Ultra-high bandwidth routing repeater system suitable for inter-satellite laser communication
By designing an ultra-high bandwidth routing repeater system suitable for intersatellite laser communications, the problems of limited bandwidth and susceptibility to environmental interference in satellite communications are solved, efficient and secure intersatellite data exchange and forwarding are achieved, and the application of future 5G/6G NTN technologies is supported.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511061305.8
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-30
- Publication Date
- 2025-09-30
AI Technical Summary
Existing satellite communication technology has defects in limited bandwidth, susceptibility to environmental interference, long transmission distance and tight spectrum resources. It is difficult to meet the requirements of high signal transmission bandwidth, high data exchange capacity, lightweight and low power consumption, and cannot be applied on a large scale to high-definition video calls and long-distance communications.
An ultra-high bandwidth routing and forwarding system suitable for intersatellite laser communication is designed, including a hardware platform and a software platform. The hardware platform consists of a routing and switching main board and a backup board, and adopts radiation-resistant components and a lightweight structure. The software platform realizes efficient data exchange and forwarding through routing and switching protocol software and UPF user plane software.
It achieves high data throughput, multiple user access points, low latency, and secure and reliable inter-satellite data exchange, supports communication rates of over 100 Mbps, reduces device weight and power consumption, and is suitable for inter-satellite laser communications and future 5G/6G NTN technologies.
Smart Images

Figure CN120729787A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present application relates to the field of satellite communication technology, and in particular to an ultra-high bandwidth routing repeater system suitable for inter-satellite laser communication. Background Art
[0002] With the rapid development of mobile communications, satellite internet technology has gradually entered the public eye and is becoming a key component of next-generation mobile communications. In the future, demand for low-latency, high-speed communications will experience rapid and concentrated growth. From the initial use of voice calls to today's high-definition video, virtual reality, and intelligent driving, applications with extremely demanding network communication requirements are constantly emerging. Furthermore, with the rapid increase in mobile communication data bandwidth, the coverage range of a single ground base station will gradually decrease. Traditional terrestrial mobile communications rely heavily on infrastructure development. While concentrated urban areas have relatively complete infrastructure, in remote, geographically complex or sparsely populated areas, such as deserts, oceans, and remote mountainous areas, large-scale base station deployment is not only more difficult but also significantly increases costs, making it difficult to achieve comprehensive and effective coverage. Traditional terrestrial communication networks will face unprecedented challenges in the future. Furthermore, with the advent of the Internet of Everything (IoE), a vastly larger number of terminal devices will require network access, resulting in an explosive growth in the number of connections. Traditional networks' access nodes and data throughput will increasingly be unable to meet these needs. Furthermore, in high-speed mobile scenarios like high-speed trains, airplanes, and ships at sea, traditional networks struggle to fully meet user demands for fast, stable network switching and high communication speeds.
[0003] Satellite communications are a powerful complement to terrestrial communications. The two are not mutually exclusive; rather, they complement and reinforce each other. Satellite communications offer inherent advantages such as wide coverage, flexible networking, low latency, and geographic independence. Constellations of satellites in various orbits, such as low- and medium-Earth orbits and geostationary orbits, provide global, unimpeded coverage. As satellite communications evolve from first-generation transparent forwarding payloads to second-generation renewable payload technology, the direct processing of forwarding signals by satellite-based base stations using renewable payload technology significantly reduces transmission latency in inter-satellite links and enables data link reestablishment. The shift in inter-satellite signal transmission from traditional microwave communications to emerging technologies such as laser communications significantly increases communication speeds and further reduces latency. Ground-based terminal devices, directly connected to satellites via radiating antennas, will provide users with higher-definition, smoother, and more stable network services. Satellite communications will enable users to enjoy seamless network service regardless of their location, truly breaking down geographical restrictions and significantly reducing the difficulty and cost of deploying large-scale ground base stations. As a key supplement to future mobile communication technology, satellite communications will surely receive widespread attention and vigorous development from all countries in the future, while promoting leapfrog development in various information industries.
