VSAT Technology and

Applications

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 Agenda

What is a VSAT ?
Typical VSAT Applications
Satellite Communication Fundamentals
VSAT Network Architectures
Access Schemes
Network Components
Network Management
VSATs Applications in Amateur Radio
Demonstration of Equipment
Summary

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 What is a VSAT ?

VSAT = Very Small Aperture Terminal

Satellite-based Wide Area Network (WAN), with
centrally managed hub
Remote site: less than 1.2m dish antenna
Multi-service platform: Data, telephony and
multimedia communications
Optimal for continent-wide networks of
hundreds or thousands of units
Small networks integrated in shared hub
service
Large networks, in the tens of thousands, for
Internet access

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 VSAT Advantages

Full or partial independence from terrestrial infrastructure

Cost savings over terrestrial lines
Nationwide reach, distance-independent
Network management from a single point
Quick deployment, network flexibility
Consistent and rapid response time
Increased network availability
and reliability
Inherent broadcast / multicast platform

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 Unicast, Multicast, Broadcast

Each Unicast Packet is Numbered and Acknowledged

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 Unicast, Multicast, Broadcast

Multicasts Packets are Not Acknowledged

Different Data Steams can be sent simultaneously to many users 6
 Unicast, Multicast, Broadcast

Broadcast Packets are sent to all users in the Network Simultaneously

Broadcasts are Not Acknowledged
VSAT Networks can use Reliable Broadcast Protocols and applications
that are based on NACK‟s, not ACK‟s

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 VSAT Speeds
Compared to Dialup Modem

The name of the game is THROUGHPUT !

A 56K Modem will typically connect at speeds of only 43Kbps

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 VSAT Markets

Enterprise
Retail; Oil & Gas; Banking; Government
POS; Back Office; Browsing; Telemetry
Telephony
Public: Public Call Offices, small businesses,
farmers, private lines
Corporate: Telephony/Data infrastructure
Internet (IP)
High-speed, always-on, Internet-access for
consumers, small businesses and schools
Intranet and IP infrastructure for the enterprise
IP multicast-based services
BTV
Content delivery

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 VSAT Network Architectures
One Way

One-Way – Receive Only

High Bit-Rate DVB Compliant Outbound
Inbound Return Channel via Dial-Up Modem
Can be used with existing infrastructure
Example: Harmonic‟s CyberStreamTM
Baseband
Equipment

Satellite

DVB Modulator

LAN

DVB Receiver
RFT
IP Encapsulator
VSAT TVRO
Antenna

TCP/IP ACK‟s NACK‟s Modem/ISDN

Router Return

Internet
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 VSAT Network Architectures
Two-Way Star Topology

All VSATs Communicate via a Single Hub

Network is Independent of Existing Infrastructure
VSAT Antenna Size dependent upon Power and Gain of Hub Antenna
Also Upon Inbound Bitrate, ODU Power and Satellite Footprint
Contention Based Access – Usually TDMA or FTDMA
Typical Ping Times Approximately 650-700ms
VSAT

VSAT VSAT

Hub

VSAT VSAT

VSAT VSAT

VSAT
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VSAT Network Architectures
Two-Way Star Topology – Double Hop

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 VSAT Network Architectures
Two-Way Mesh Topology

VSATs communicate directly with each other

Some systems require initial signaling via the Hub
Larger Antennas, Higher Power required at the VSAT
Smaller Antenna, Lower Power required at the Hub
Used extensively in Telephony Networks
Delay minimized on VSAT to VSAT Calls

VSAT VSAT

VSAT VSAT

VSAT VSAT

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Network Components

Skystar 360E

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Typical Hub Configuration

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 Network Management

Entire Network Controlled, Configured and Monitored from a Single

Location called the NOC (Network Operations Center)

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Typical VSAT Indoor Unit
(Skystar 360E)

(Front) (Rear)
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 Typical VSAT Outdoor Unit/Antenna
Reflector

Feed-Assembly
LNB-F (Optional)
LNB-F (Optional)

LNB
LNB

SSPA (HPC)

(Front) (Rear)
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 VSAT Communication Bands

VSAT Networks use Geostationary Satellites (GEO)

All located directly above the equator, at an altitude of ~36,000 km
and spaced approximately every 2 degrees

Band Up-Link Down-Link Notes

(GHz) (GHz)

L .9-1.6 .9-1.6 Shared with terrestrial

S 1.610-1.625 2.483-2.5 Shared with ISM

Band

C 3.7-4.2 5.925-6.425 Shared with terrestrial

Ku 11.7-12.2 14-14.5 Attenuation due to

rain

Ka 17.7-21.7 27.5-30.5 High Equipment cost;

attenuation due to
rain

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 Space Segment

VSAT Networks lease space segment from the Fixed Satellite Service
(FSS) Provider
Price is mainly determined by Bandwidth and Power
Geosynchronous Satellites frequencies consist of an Uplink and
Dowlink, each covering a 500 MHz bandwidth
The many transponders operating within this range typically extend
from 36-72 MHz each
Each Transponder has a finite power level that is shared amongst the
users
Excessive Power levels can cause distortion to all users on the
transponder

