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At least 163 records · Page 9

Array Phase Shifters: Theory and Technology

While there are a myriad of applications for microwave phase shifters in instrumentation and metrology, power combining, amplifier linearization, and so on, the most prevalent use is in scanning phased-array antennas. And while this market continues to be dominated by military radar and tracking platforms, many commercial applications have emerged in the past decade or so. These new and potential applications span low-Earth-orbit (LEO) communications satellite constellations and collision warning radar, an aspect of the Intelligent Vehicle Highway System or Automated Highway System. In any case, the phase shifters represent a considerable portion of the overall antenna cost, with some estimates approaching 40 percent for receive arrays. Ferrite phase shifters continue to be the workhorse in military-phased arrays, and while there have been advances in thin film ferrite devices, the review of this device technology in the previous edition of this book is still highly relevant. This chapter will focus on three types of phase shifters that have matured in the past decade: GaAs MESFET monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC), micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), and thin film ferroelectric-based devices. A brief review of some novel devices including thin film ferrite phase shifters and superconducting switches for phase shifter applications will be provided. Finally, the effects of modulo 2 phase shift limitations, phase errors, and transient response on bit error rate degradation will be considered.

Romanofsky, Robert R.↗

Link Analysis for Space Communication Links Using ARQ Protocol

In space communications, standard link analysis assumes that messages are sent once. For a communication link that uses an error-correction coding scheme, bit-error-rate (BER) or frame-error-rate (FER), and link margins are common metrics that characterize the quality of a link, and they are used to determine the supportable data rate. With the advent of Automatic Repeat-reQuest (ARQ) protocols, when messages are corrupted during transmission, they can be resent multiple times automatically until they are correctly received and acknowledged. The concept of BER, FER, and link margin cannot be directly applied, and the link analysis approach for ARQ links needs to be re-examined.

Cheung, Kar-Ming↗

Performance of convolution coding concatenated with MFSK modulation in a Gaussian channel

The improvement in db due to concatenation over conventional M-ary coding is studied to reduce the probability of a bit error and to increase the available bit rate for the same system parameters of error rate, transmitter power, and range. The results of calculations for orthogonal modulation with noncoherent detection and Q-level correlator quantization are presented. It is shown that the correlator outputs are quantized to one of the Q levels, and the receiver output is a vector consisting of a list of the M correlator quantum levels. The channel has Q(M) possible outputs and M possible inputs. Optimum output is approached by increasing fine quantization

Choudhury, A. K.↗

Microcircuit radiation effects databank

This databank is the collation of radiation test data submitted by many testers and serves as a reference for engineers who are concerned with and have some knowledge of the effects of the natural radiation environment on microcircuits. It contains radiation sensitivity results from ground tests and is divided into two sections. Section A lists total dose damage information, and section B lists single event upset cross sections, I.E., the probability of a soft error (bit flip) or of a hard error (latchup).

Source record↗

Microcircuit radiation effects databank

Radiation test data submitted by many testers is collated to serve as a reference for engineers who are concerned with and have some knowledge of the effects of the natural radiation environment on microcircuits. Total dose damage information and single event upset cross sections, i.e., the probability of a soft error (bit flip) or of a hard error (latchup) are presented.

Source record↗

Modeling and equalization of nonlinear bandlimited satellite channels

The problem of modeling and equalization of a nonlinear satellite channel is considered. The channel is assumed to be bandlimited and exhibits both amplitude and phase nonlinearities. A discrete time satellite link is modeled under both uplink and downlink white Gaussian noise. Under conditions of practical interest, a simple and computationally efficient design technique for the minimum mean square error linear equalizer is presented. The bit error probability and some numerical results for a binary phase shift keyed (BPSK) system demonstrate that the proposed equalization technique outperforms standard linear receiver structures.

Konstantinides, K.↗

An error floor in tone calibrated transmission

Use of a low level pilot tone has been shown to eliminate the error floor in fading channels. This paper demonstrates that non-idealities in the receiver's pilot tone filter cause reappearance of the error floor. It also presents the bit error rate (BER) in closed form, in contrast to the multidimensional numerical integration of previous work.

Cavers, James K.↗

Impact of random pointing and tracking errors on the design of coherent and incoherent optical intersatellite communication links

Given the rms transmitter pointing error and the desired probability of bit error (PBE), it can be shown that an optimal transmitter antenna gain exists which minimizes the required transmitter power. Given the rms local oscillator tracking error, an optimum receiver antenna gain can be found which optimizes the receiver performance. The impact of pointing and tracking errors on the design of direct-detection pulse-position modulation (PPM) and heterodyne noncoherent frequency-shift keying (NCFSK) systems are then analyzed in terms of constraints on the antenna size and the power penalty incurred. It is shown that in the limit of large spatial tracking errors, the advantage in receiver sensitivity for the heterodyne system is quickly offset by the smaller antenna gain and the higher power penalty due to tracking errors. In contrast, for systems with small spatial tracking errors, the heterodyne system is superior because of the higher receiver sensitivity.