[0004] At the user level, existing satellite communication technology is currently primarily used for short messages and voice calls, primarily on mobile devices such as mobile phones. There is significant room for improvement in the future. The technical bottleneck preventing large-scale high-definition video and access to a wider range of mobile devices lies in the narrow bandwidth of the operating frequency band (L / S band), typically ranging from a few kHz to a few MHz. While the L / S band offers advantages such as excellent signal penetration and wide coverage, it also suffers from a narrow signal bandwidth (less than 50 MHz) and susceptibility to interference from ground-based equipment. Future satellite communications will inevitably evolve towards 5G NTN and even 6G NTN technologies. Operating frequency bands will support multiple bands, including L / S / Ka / QV, with bandwidths increasing to hundreds of MHz to GHz, primarily targeting mobile communication networks exceeding 100 Mbps. Therefore, to achieve future communication speeds exceeding 100 Mbps and low latency between satellites and ground-based equipment, intersatellite routing equipment will require significantly more users and data exchange bandwidth. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an inter-satellite routing device with high data throughput, low latency, multiple user access points, and security and reliability to realize the forwarding of inter-satellite data.
[0005] The future large-scale application of 5G / 6G NTN technology in satellite communications will be accompanied by continuous increases in communication speeds and signal bandwidth. Existing intersatellite communication technologies and payloads, primarily based on microwave / RF technology, offer advantages such as maturity, long transmission distances, and wide coverage. However, these technologies suffer from limitations such as susceptibility to environmental interference, limited transmission bandwidth, limited spectrum resources, and large, bulky microwave antennas. These technologies will struggle to meet the demands for high signal transmission bandwidth, high data exchange capacity, lightweight design, and low power consumption, hindering their widespread adoption in scenarios requiring millisecond-level response times, such as high-definition video calls and financial payments. Furthermore, latency will be even more pronounced for long-distance communications, such as transoceanic transmissions. To address these challenges and achieve the full coverage, high transmission bandwidth, and low latency required for truly comprehensive satellite communications, it is necessary to design a routing device capable of supporting intersatellite laser communication with high data exchange capacity and multiple user access points to facilitate the exchange and forwarding of user data between satellites. Summary of the Invention
[0006] Based on this, it is necessary to address the above technical problems and provide a routing device that can support the large data exchange capacity and multi-user access points of inter-satellite laser communication to realize the exchange and forwarding of user data between satellites, which is suitable for an ultra-high bandwidth routing repeater system for inter-satellite laser communication.
[0007] An ultra-high bandwidth routing repeater system suitable for intersatellite laser communication, the system comprising a hardware platform and a software platform; the hardware platform comprising a routing switching mainboard; the routing switching mainboard comprising a CPU processing unit, a routing switching module unit, a management and control FPGA unit, a Flash storage unit, a 100G optical module unit, a 10G optical module unit, and a gigabit network unit; the software platform comprising a driver software unit, routing switching protocol software, UPF user plane software, routing synchronization software, routing construction modules, management and control software, and embedded basic software; The hardware platform mainly provides various functional interfaces, data links, software bottom layers and routing algorithm implementation for the routing forwarding device; The software platform is used to manage and calculate inter-satellite or satellite-to-ground routing nodes and transmission paths, build optimal data links for 5G communications between users, and synchronize routing information and user plane tunnel information to the routing and switching module unit for download while performing remote network configuration.
[0008] This invention is applicable to an ultra-high-bandwidth routing and forwarding system for intersatellite laser communications. Based on the aforementioned shortcomings of traditional intersatellite communication technology, and aiming to improve communication signal transmission bandwidth, lightweight, low latency, and reliability, this invention has designed an intersatellite communication routing and forwarding device with a data exchange capacity of no less than 160Gbps. This device is ideally suited for the future large-scale application of intersatellite laser communications and even emerging technologies such as terahertz waves in intersatellite communications. It can effectively address the latency and insufficient data throughput issues encountered by ground users utilizing low-orbit satellite communications. First, a hardware platform is established as the core carrier, and the various components of the routing and switching motherboard are precisely aligned with the high requirements of intersatellite laser communications. The CPU is responsible for coordinating various data processing tasks, providing computing support for efficient data exchange. The routing and switching module utilizes high-performance, radiation-resistant chips and is paired with four 100G optical modules. Each 100G module boasts a single-channel baud rate of at least 25Gb / s, achieving a switching capacity of 800Gbps. This, combined with two 4T4R 10G optical modules, supports at least 160Gbps of 10Gb / s Ethernet. Five 1000Base-T Gigabit Ethernet ports are provided externally, resulting in a data switching capacity of at least 960Gbps for the mainboard. Even the backup board can achieve a data