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 Bit Rate/Symbol Rate

Bit Rate
Symbol Rate =
# of bits transmitted with each symbol

If more bits can be sent with each symbol, then the same amount of
data can be sent in a narrower spectrum
For example, for a bitstream of 80 kbps using BPSK (1 bit per
symbol), the symbol rate is the same. For QPSK (2 bits per symbols),
the symbol rate is ½ the bit rate or, 40 kbps. For 8PSK (3 bits per
symbol) is would be 1/3 the bit rate, or 26.66 kbps

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 Modulation Types
Q

0 State"1" 1 State
BPSK – Binary Phase Shift Keying
180deg 0deg "0"
I
Use alternative sine wave phase to
encode bits
0 1 Simple to implement
Q
o o
315deg “01”
315 00 State 45deg
45 11 “00”
State
Inefficient use of Bandwidth
Very Robust
I
One bit per symbol (2 States)
QPSK – Quadrature (Quarternary) Phase
225o 00 “11”
225deg State 135o 10“10”
135deg State
Shift Keying
Q
Efficient use of Bandwidth
Requires more complex receiver for
I demodulation
Two bits per symbol (4 States)
MSK – Minimal Shift Keying
Easy to Generate – More Complex
Receiver
Special form of FSK
Spectrally efficient, better noise
performance at receiver
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 Forward Error Correction (FEC)

FEC provides the ability for transmitted data to be „self-correcting‟

without the need for re-transmission (As in ARQ)
Thus, we can transmit with LESS POWER - The price is Overhead
and Bandwidth !
FEC ½ means that for every bit sent, an additional bit of overhead is
sent; ¾ means for every 3 bits, one bit of overhead, and so on…
BER

10E-1
Un coded
10E-2
Coded
10E-3

10E-4

10E-5
Coding
10E-6
Gain

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Eb/N0 23
 Forward Error Correction (FEC)
Two classes of Forward Error Correction codes
Convolutional Codes and Block Codes
Convolutional Coding (Viterbi Decoding)
Based on minimum hamming distance “code words” feed through a
shift register
Reed Solomon Code (RS) is a form of Block Code that breaks the
data stream up into fixed size blocks and adds redundancy symbols
On the other side of the link, the data is decoded using linear algebraic
algorithms . This type of code adds considerable overhead
Concatenated Viterbi – refers to an error correction technique which
uses Viterbi in conjunction with Reed Solomon coding. Adds
approximately 2dB to the link budget
Turbo Codes with an even stronger coding gain will eventually
replace Convolutional and RS coding

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 Bit Error Rate (BER) & Eb/N0

Bit error rate is Directly Proportional to the Eb/N0 Threshold

Typical BER in some VSAT Systems can be <1.00E -08 (Less than
one error in every 100,000,000 bits) for an Eb/No of only 4.8dB
“Robust” in the digital worlds describes a system that can be (near)
error-free in a noisy signal path


Place Picture of C/N Here Place MSK Signal Here

CW DPSK Modulation

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 Link Budget (Margin)

The process of correctly sizing uplink and downlink paths

for:
Satellite
Hub
Remotes
Takes into account:
Satellite performance
Path Loss
Atmospheric effects
Frequency bands
Uplink antenna and amplifier performance
Download antenna size and receiver noise figure
Path Loss at 12 GHz over 36,000 km can exceed –205 dB !

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 Access Schemes
The Need for Bandwidth Efficiency
Bandwidth (and power) = $
Better bandwidth efficiency
translates into Cost Savings
Outbound and Inbound BW
proportional to:
OB IB
Number of Users
Bit Rate
Power/Modulation & Error
Correction Coding
Type of traffic F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 Fn
QoS (Quality of Service)
Outbound Transmission:
Constant, Single Frequency
Inbound Transmission: Bursty,
Frequency Hopping
All VSATs must share the
allocated inbound BW

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 Access Schemes
Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)
Frequency 1

Transmissions occur on the 17

same frequency from
multiple sources
11
When a collision occurs,
each source waits a random 19
amount of time before re- 12

Time
transmitting 17
11
17 Collision Occurs
Time slots are allowed to
pass unused
In a loaded network, more 18
collisions will occur, Collision Recognized
increasing the random wait
time
11 Retransmits after 3 slots delay time

17 Retransmits after 5 slots delay time

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 Access Schemes
Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)
Frequency 1

Transmissions occur on the 17

same frequency from
multiple sources
11
When a collision occurs,
each source waits a random 19
amount of time before re- 12