Chen, Chien-Chung↗

An algorithm for computing the distance spectrum of trellis codes

A class of quasiregular codes is defined for which the distance spectrum can be calculated from the codeword corresponding to the all-zero information sequence. Convolutional codes and regular codes are both quasiregular, as well as most of the best known trellis codes. An algorithm to compute the distance spectrum of linear, regular, and quasiregular trellis codes is presented. In particular, it can calculate the weight spectrum of convolutional (linear trellis) codes and the distance spectrum of most of the best known trellis codes. The codes do not have to be linear or regular, and the signals do not have to be used with equal probabilities. The algorithm is derived from a bidirectional stack algorithm, although it could also be based on the Viterbi algorithm. The algorithm is used to calculate the beginning of the distance spectrum of some of the best known trellis codes and to compute tight estimates on the first-event-error probability and on the bit-error probability.

Rouanne, Marc↗

Cochannel and Adjacent-Channel Interference in Nonlinear Minimum-Shift-Keyed Satellite System

The interference susceptibility of a serial-minimum-shift-keyed (SMSK) modulation system to an interfering signal transmitted through a satellite link with cascaded nonlinear elements was investigated through computer simulation. The satellite link evaluated in this study represented NASA's Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) system. Specifically, nonlinear characteristics were used that had specified amplitude-modulation to amplitude-modulation and amplitude-modulation to phase-modulation transfer characteristics obtained from the actual ACTS hardware. Two measurement scenarios were analyzed: degradation of an MSK satellite link from cochannel interference and from adjacent-channel interference. Interference was evaluated in terms of the probability of bit error rate (BER) versus energy per bit over noise power density Eb/No.

Yu, John↗

Use of CCSDS and OSI Protocols on the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite

Although ACTS (Advanced Communications Technology Satellite) provides an almost error-free channel during much of the day and under most conditions, there are times when it is not suitable for reliably error-free data communications when operating in the uncoded mode. Because coded operation is not always available to every earth station, measures must be taken in the end system to maintain adequate throughput when transferring data under adverse conditions. The most effective approach that we tested to improve performance was the addition of an 'outer' Reed-Solomon code through use of CCSDS (Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems) GOS 2 (a forward error correcting code). This addition can benefit all users of an ACTS channel including those applications that do not require totally reliable transport, but it is somewhat expensive because additional hardware is needed. Although we could not characterize the link noise statistically (it appeared to resemble uncorrelated white noise, the type that block codes are least effective in correcting), we did find that CCSDS GOS 2 gave an essentially error-free link at BER's (bit error rate) as high as 6x10(exp -4). For users that demand reliable transport, an ARQ (Automatic Repeat Queuing) protocol such as TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) or TP4 (Transport Protocol, Class 4) will probably be used. In this category, it comes as no surprise that the best choice of the protocol suites tested over ACTS was TP4 using CCSDS GOS 2. TP4 behaves very well over an error-free link which GOS 2 provides up to a point. Without forward error correction, however, TP4 service begins to degrade in the 10(exp -7)-10(exp -6) range and by 4x10(exp -6), it barely gives any throughput at all. If Congestion Avoidance is used in TP4, the degradation is even more pronounced. Fortunately, as demonstrated here, this effect can be more than compensated for by choosing the Selective Acknowledgment option. In fact, this option can enable TP4 to deliver some throughput at error rates as high as 10(exp -5).

Chirieleison, Don↗

The effect of transponder imperfections on the error probability performance of a satellite communication system

The bit error rate (BER) performance analysis of a data communication system is generally based on the assumption that signal waveforms are ideal and hardware-induced distortion is absent. In a satellite communication system such distortion arises in the satellite transponder, as well as in the transmitter and receiver portions. NASA, which is in the process of developing its Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS), is very much interested in understanding the impact of numerous forms of hardware distortion that have been identified on BER performance. The present paper examines the cumulative impact of nine forms of distortion induced by the transponder on BPSK and QPSK signals. For the present analysis, the transmitter and receiver are assumed to operate in essentially ideal fashions. Computed results indicate that BPSK and QPSK performances are affected in substantially different manners, with QPSK generally more sensitive to a given form of distortion. Cumulative distortion effects are illustrated via computed performance curves.