switching capacity of 160Gbps, fully ensuring high data exchange capacity. Furthermore, the use of radiation-resistant components as the smallest unit, combined with a lightweight, reinforced protective structure, keeps the entire device weight under 7.2kg. Peak power consumption is no more than 200W when the mainboard is operating and no more than 100W when the backup board is operating, meeting the requirements for lightweight and low-power satellite payloads. The control FPGA unit ensures the coordinated and stable operation of all hardware units, while the Flash storage unit provides reliable storage for critical data and configuration information, ensuring the orderly and stable operation of all functional units. The driver software unit within the software platform ensures the proper operation of all hardware interfaces and modules, laying the foundation for smooth data links. The routing and switching protocol chip, paired with dedicated routing and switching protocol software, simplifies algorithm design while achieving comprehensive coverage from the access layer to the core layer, ensuring secure, reliable, and deterministic communication with low latency. The UPF user plane software processes and forwards user data, ensuring efficient data transmission. The routing synchronization software and routing construction module manage inter-satellite and satellite-to-ground routing nodes and transmission paths in real time, establishing optimal data links for 5G communications between users. They also synchronize routing information and user plane tunnel information with the routing and switching module to ensure data forwarding along the optimal path. The management and control software supports remote network configuration, enhancing system flexibility and operability. The embedded foundation software provides a stable operating environment for the entire software platform.The combination of software and hardware not only meets the high data throughput requirements of inter-satellite laser communications, but also supports multi-user access through a multi-interface design. At the same time, the low latency, secure and reliable characteristics also meet the requirements of inter-satellite communications, thereby realizing efficient exchange and forwarding of user data between satellites. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an ultra-high bandwidth routing repeater system suitable for intersatellite laser communication in one embodiment; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a hardware platform in one embodiment; Figure 3 The figure is a schematic diagram of the working process of an inter-satellite routing repeater device in one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application more clear, the following further describes this application in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this application and are not intended to limit this application.
[0011] In one embodiment, Figure 1 As shown, an ultra-high bandwidth routing repeater system suitable for intersatellite laser communication is provided, which includes a hardware platform and a software platform; the hardware platform includes a routing switching mainboard; the routing switching mainboard includes a CPU processing unit, a routing switching module unit, a management and control FPGA unit, a Flash storage unit, a 100G optical module unit, a 10G optical module unit and a gigabit network unit; the software platform includes a driver software unit, routing switching protocol software, UPF user plane software, routing synchronization software, routing construction modules, management and control software and embedded basic software; The hardware platform mainly provides various functional interfaces, data links, software bottom layer and routing algorithm implementation for the routing forwarding device; The software platform is used to manage and calculate inter-satellite or satellite-to-ground routing nodes and transmission paths, build optimal data links for 5G communications between users, and synchronize routing information and user-plane tunnel information to the routing and switching module unit for download while performing remote network configuration.
[0012] The above method is applicable to the ultra-high bandwidth routing repeater system of intersatellite laser communication, including hardware platform and software platform, such as Figure 2As shown, the hardware platform consists primarily of a routing and switching motherboard and a backup board, enabling hot and cold backup. The entire device is designed with radiation-resistant components as the smallest unit, and structural reinforcement is used to enhance reliability. The data exchange capacity of the routing and switching motherboard module is designed to be no less than 960Gbps, and the data exchange capacity of the routing and switching backup board module is no less than 160Gbps. The motherboard utilizes a high-performance, radiation-resistant routing and switching chip to provide up to 2.0Tbps of switching bandwidth. The switching chip is paired with four radiation-resistant 100G optical modules, with a single optical module transmitting and receiving data at no less than 100Gbps. Two 4T4R single-channel radiation-resistant optical modules with a communication rate of no less than 10Gbps are also used to meet the needs of 10GbE networks. In addition, it features five 1000Base-T interfaces for Gigabit network applications. The backup routing and switching board serves as an emergency response device in the event of reliability issues with the main board in complex operating environments such as space radiation. Therefore, aside from the differences in switching chip selection and the lack of four 100G optical modules, the external 10G and 1G Ethernet interfaces are identical. Both the main and backup boards utilize a cold standby design, meaning only one module is operational at a time to improve intersatellite communication reliability and reduce routing load power consumption. The routing and switching main board primarily features the following functional modules: The 100G optical module unit consists of four radiation-hardened 100G optical modules, providing four 100GBase-SR optical ports for external communication. The 