Frequency Conversion System

Abstract

Space is limited in satellite gateway antenna hubs. Existing frequency conversion systems utilize bulky components that consume significant space and are costly to maintain in terms of complexity, time, and expense. Therefore, a compact and flexible frequency conversion system is disclosed that consumes less space, offers built-in automatic software-controlled configurability and redundancy, and provides easy replaceability at both the channel and device levels.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 393,601, filed July 29, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. [Background technology]

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION The embodiments described herein relate generally to satellite communications, and more particularly to a frequency conversion system in a gateway for satellite communications.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art With the advent of more and more complex extremely high frequency (EHF) satellite gateways, there is an inherent requirement to locate active radio frequency (RF) subsystems as close as possible to the antenna feed combiner network. This requirement increases demand and competition for the very limited space within the antenna hub that houses these subsystems. Thus, it would be advantageous to reduce the amount of space consumed by active RF subsystems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Thus, a compact frequency conversion system is disclosed. The compactness of the disclosed frequency conversion system allows for the placement of the frequency conversion close to the antenna feed combiner network.

[0005] In one embodiment, a frequency conversion system includes: a chassis having a plurality of slots, each of the plurality of slots configured to receive a frequency conversion unit, each frequency conversion unit configured to convert a signal from a first frequency band to a second frequency band using at least one software-configurable local oscillator; and a controller: for each frequency conversion unit in the plurality of slots, configure a first frequency band and a second frequency band of the frequency conversion unit; switch the frequency conversion unit between an online mode and an offline mode; monitor operation of the frequency conversion unit to detect a fault of the frequency conversion unit; and, upon detecting a fault of the first frequency conversion unit in the online mode, configure a second frequency conversion unit in the offline mode to match the configuration of the first frequency conversion unit; and switch the second frequency conversion unit to the online mode while switching the first frequency conversion unit to the offline mode.

[0006] The chassis may include a front plane, and the plurality of slots may pass through the front plane. The chassis may include two pull bars on opposite sides of the front plane.

[0007] Each of the plurality of slots may have the same dimensions as each of the other plurality of slots.

[0008] The frequency conversion system may further include a plurality of frequency conversion units, each of which is mounted in a respective one of the plurality of slots, and each of which may have the same form factor as each of the other frequency conversion units.

[0009] The frequency conversion system may further include a connection matrix configured to provide optional connections between one or more inputs of the frequency conversion system and respective inputs of the plurality of frequency conversion units, and between one or more outputs of the frequency conversion system and respective outputs of the plurality of frequency conversion units. The controller may be further configured to control the connection matrix to connect any of the one or more inputs of the frequency conversion system to an input of any one of the plurality of frequency conversion units, and to connect any of the one or more outputs of the frequency conversion system to an output of any one of the plurality of frequency conversion units.

[0010] The power conversion system may further include a shared power source, the shared power source configured to provide power to all of the plurality of power conversion units in the plurality of slots.

[0011] The plurality of frequency conversion units may include two or more block downconverter (BDC) units each downconverting an input signal at a first frequency to an output signal at a second frequency, the second frequency being lower than the first frequency.

[0012] The plurality of frequency conversion units may include two or more block upconverter (BUC) units each upconverting an input signal at a first frequency to an output signal at a second frequency, the second frequency being higher than the first frequency.

[0013] The plurality of frequency conversion units may include two or more block downconverter (BDC) units each downconverting an input signal at a first frequency to an output signal at a second frequency, the second frequency being lower than the first frequency, and two or more block upconverter (BUC) units each upconverting an input signal at a third frequency to an output signal at a fourth frequency, the fourth frequency being higher than the third frequency.

[0014] Each of the plurality of frequency conversion units may be removable from a respective slot.

[0015] The frequency conversion units may be arranged in one or more logical groups, and the controller implements M:N redundancy for each of the one or more logical groups by maintaining M frequency conversion units in the logical group in offline mode for every N frequency conversion units in the logical group in online mode. The controller may be configured to maintain at least one of the M frequency conversion units as active for use as a hot spare. In each of the one or more logical groups, each of the N frequency conversion units in the logical group can perform frequency conversion to a different sub-band of the extra-high frequency (EHF) band.

[0016] The frequency conversion system may further include a plurality of frequency conversion units, each of the plurality of frequency conversion units being mounted in a respective one of the plurality of slots, and the one or more logical groups being at least two logical groups.

[0017] A first logical group of the two logical groups may include a plurality of block downconverter (BDC) units as frequency conversion units, and a second logical group of the two logical groups may include a plurality of block upconverter (BUC) units as frequency conversion units.

[0018] A first logical group of the two logical groups may include a plurality of block downconverter (BDC) units configured as frequency conversion units in a first polarization sense, and a second logical group of the two logical groups may include a plurality of block downconverter (BDC) units as frequency conversion units configured in a second polarization sense opposite to the first polarization sense.

