G=

( )

G=(0.55)

(3 m)
8
3 x 10 m/s
12 x 109 Hz

G=78 167.27
In terms of dB,

GdB=10 logG
G dB=10 log ( 78 167.27)
GdB=48.93 dB
Therefore,

GdB=48.93 dB

3. Calculate the angle of declination for an antenna using a polar mount at latitude of
45 degrees.
GIVEN:
LA = 45

REQD:
Angle of declination (
SOLN:

Recall:

=arctan

RsinLA
h+ R(1cosLA)

Where:
R = 6371 km is the average earth radius or
6378 km, equatorial earth radius
h = 35 786 km, is the height of the geostationary satellite
LA is the earth station latitude
Solve for the

.
=arctan

( 6378 km) sin ( 45 )

35786 km+(6378 km)(1cos ( 45 ))

=6.8299
Therefore,

=6.82

4. A satellite downlink at 12 GHz operates with a transmit power of 6 W and an antenna

gain of 42.2 dB. Calculate the EIRP in dBw.
GIVEN:
f = 12 GHz

Pt =6 W
Gt =42.2 dB
REQD:
EIRP in dBw
SOLN:
Recall:

EIRP dBw =10logP t Gt

Where:

Solve for the

Pt

is the radiated power

Gt

is the transmit gain

EIRPdBw .

EIRPdBw =10 log (

EIRP dBw

6 W 10
1W

42.2
10

= 49.98 dBw

Therefore,

EIRP dBw

= 49.98 dBw

5. An LNA is connected to a receiver which has noise figure of 12 dB. The gain of LNA is
40 dB, and its noise temperature is 120 K. Calculate the overall noise temperature
referred to the LNA input.
GIVEN:
NF = 12 dB
A = 40 dB

T 1 =120 K
REQD:

T overall
SOLN:
Recall:

T e=T 0 ( F1)
Where:

T0

= 17C +273 K, is the noise temperature at room

temperature

Solve for the

is the noise ratio

T2 .

12
10

T 2 =(290 K )(10 1)
T 2 =4306.19 K
Recall:

T overall=T 1 +

T2
A
Where:

A
Solve for the

T overall=120 K +

is the gain of the amplifier

T overall .

4306.19 K
10

40
10

Therefore,

T e=120.43 K

6. A satellite transmitter operates at 4 GHz with a transmitter power of 7 W and an

antenna gain of 40 dBi. The receiver has an antenna gain of 30 dB i, and the path
length is 40,000 km. Calculate the signal strength at the receiver.
GIVEN:
f = 4 GHz

Pt = 7 W
Gt = 40 dBi
Gr = 30 dBi
d = 40 0000 km
REQD:

Pr (dBm)
SOLN:
Recall:
2

P r=

Pt G t G r
16 2 d 2
Where:

Pt

is the transmitted power

Gt

is the transmit gain

Gr

is the receive gain

d is the distance from the source

is the wavelength

Solve for the

P r=

Pr .

3 x 108 m 2
40
30
s
10
(7W )(10 )(10 10 )
4 x 10 9 Hz

16 2(40 000 000 m)2

Pr=1.56 pW

In terms of dBm,

Pr ( dBm ) =10 log

P
( 1mW
)

Pr ( dBm ) =10 log

pW
( 1.56
1 mW )

Pr ( dBm ) =88.07 dBm

Therefore,

Pr ( dBm ) =88.07 dBm

7. A typical TVRO installation for use with C-band satellite (downlink at approximately 4
GHz) has a diameter of about 3 meters and an efficiency of about 55%. Calculate its
gain and beamwidth.
GIVEN:
D=3m
f = 4 GHz
= 0.55
REQD:
G and

SOLN:
Recall:
2

G=

( D )

And

=70

( D ) degrees
Where:
is the aperture efficiency
D is the diameter of the parabolic antenna

c
f

c = 3x

,is the wavelength and

108 m/s is the speed of light

Solve for the G.

G=

( )

G=(0.55)

(3 m)
3 x 108 m/s
4 x 109 Hz

G=8685.25

In terms of dB,

GdB=10 logG
GdB=10 log ( 8685.25)
GdB=39.39 dB
Solve for the

3 x 10 m/ s
4 x 109 Hz
=70
degrees
3m

=(0.55)

(3 m)
8
3 x 10 m/ s
4 x 109 Hz

=1.75 degrees
Therefore,

GdB=39.39 dB

and =1.75 degrees

8. A receiver has a noise figure of 1.5 dB. Find its equivalent noise temperature.
GIVEN:
NF = 1.5 dB
REQD:

Te
SOLN:
Recall:

T e=T 0 ( F1)
Where:

T0

= 17C +273 K, is the noise temperature at room

temperature

F
Solve for the

is the noise ratio

Te .

1.5

T e=(290 K )(10 10 1)
T e=119.64 K
Therefore,

T e=119.64 K

9. A receiving antenna with a gain of 40 dB i looks at a sky with a noise temperature of

15 K. The loss between the antenna and the LNA input, due to the feed line, is 0.4 dB,
and the LNA has a noise temperature of 40 K, Calculate G/T.
GIVEN:

GdB =40 dBi

i

T sky =15 K
L = 0.4 dB

T e=40 K
REQD:

G/T
SOLN:
Recall:

G
( dB )=G dBi10 log ( T a +T e ) L
T
Where:

T a=

290 ( L1 )+T sky

L

, is the effective noise temperature of

antenna and feed line referenced to receiver antenna input in

Kelvin

T sky is the effective sky temperature in Kelvin

L is the loss in feed line and antenna as a ratio of input to
output power

GdBi is the gain of the receiving antenna in dBi

T e is the equivalent noise temperature of the amplifier
First solve for the

Ta .

290 K (10
T =

0.4
10

10
T e=39.2 K
Solve for

G
( dB ) .
T

1 +15 K
0.4
10

G
( dB )=40 dBi10 log ( 39.2 K + 40 K )0.4 dB
T
G
( dB )=20.6 dB
T
Therefore,

G
( dB )=20.6 dB
T

10. In satellite communication system, for a total transmit power of 1000 watts,
determine the energy per bit for a transmission rate of 50 Mbps expressed in dB w.
GIVEN:

Pt = 1000 W
f b = 50 Mbps
REQD:

Eb
N0
SOLN:
Recall:

E b Pt
=
N0 f b
Where:

Pt

is the transmitted power

f b is the bit rate

Solve for the

Te .
Eb
1000 W
=
N 0 50 x 106 bps
Eb
=20 W /bps
N0

6
Eb
20 x 10 W /bps
=10 log (
)
N0
1W

In terms of dBw,

Eb
=46.99 dBw /bps
N0
Therefore,

Eb
=46.99 dBw /bps
N0

11. Assuming a bandwidth of 20 MHz, a coherent BPSK transmitter operates at a bit rate
of 20 Mbps with a carrier-to-noise (C/N) of 8.8 dB. Determine Eb/No.
GIVEN:
C/N

= 8.8 dB

f b = 20 Mbps
REQD:

Eb
N0

SOLN:
Recall:

Eb C
B
= +10 log ( )
N0 N
fb
Where:

C
N

is the carrier-to-noise ratio

B is the bandwidth

f b is the bit rate

Solve for the

Eb
N0 .
Eb
20 x 106 Hz
=8.8 dB+10 log (
)
N0
20 x 10 6 bps

Eb
=8.8 dB
N0
Therefore,

Eb
=8.8 dB
N0