10G optical module unit consists of two radiation-hardened 10G optical modules, providing eight 10GBase-SR optical ports for external communication. All external optical ports on the board undergo optical-to-electrical conversion by the optical modules, sending service data to the routing and switching unit's switching chip for processing and forwarding. The Gigabit Ethernet unit outputs five 1000Base-T electrical interfaces through five radiation-resistant PHY chips. All external Gigabit Ethernet ports send service data to the routing and switching unit through the onboard PHY chips for data processing and forwarding. A PCIE interface and a Gigabit Ethernet interface are designed between the CPU processing unit and the routing and switching unit for data stream transmission such as remote control, telemetry, and service data. The CPU processing unit configures the working mode and functional interface of the routing and switching chip through the PCIE interface. A Gigabit Ethernet channel is designed between the CPU and the routing and switching chip to serve as a backup interface for the PCIE interface, used as a backup path for service data such as network configuration. The Gigabit Ethernet design uses a radiation-resistant PHY chip to achieve interface conversion between RGMII and SGMII.The control FPGA unit is designed using a radiation-immune Flash FPGA chip. It houses no fewer than three NOR Flash memory cells and communicates with the CPU via an SPI interface. These NOR Flash cells store firmware information, including the CPU's bootloader and operating system kernel files. Triple-module redundancy is implemented, enabling online reconfiguration and on-orbit refresh of the CPU, ensuring reliable operation in irradiated environments. An asynchronous RS422 interface connects the control FPGA unit to the satellite platform for remote control, telemetry, and online reconfiguration. Furthermore, the CPU receives a PPS pulse signal from the satellite via an RS422 interface. This PPS signal achieves nanosecond-level time synchronization accuracy and can be used for system clock synchronization, data timestamp synchronization, and intersatellite equipment link synchronization. It also facilitates positioning of routing payloads. Finally, to implement cold standby functionality for the routing switch master and backup boards, four OC commands are provided to the master and backup boards' latching relays for controlling power on and off. The spare board has no 100G optical module unit and routing switching chip, but the other functional interfaces and mainboard designs are the same, which will not be described here. The routing switching device designed in this application has the advantages of high data exchange capacity, low latency, safety and reliability, light weight and low power consumption. The weight of the entire device does not exceed 7.2kg, and the peak power consumption does not exceed 200W. When the spare board is working, the power consumption of the entire device will be within 100W. It is very suitable for emerging technology fields such as intersatellite laser communication, laying the foundation for the large-scale application of 5G / 6G NTN technology in the integrated space-ground network architecture, and providing key technical support for the large-scale promotion of new technologies such as intersatellite laser communication.
[0013] By selecting radiation-resistant components as the smallest unit for the routing and forwarding device design, and using a lightweight structure for reinforcement and protection, the weight is reduced while further optimizing the power consumption of the entire device. In addition, the use of a dedicated routing and switching protocol chip can simplify the design of related algorithms, comprehensively covering applications from the access layer to the core layer, thereby achieving more secure, reliable, and deterministic low-latency network communications. The entire intersatellite routing device initiator workflow diagram is shown below. Figure 3 shown.
[0014] The main advantage of this application is that the ultra-high-bandwidth routing and forwarding device, as a key component of future second-generation satellite payloads, paves the way for the large-scale application of 5G / 6G NTN technology in satellite communications. It is highly suitable for high-data-throughput communication methods such as intersatellite lasers. The routing and forwarding device designed in this application solves the technical bottleneck of existing mobile phone direct satellite connections, which cannot achieve large-scale user-end high-definition video and access to more mobile terminal devices. It increases the communication bandwidth of user data in intersatellite / satellite-to-ground links from kHz to several MHz to hundreds of MHz to GHz. In the future, it will be widely used in communication networks with speeds exceeding 100 Mbps, and it also features data exchange capacity exceeding 160 Gbps, low transmission latency, and multiple user access points.
[0015] Another advantage of this application is that, based on the complex working environment of aerospace products, and starting from the characteristics of radiation resistance, power consumption and reliability, a satellite-borne routing device is designed in which the main / backup machine can be switched according to the application scenario. The routing switching main board and backup board are designed with radiation-resistant components as the minimum component unit. The firmware information running on the core components at the software level is designed with triple-mode redundancy to reduce the possibility of data bit flipping under radiation environment. The entire device also adopts structural reinforcement and other measures to greatly improve the reliability of satellite-borne routing work, avoiding problems such as communication link interruption and user data loss due to equipment failure. In the working scenario of providing a peak data exchange capacity of 960Gbps, the peak power consumption of the entire device does not exceed 200W. When switching the backup board, the power consumption can be further reduced to less than 100W, which has a significant power consumption advantage.
