Example Basic Link Calculations
Prof R.E. Sheriff
Round Trip Delay
Calculate round trip delay to a GEO satellite from beam
centre
• Round Trip delay = Time taken from Earth to Sat and back
• Altitude of GEO Satellite = 35864 km
• Distance = Velocity/time
Where Velocity = speed of light (3 .105 km/s)
• At Beam Centre
Distance = Orbit Altitude
t = 2 .( 35864/3.105 ) = 239 ms
1
Amplifier Noise Figure
An amplifier has a quoted noise figure of 2.5
dB. Calculate the equivalent noise
temperature.
• Recall: æ T ö
F = çç1 + e ÷÷
è To ø
• and by rearranging and using real value of
NF
Tamp = T0(1.78 -1) = 226 K
Antenna Gain
Earth Station of 30 m diameter, 60% efficiency
operating at 4150 MHz (C band). Calculate the
Gain:
4pAeff
• Recall: G=
l2
• and Aeff = m.pD2/4 for a given diameter, D
• Therefore G = 20 log(m0.5p.D.(f/c))
æ æ 41.5 ö ö
= 20 logçç 0.6.p .30.ç ÷ ÷÷
è è 3 øø
= 60.1 dBi (i means relative to isotropic ant.)
2
Calculating G/T of a receiver
IF
Feeder
Antenna LNA IPA
Loss = 1 dB
G1= 30 dB G2 = 30 dB
Local
f = 4 GHz Tf = 300 K Osc.
T1= 30 K F2 = 3 dB
D= 25 m
h= 60%
Tant=40K
G/T Step-by Step Guide
• Step 1: Calculate the gain of the antenna
using the equation:
4pAeff
G=
l2
æ æ 40 ö ö
• Gain = 20 logçç 0.6.p .25.ç ÷ ÷÷
è è 3 øø
= 58.2 dBi
3
System Noise Temperature
• Step 2: Calculate the system noise
temperature using the equation:
Ta æ 1ö
Te = + T f ç1 - ÷ + Tr
L è Lø
• Where Tr for a cascade of n amplifiers is
given by: T T
Tr = T1 + 2
+ 3
G1 G1G2
G/T
L = log-1 (1/10) = 1.26 (conversion from dB)
T2 = T0(2.0 -1) = 290 K (Derived from NF)
• Te = Ta/1.26+ Tf(1 - (1/1.26)) + T1 +T2/G1
= 40/1.26 + 300(1-0.79) + 30 + 290/1000
= 125 K
• Step 3: Divide antenna gain by System
Temperature
58.2 - 10log(125) = 37.2 dB/K
4
Link Calculation Example 1
• Assumptions:
Satellite transmitting 11.7 GHz continuous wave
Satellite beacon output power 200 mW feeds an
antenna of 18.9 dB gain towards an earth
station
Distance between satellite and earth station:
38,000 km
Receiver Earth station diameter 4 m and 55%
efficiency
Calculate
• Satellite EIRP in dBW, dBm and W
• Receiving antenna gain
• Path Loss in dB
• Received signal power in W, mW and dBm
5
Satellite EIRP
• Satellite EIRP is given by
PtGt W or
10log(PtGt) dBW or
10 log(PtGt) + 30 dBm (assuming power is in W)
• Pt = 200 mW or 0.2 W or -7 dBW or 23 dBm
• Gt = 18.9 dB or 77.6
• Satellite EIRP =
15.52 W (0.2x77.6) or
11.9 dBW (-7 + 18.9) or 41.9 dBm (23+18.9)
Antenna Gain and Path Loss
• Antenna Gain is given by:
• G æ æ 117 ö ö
= 20 logçç 0.55.p .4.ç ÷ ÷÷ = 51.2 dBi
è è 3 øø
2
æ l ö
• Path Loss is given by: F .S .L. = ç ÷
è 4pR ø
æ c ö
or 20 logçç ÷÷
è 4pRf ø
= 20log(3/(4p(38.106).117))
= -205.4 dB
6
Received Power
• Pr = PtGt + FSL + Gr dBW (assuming negligible
atmospheric losses)
• From Previous calculations
PtGt = 11.9 dBw FSL = -205.4 dB Gr = 51.2 dBi
• Therefore received Power in dBW
• -142.3 dBW (51.2 + 11.9 - 205.4)
= -112.3 dBm or 5.9.10-15 W or 5.9.10-12 mW
Carrier-to-Noise
• In the previous example, the overall system
noise temperature is 1200 K, determine
Earth Station G/T in dB/K
The receiver noise in a 100 Hz noise bandwidth
both in W and dBm
The C/N in a 100-Hz Noise bandwidth
7
G/T
• Step 1
• Convert Ts to dBK
10 log (1200) dBK = 30.8 dBK
• From previous calculation
G = 51.2 dBi
• Therefore
G/T = G - T dBK-1 = 51.2 - 30.8
= 20.4 dBK-1
Received Noise Power
• Recall:
N = KTsB
• From Question, B = 100 Hz
N = 1.38.10-23.1200.100 W
= 16.56.10-19 W
= -147.8 dBm
8
Carrier to Noise Ratio
• Carrier Power/Noise Power
Carrier Power = -112.3 dBm or 5.9.10-15 W
Noise Power = -147.8 dBm or 16.56.10-19 W
• Carrier to Noise Ratio = (-112.3 - -147.8)
= 35.5 dB
Composite Link Budget
• A satellite link has an uplink C/N of 8 dB
and a downlink C/N of 10 dB. Calculate the
overall C/N, assuming interference and
Intermodulation noise can be neglected
• Recall:
C C
=
NT N u + N D + N I + N i
-1
é ù
1 1 1 1 ú
=ê + + +
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
ê c
ë nU
c
n D
c
nI
c ú
n iû
9
Composite Link Budget
• Convert up and downlink C/N to real
values.
• C/Nup = log-1 (0.8) = 6.3
• C/Ndown = log-1(1) = 10
• 1/C/N tot = 1/6.3 + 1/10
• C/Ntot = 3.86
= 5.9 dB
Uplink Back Off
• Assume:
Transmit O/p Power at Saturation = 2 kW
Antenna Diameter = 15 m
Back off = 7 dB
Efficiency = 60%, Distance = 40000 km
Frequency of transmission = 14 GHz
Atmospheric loss = -0.3 dB
Satellite G/T = -5 dB/K, Tx Rate = 120 Mbps
• Calculate Tx EIRP, and Eb/N0 at satellite
10
Transmit EIRP
• Step 1: Determine Gain using:
æ æ 140 ö ö
20 logçç 0.6.p .15.ç ÷ ÷÷
è è 3 øø
Gain = 64.6 dB
• Convert Saturation Power to dBW
10 log(2000) = 33 dBW
Subtract back off of 7 dB from Power
• EIRP = Gain + Powersat - BO (dBW)
= 90.6 dBW (64.6 + 33 - 7)
Uplink Power Budget
• Uplink Power =
EIRP - FSL - Atmos. Atten + Gain Rx (dBW)
• Noise Power Density = kTsat (W/Hz)
• Recall
C Eb * R
=
N0 N0
11
Uplink Budget
2 2
æ l ö æ c ö
F .S .L. = ç ÷ = çç ÷÷
è 4p R ø è 4 lRf ø
æ 3.108 ö
FSL = 20 logçç 6
÷ = -207.4 dB
9 ÷
è 4p .40 .10 .14 .10 ø
Eb G
= EIRPtx + FSL + + Au - 10 log( R ) - 10 log k
N0 Tsat
= 90.6-207.4 -5 - 0.3 - 80.8 + 228.6 dB
= 25.7 dB
12