Time
transmitting 17
11
17 Collision Occurs
Time slots are allowed to
pass unused
In a loaded network, more 18
collisions will occur, Collision Recognized
increasing the random wait
time
11 Retransmits after 3 slots delay time

17 Retransmits after 5 slots delay time

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Access Schemes
Frequency/Time Division Multiple
Access – Random Access (RA)
Allocated Bandwidth
Inbound Frequencies
1.2MHz
F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 F10
120kHz Frequency

102 053 021 006

Time 006 102 053 021

Slots
021 102 006

102
006 Collision

102 006 Retransmission

Time

VSAT 006 VSAT 021 VSAT 053 VSAT 102

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 Access Schemes
Automatic Dedicated Access
A “private” frequency is
allocated to a single VSAT
Collision free, high throughput
channel for batch applications
and file transfer f
When a DA is required by a RA DA DA
VSAT, initiate request is sent in
RA mode, triggered 11 34 31 17
According to IP-socket or IP 14 17
address
According X.25 destination 21 17 34
address
Throughput based t 21 14 17 34
Then, a DA frequency is
allocated 25 17 34
17 34
25 14 17 34
17 34
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 Access Schemes
Automatic Partial Dedicated Access
Partial allocation for better
utilization of DA channel
Optimal for Constant Bit Rate
(CBR) applications, such as voice
f
RA
Guarantees fixed response time
DA can be flexibly divide into 11 31 17 15
PDAs
14 17 32
21 17
21 14 17 15
25 17 32
17
25 14 17 15
17 32

t 32
 Access Schemes
Dual Bit Rate
Support of dual bit rate
improves space segments
utilization
f
RA DA PDA
Any 2 bit rates can be
supported 11 17 15
Each VSAT supports two bit
rates with multiple access 14 17 32
modes
Lower bit rate for RA and
21 17
higher bit rate for DA
21 14 17 15
Each Receiver Cage at the
hub can handle two bit rates 17 32
17 36
25 14 17 15
17 32
76.8 153.6 76.8
t
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 Acknowledgments over Satellite
Spoofing

The Problem: TCP/IP requires acknowledgment of each and every

packet
The Satellite delay [(36,000/300000)2]2 in addition to all the routers
along the way adds significant latency
Spoofing Concept:
Acknowledge TCP packets locally at the VSAT/Hub – Send
„Acknowledge Summary‟ periodically

No Spoofing With Spoofing 34

 Acknowledgments over Satellite
Internet Page Acceleration (IPA)

On Terrestrial Based Networks, each HTML object is requested and

acknowledged
IPA requests all the objects on a specific URL
All objects on an HTML Page are sent to the VSATs at once

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 FAQs (1)

What are the Largest VSAT Networks in the World ?

Starband ~44,000 (US ISP); US Postal Service ~33,000
How many VSATs are operation World-Wide ?
>400K installed by Gilat alone
Can a Star VSAT communicate with another VSAT without a Hub ?
Star Topology – No. Mesh Topology VSATs can operate Point-to-Point.
Can a VSAT work Mobile ?
No, due to the associated delay is some systems and antenna pointing issues.
Mobile systems are under development.
Can a VSAT be used anywhere ?
No. It can not be used at the extreme North and South latitudes due to coverage
of Geostationary satellites. You must have line-of-site coverage towards the
satellite your network is working on.
What are typical upsteam and downsteam speeds that can be achieved with a
VSAT ?
Depends on the VSAT ISP. Btopenworld in the UK is offering 500/120 kbps
(Upstream/Downstream) service. Theoretically, much higher speeds can be
achieved.

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 FAQs (2)

Can I view DVB-S video stream from the same antenna/LNB ?

Yes. (So long as it is on the same satellite). Elliptical antennas allow adding two
additional LNBs with switchable polarization.
How many PC‟s can I connect to a VSAT ?
Theoretically, as many as you want. The limiting factor is that they will be sharing
the Inbound/Outbound Bandwidths. The other limiting factor is the total number
of TCP/IP sockets and whether or not the VSAT ISP set up the VSATs to assign
an IP address to connected PC. Up to 4 is recommended.
What applications are NOT suitable for VSATs ?
VSAT traffic has an inherent latency due to the distance. Real-Time Internet
Gamming other time-critical applications will not work as well as terrestrial lines.
What changes can we expect to see in the future concerning VSAT technology,
markets ?
When Ka-Band Satellite service begins, we can expect to see much smaller
dishes. 8PSK instead of the current QPSK on the Outbound, Internal Caching on
VSAT, plus much more.
The Rural Telephony market is booming and when mobile VSAT equipment
becomes available, the industry is expected to change entirely.

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EQUIPMENT

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PARABOLA DISH ANTENNA

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OMT

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