[0016] In one embodiment, the hardware platform also includes a routing and switching backup board; the routing and switching backup board includes a CPU processing unit, a control FPGA unit, a Flash storage unit, a 10G optical module unit and a gigabit network unit; the CPU processing unit will be started, loaded and managed through the control FPGA unit, using a dual backup bus mechanism; the Flash storage unit is used to control and reconfigure the firmware of the CPU processing unit through the SPI bus; the firmware information in the Flash storage unit is designed in parallel with three modes, and three-mode firmware is loaded using a two-out-of-three method. The loaded firmware is read through the control FPGA and the three copies of firmware information are ANDed and then processed in pairs to achieve single-bit three-mode verification.
[0017] In a specific embodiment, Figure 2As shown, the CPU processor on the routing and switching main / backup board is booted and managed via the control FPGA unit. Using a dual-backup bus mechanism, the satellite platform uploads the CPU firmware to the Flash storage unit via the RS422 bus and then controls and reconfigures the CPU processor firmware via the SPI bus. The firmware information in the Flash storage unit utilizes a parallel three-mode design, using a two-out-of-three approach for three-mode firmware loading. This involves reading the loaded firmware through the control FPGA and performing a pairwise AND / OR operation on the three copies of the firmware information, effectively implementing a single-bit three-mode checksum, ensuring the reliability of the onboard routing and forwarding device. Furthermore, the embedded basic software provides functional interface drivers for the Gigabit network unit, routing and switching module, and Flash storage unit, monitoring and managing the operating status of each functional module through relevant interfaces.
[0018] In one embodiment, the 100G optical module unit is composed of 4 radiation-resistant 100G optical modules to form 4 100GBase-SR optical ports for external communication; the 10G optical module unit is composed of 2 radiation-resistant 10G optical modules to form 8 10GBase-SR optical ports for external communication; the gigabit network unit outputs 5 1000Base-T electrical interfaces through 5 radiation-resistant PHY chips; 1 PCIE interface and gigabit network interface are designed between the CPU processing unit and the routing switching unit for data stream transmission such as remote control, telemetry and business data; the gigabit network unit uses 1 radiation-resistant PHY chip to realize interface conversion between RGMII and SGMII; the control FPGA unit is designed with a Flash-type FPGA chip that is immune to radiation, and it is externally mounted with no less than 3 NOR The Flash storage unit communicates with the CPU processing unit through the SPI interface. Three pieces of NORFlash are used to store the firmware information of the CPU processing unit, and a triple-module redundant design is implemented. The control FPGA unit realizes the online reconstruction and on-orbit refresh functions of the CPU processing unit, ensuring the reliability of the CPU processing unit in the low-orbit radiation environment; the control FPGA unit is designed with an asynchronous RS422 interface between the external and the satellite platform for remote control, telemetry and online reconstruction; the CPU processing unit receives the PPS pulse signal of the RS422 interface sent by the satellite platform. The PPS pulse signal is used to achieve nanosecond time synchronization accuracy and positioning of routing payload equipment.
[0019] In a specific embodiment, the routing and switching mainboard uses four 100G optical modules to achieve an 800Gbps switching capacity, and the single-channel baud rate of a single 100G optical module and the routing and switching chip communication is not less than 25Gbuad. In addition, the routing and switching mainboard also uses two 4T4R optical modules with a single-channel communication rate of not less than 10Gbps to achieve a 160Gbps 10G network requirement. The difference between the routing and switching spare board and the mainboard is that the spare board does not have a 100G optical module and there is a difference between the routing and switching module. While the data exchange capacity is reduced, the power consumption is also sharply reduced. The routing and switching device of the present application is mainly used to solve the defects of the traditional intersatellite radio frequency communication mode, such as low link data rate (generally in the range of Mbps~Gbps), limited spectrum resources, and susceptibility to interference from other frequency bands. At the same time, it can improve the data exchange capacity and reduce the transmission delay of the existing laser communication intersatellite transmission routing equipment. The routing repeater device of the present application has the advantages of safety, reliability, low power consumption and light weight. When the main board provides a peak data exchange capacity of 960Gbps, the peak power consumption of the entire device does not exceed 200W. When the backup board provides a peak data exchange capacity of 160Gbps, the peak power consumption of the entire device does not exceed 100W. The weight of the entire device does not exceed 7.2kg, providing support for future inter-satellite laser communication link rate applications of more than 100Gbps.