Weinberg, A.↗

Testing and Performance Analysis of a 650 Mbps QPPM Modem for Free-space Laser Communications

The testing and performance of a prototype modem developed at NASA Lewis Research Center for high-speed free-space direct detection optical communications is described. The testing was performed under laboratory conditions using computer control with specially developed test equipment that simulates free-space link conditions. The modem employs quaternary pulse position modulation (QPPM) at 325 Megabits per second (Mbps) on two optical channels, which are multiplexed to transmit a single 650 Mbps data stream. The measured results indicate that the receiver's automatic gain control (AGC), phased-locked-loop slot clock recovery, digital symbol clock recovery, matched filtering, and maximum likelihood data recovery circuits were found to have only 1.5 dB combined implementation loss during bit-error-rate (BER) performance measurements. Pseudo random bit sequences and real-time high quality video sources were used to supply 650 Mbps and 325 Mbps data streams to the modem. Additional testing revealed that Doppler frequency shifting can be easily tracked by the receiver, that simulated pointing errors are readily compensated for by the AGC circuits, and that channel timing skew affects the BER performance in an expected manner. Overall, the needed technologies for a high-speed laser communications modem were demonstrated.

Mortensen, Dale J.↗

Preliminary design for a standard 10 sup 7 bit Solid State Memory (SSM)

A modular concept with three separate modules roughly separating bubble domain technology, control logic technology, and power supply technology was employed. These modules were respectively the standard memory module (SMM), the data control unit (DCU), and power supply module (PSM). The storage medium was provided by bubble domain chips organized into memory cells. These cells and the circuitry for parallel data access to the cells make up the SMM. The DCU provides a flexible serial data interface to the SMM. The PSM provides adequate power to enable one DCU and one SMM to operate simultaneously at the maximum data rate. The SSM was designed to handle asynchronous data rates from dc to 1.024 Mbs with a bit error rate less than 1 error in 10 to the eight power bits. Two versions of the SSM, a serial data memory and a dual parallel data memory were specified using the standard modules. The SSM specification includes requirements for radiation hardness, temperature and mechanical environments, dc magnetic field emission and susceptibility, electromagnetic compatibility, and reliability.

Hayes, P. J.↗

In search of a 2-dB coding gain

A recent code search found a (15,1/5), a (14,1/6), and a (15,1/6) convolutional code which, when concatenated with a 10-bit (1023,959) Reed-Solomon (RS) code, achieves a bit-error rate (BER) of 0.000001 at a bit signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 0.50 dB, 0.47 dB and 0.42 B, respectively. All of these three codes outperform the Voyager communication system, our baseline, which achieves a BER of 10.000001 at bit SNR of 2.53 db, by more than 2 dB. The 2 dB coding improvement goal was exceeded.

Yuen, J. H.↗

The advanced receiver 2: Telemetry test results in CTA 21

Telemetry tests with the Advanced Receiver II (ARX II) in Compatibility Test Area 21 are described. The ARX II was operated in parallel with a Block-III Receiver/baseband processor assembly combination (BLK-III/BPA) and a Block III Receiver/subcarrier demodulation assembly/symbol synchronization assembly combination (BLK-III/SDA/SSA). The telemetry simulator assembly provided the test signal for all three configurations, and the symbol signal to noise ratio as well as the symbol error rates were measured and compared. Furthermore, bit error rates were also measured by the system performance test computer for all three systems. Results indicate that the ARX-II telemetry performance is comparable and sometimes superior to the BLK-III/BPA and BLK-III/SDA/SSA combinations.

Hinedi, S.↗

Optical PAyload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS) link validation

Recently several day and nighttime links under diverse atmospheric conditions were completed using the Optical Payload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS) flight system on-board the International Space Station (ISS). In this paper we compare measured optical power and its variance at either end of the link with predictions that include atmospheric propagation models. For the 976 nm laser beacon mean power transmitted from the ground to the ISS the predicted mean irradiance of 10's of microwatts per square meter close to zenith and its decrease with range and increased air mass shows good agreement with predictions. The irradiance fluctuations sampled at 100 Hz also follow the expected increase in scintillation with air mass representative of atmospheric coherence lengths at zenith at 500 nm in the 3-8 cm range. The downlink predicted power of 100's of nanowatts was also reconciled within the uncertainty of the atmospheric losses. Expected link performance with uncoded bit-error rates less than 1E-4 required for the Reed-Solomon code to correct errors for video, text and file transmission was verified. The results of predicted and measured powers and fluctuations suggest the need for further study and refinement.

ISS↗

Cross-Talk in QPSK Communication Systems

This report investigates the effects of cross-talk on the Bit Error Rate (BER) performance of QPSK communication systems. There are four different sources that can cause cross-talk in QPSK systems, namely, a band-limited channel, asymmetry in filters, phase imbalance between the channels, and imperfect carrier tracking. This report emphasizes the last two problems (where either phase imbalance in the local VCOs or imperfect carrier tracking exists).

Bit Error Rate Cross Talk Bandlimitted Channel Asy↗