[0020] In one embodiment, the driver software unit is mainly used to configure and manage the CPU processing unit, routing and switching module unit, management and control FPGA unit, Flash storage unit, 100G optical module unit, 10G optical module unit and gigabit network unit. Through a flexible and configurable interface, the chip's working mode and configuration parameters can be adjusted dynamically in real time according to needs.
[0021] In a specific embodiment, the driver software unit is primarily used to configure and manage the CPU processor, Flash memory chip, routing switch chip, 100G optical module, 10G optical module, and Gigabit Ethernet PHY chip. Through a flexible and configurable interface, the chip's operating mode and configuration parameters can be dynamically adjusted in real time based on demand, optimizing overall system power consumption. The core modules, including the CPU processing unit, routing switch module unit, and Flash memory unit, also feature remote upgrades and fault detection, improving the reliability of the routing and forwarding device.
[0022] In one embodiment, the routing and switching protocol software supports multiple routing protocols to implement cross-network routing decisions and path optimization, executes longest prefix matching and management distance priority strategies based on the routing table, optimizes the forwarding path of data packets to reduce transmission latency, implements fault switching through a virtual routing redundancy protocol, improves network reliability, and has the ability to switch at three layers: the physical layer, the data link layer, and the network layer.
[0023] In a specific embodiment, routing and switching protocol software is a core component for implementing network function virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN), implementing the functions of routers and switches on a hardware platform through software. The routing and switching protocol software supports multiple routing protocols, enabling cross-network routing decisions and path optimization. It uses routing tables as a basis for implementing longest prefix matching and administrative distance priority policies, optimizing data packet forwarding paths and reducing transmission latency. The software can implement failover through the Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP), improving network reliability. The routing and switching protocol integrated into the routing and switching chip simultaneously supports three-layer switching capabilities: the physical layer (L1), the data link layer (L2), and the network layer (L3), meeting the needs of more complex application scenarios.
[0024] In one of the embodiments, the UPF user plane software acts as a PDU session anchor to ensure service continuity when users switch across base stations, and regularly detects user data traffic to implement user plane traffic scheduling. It directs traffic to the local edge network through uplink classifiers and branch nodes to achieve local traffic diversion, supports ARP proxy and IPv6 neighbor proxy requests, responds to network layer address resolution, and reduces terminal broadcasts.
[0025] In a specific embodiment, the UPF user plane software is a core component of the 5G / 6G core network, primarily responsible for processing, routing, and forwarding user plane data. It serves as the PDU session anchor, ensuring service continuity during user handoffs across base stations, and handles mobility adaptation functions such as downlink data buffering and end-tag forwarding. The UPF software also regularly monitors user data traffic and implements software-based user plane traffic scheduling. Using the uplink classifier (UL-CL) and branch nodes, it directs traffic to the local edge network, reducing core network load and further reducing latency (approximately microseconds) for local traffic offload. The UPF software also provides proxy functionality, supporting ARP proxy and IPv6 neighbor proxy requests, responding to network-layer address resolution, and reducing terminal broadcasts. In the future, the UPF software will evolve from a "data channel" to an "intelligent data plane," breaking functional boundaries through a programmable architecture and reshaping the data processing paradigm through the integration of AI and computing power. Ultimately, it will become the core carrier of the 6G integrated space-ground network.
[0026] In one embodiment, the routing synchronization software ensures the consistency of the routing table in the network and updates it dynamically in real time by synchronizing routing information between multiple inter-satellite / satellite-to-ground routing switching modules. It uses advanced algorithms and synchronization protocols to reduce the latency and resource overhead of user information in the routing network link, and directly calls the routing switching module unit SDK to maintain routing table entries.
[0027] In a specific embodiment, the routing synchronization software is the link between the various software modules. Its core function is to maintain and dynamically update the routing status consistency between network devices, ensuring the reliability of data transmission paths and optimizing resource utilization efficiency. The software ensures the consistency of the routing table in the network and dynamically updates it in real time by synchronizing routing information between multiple inter-satellite / satellite-to-ground routing switching modules. It uses advanced algorithms such as path vectors (PV) and synchronization protocols to reduce the latency and resource overhead of user information in routing network links. The software can directly call the routing switching module unit SDK to maintain routing table entries. When the main link fails, resulting in traffic interruption, it can immediately switch to the backup link. After the main link is restored, the session can be reestablished and reactivated. The user plane tunnel created by the UPF management software must also be transferred to the routing switching module unit for processing through the routing synchronization software, thereby completing the inter-satellite / satellite-to-ground routing forwarding and GTP-U encapsulation / decapsulation functions.
[0028] In one embodiment, the routing construction module is used to generate and update the routing table according to the connection relationship in the network nodes and the routing planning and calculation in the inter-satellite transmission, and then transmit it through the kernel and then need to synchronize it to the routing switching module unit with the routing synchronization software.
[0029] In a specific embodiment, the routing construction module is a core component of the network communication and software architecture, responsible for defining, managing, and executing the transmission paths of data packets or requests within the onboard network routing topology. This module generates and updates routing tables based on the connection relationships between network nodes and the routing planning and calculations used in inter-satellite transmissions, ensuring the correct and efficient transmission of user data within the onboard network. The generated routing table, after being transferred through the kernel, needs to be synchronized to the routing switching module by routing synchronization software. This module supports multiple routing protocols to accommodate onboard network environments of varying scale and complexity. Overlay network routing builds a virtual network topology on top of traditional routing to support more complex onboard network communications and routing strategies. Overlay network routing allows nodes to establish connections through virtual links, thereby optimizing data transmission paths and improving network resource utilization. Finally, the routing construction module supports the dynamic addition and removal of virtual nodes and links to adapt to changing network requirements.
[0030] In one embodiment, the management control module allows users to perform network configuration, task scheduling, function and performance monitoring of the routing and forwarding device through a simple and easy-to-use user management interface and API interface, and dynamically adjust the system resource configuration in real time according to the number of user access nodes, network status and task requirements, thereby optimizing the distribution of power consumption of the entire device.
[0031] In a specific embodiment, the management and control module serves as the control core of the entire software platform, responsible for managing, monitoring, and reporting the operating status of each functional module. Through a simple and easy-to-use user interface and API, users can perform network configuration, task scheduling, and function and performance monitoring on the routing and forwarding device. The management and control module also features automated management capabilities, dynamically adjusting system resource allocation in real time based on the number of user-accessed nodes, network status, and task requirements, optimizing the overall power consumption distribution of the device.
[0032] In one embodiment, the embedded basic software is developed and designed with the CPU processing unit as the carrier, and the embedded operating system it runs is mainly responsible for scheduling and running dynamic routing protocols, calculating the optimal data link based on real-time network topology changes, generating and maintaining routing tables and label information mapping tables, and guiding the forwarding path of data packets.
[0033] In a specific embodiment, embedded basic software forms the core of the entire onboard routing and forwarding device, developed and designed using the CPU processing unit as the carrier. Since routing and forwarding devices fall under the category of embedded systems, their applications are constrained by factors such as resource overhead, power consumption, and diversity. Therefore, customizing a lightweight system can fully meet the operating system requirements of the onboard routing and forwarding device. The embedded operating system is developed based on the Linux kernel and is primarily responsible for scheduling dynamic routing protocols, calculating optimal paths based on real-time network topology changes, generating and maintaining the FIB (routing and forwarding table) and ILM (label information mapping table), and guiding packet forwarding paths.
[0034] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.
[0035] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present application. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present application, and such modifications and improvements are intended to fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application shall be determined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. An ultra-high bandwidth routing transponder system suitable for intersatellite laser communication, characterized in that: The system includes a hardware platform and a software platform; the hardware platform includes a routing and switching mainboard; the routing and switching mainboard includes a CPU processing unit, a routing and switching module unit, a management and control FPGA unit, a Flash storage unit, a 100G optical module unit, a 10G optical module unit and a gigabit network unit; the software platform includes a driver software unit, routing and switching protocol software, UPF user plane software, routing synchronization software, routing construction modules, management and control software and embedded basic software; The hardware platform mainly provides various functional interfaces, data links, software bottom layers and routing algorithm implementation for the routing forwarding device; The software platform is used to manage and calculate inter-satellite or satellite-to-ground routing nodes and transmission paths, build optimal data links for 5G communications between users, and synchronize routing information and user plane tunnel information to the routing and switching module unit for download while performing remote network configuration.
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The hardware platform also includes a routing and switching backup board; the routing and switching backup board includes a CPU processing unit, a control FPGA unit, a Flash storage unit, a 10G optical module unit and a gigabit network unit; the CPU processing unit will be started, injected and managed by the control FPGA unit, adopting a dual backup bus mechanism; the Flash storage unit is used to control and reconfigure the firmware of the CPU processing unit through the SPI bus; the firmware information in the Flash storage unit is designed in parallel with three modes, and three-mode firmware is loaded using a three-choose-two method. The loaded firmware is read through the control FPGA and the three copies of firmware information are ANDed and then ORed in pairs to achieve single-bit three-mode verification.
3. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The 100G optical module unit is composed of 4 radiation-resistant 100G optical modules to form 4 100GBase-SR optical ports for external communication; the 10G optical module unit is composed of 2 radiation-resistant 10G optical modules to form 8 10GBase-SR optical ports for external communication; the gigabit network unit is designed to output 5 1000Base-T electrical interfaces through 5 radiation-resistant PHY chips; 1 PCIE interface and gigabit network interface are designed between the CPU processing unit and the routing switching unit for data stream transmission such as remote control, telemetry and business data; the gigabit network unit uses 1 radiation-resistant PHY chip to realize the interface conversion between RGMII and SGMII; the control FPGA unit is designed with a Flash-type FPGA chip that is immune to radiation, and it has no less than 3 NOR Flash storage units mounted on the outside, and communicates with the CPU processing unit through the SPI interface, of which 3 NOR The Flash is used to store the firmware information of the CPU processing unit and is designed with triple-module redundancy. The control FPGA unit realizes the online reconstruction and on-orbit refresh functions of the CPU processing unit, ensuring the reliability of the CPU processing unit in a low-orbit radiation environment. The control FPGA unit is designed with a one-way asynchronous RS422 interface between the external and satellite platforms for remote control, telemetry and online reconstruction. The CPU processing unit receives the PPS pulse signal of the one-way RS422 interface sent by the satellite platform. The PPS pulse signal is used to implement related functions; the related functions include nanosecond time synchronization accuracy and positioning function of the routing payload equipment.
4. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The driver software unit is mainly used to configure and manage the CPU processing unit, routing and switching module unit, management and control FPGA unit, Flash storage unit, 100G optical module unit, 10G optical module unit and gigabit network unit. Through a flexible and configurable interface, the chip's working mode and configuration parameters can be adjusted dynamically in real time according to needs.
5. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The routing and switching protocol software supports multiple routing protocols to implement cross-network routing decisions and path optimization, executes longest prefix matching and management distance priority strategies based on routing tables, optimizes data packet forwarding paths to reduce transmission delays, implements fault switching through virtual routing redundancy protocols, improves network reliability, and has the ability to perform three-layer switching at the physical layer, data link layer, and network layer.
6. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The UPF user plane software acts as a PDU session anchor to ensure service continuity when users switch across base stations, and regularly detects user data traffic to implement user plane traffic scheduling. It directs traffic to the local edge network through the uplink classifier and branch node to achieve local traffic diversion, supports ARP proxy and IPv6 neighbor proxy requests, responds to network layer address resolution, and reduces terminal broadcasts.
7. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The routing synchronization software ensures the consistency of the routing table in the network and updates it dynamically in real time by synchronizing routing information between multiple routing exchange modules between satellites or between satellites and the ground. It uses advanced algorithms and synchronization protocols to reduce the delay and resource overhead of user information in the routing network link, and directly calls the routing exchange module unit SDK to maintain the routing table entries.
8. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The routing construction module is used to generate and update the routing table according to the connection relationship in the network nodes and the routing planning and calculation in the inter-satellite transmission, and then transmit it through the kernel and then need to synchronize the routing synchronization software to the routing switching module unit.
9. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The management control module allows users to perform network configuration, task scheduling, function and performance monitoring of the routing and forwarding device through a simple and easy-to-use user management interface and API interface, and dynamically adjust system resource configuration in real time according to the number of user access nodes, network status and task requirements, thereby optimizing the distribution of power consumption of the entire device.
10. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The embedded basic software is developed and designed with the CPU processing unit as the carrier. The embedded operating system it runs is mainly responsible for scheduling and running dynamic routing protocols, calculating the optimal path according to real-time network topology changes, generating and maintaining routing tables and label information mapping tables, and guiding the forwarding path of data packets.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Satellite-borne gNB base station for deploying UPF and data processing method of satellite-borne gNB base station
CN114189270A
Integrated MEO-leo satellite communication system
US20230059412A1
Satellite network communication method, apparatus, device, and medium
WO2024164658A1