[0019] A first logical group of the two logical groups may include a plurality of block upconverter (BUC) units as frequency conversion units configured in a first polarization sense, and a second logical group of the two logical groups may include a plurality of block upconverter (BUC) units as frequency conversion units configured in a second polarization sense opposite to the first polarization sense.

[0020] In one embodiment, a frequency conversion system includes: a chassis having a plurality of slots; a plurality of frequency conversion units, each of the plurality of frequency conversion units in a respective slot of the plurality of slots, each frequency conversion unit converting a signal from a first frequency band to a second frequency band using at least one software-configurable local oscillator; a connection matrix providing optional connections between one or more inputs of the frequency conversion system and each input of the plurality of frequency conversion units and between one or more outputs of the frequency conversion system and each output of the plurality of frequency conversion units; and a controller: for each frequency conversion unit in the plurality of slots, the controller configures a first frequency band and a second frequency band of the frequency conversion unit; switches the frequency conversion unit between an online mode and an offline mode; monitors operation of the frequency conversion unit to detect a fault of the frequency conversion unit; and, upon detecting a fault of the first frequency conversion unit in the online mode, configures a second frequency conversion unit in the offline mode to match the configuration of the first frequency conversion unit; and switches the second frequency conversion unit to the online mode while switching the first frequency conversion unit to the offline mode.

[0021] It should be understood that any of the above features may be implemented individually or in any combination with any subset of the other features. Thus, to the extent that the appended claims suggest particular dependencies between features, the disclosed embodiments are not limited to those particular dependencies. Rather, any of the features described herein may be combined with any other feature described herein, or may be implemented in any combination of features without one or more other features described herein.

[0022] The details of the present invention, both as to their structure and operation, can be gleaned in part from study of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts and in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an existing gateway, according to one embodiment. [Figure 2A] 1 illustrates a gateway with a frequency conversion system according to an alternative embodiment. [Figure 2B] 1 illustrates a gateway with a frequency conversion system according to an alternative embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 illustrates an example of a controller, according to one embodiment. [Figure 4A] 1 illustrates an example of a frequency conversion system, according to an embodiment. [Figure 4B] 1 illustrates an example of a frequency conversion system, according to an embodiment. [Figure 4C] 1 illustrates an example of a frequency conversion system, according to an embodiment. [Figure 4D] 1 illustrates an example of a frequency conversion system, according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 illustrates a process for providing redundancy in a frequency conversion system, according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] In one embodiment, a compact frequency conversion system is disclosed. After reading this description, it will become apparent to one skilled in the art how the present invention can be implemented in various alternative embodiments and alternative applications. However, while various embodiments of the present invention are described herein, it is understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example and illustration only, and not limitation. As such, this detailed description of various embodiments should not be construed as limiting the scope or breadth of the present invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

[0025] FIG. 1 illustrates an existing gateway 100, according to one embodiment. A modem 110 is typically located indoors at a facility and includes a receiver 112 and a transmitter 114. The modem 110 may be an L-band satellite modem operating in the long (L) band (i.e., 1-2 gigahertz (GHz)). The receiver 112 demodulates the signal from the satellite 170 (e.g., after being converted to the L-band) to recover the digital information, and the transmitter 114 modulates the signal (e.g., in the L-band) to encode the digital information for transmission to the satellite 170. The modem 110 can also convert the digital information from the demodulated signal into a communication format, such as Internet Protocol (IP), for transmission to a first device 190A over a network 180 (e.g., an Ethernet network), which may include the Internet and / or one or more other networks, and can receive digital information from the first device 190A on the network 180 for transmission to a second device 190B through the satellite 170 via the second gateway 100B (and possibly another network). Thus, the two devices 190A and 190B can communicate with each other via the satellite 170.

[0026] The modem 110 may be communicatively coupled to an antenna hub interface 120 via an inter-facility link (IFL). The inter-facility link may physically couple the modem 110 in an indoor environment to the antenna hub interface 120 in an outdoor environment. The interface 120 includes an interface panel 122 that provides an interface between the antenna hub and the receiver 112, and an interface panel 124 that provides an interface between the antenna hub and the transmitter 114. The interface panels 122 and 124 may be implemented as separate panels or the same panel.

[0027] The interface panel 122 may be communicatively coupled to at least one, and typically multiple, block downconverter (BDC) systems 142 via couplers 132. Signals from satellites 170 are received by a feed arrangement 160, which includes an antenna feed combiner network. The received signals pass through low-noise amplifiers 152 and are then downconverted by the BDC systems 142 from higher frequency bands to lower frequency bands. For example, the BDC systems 142 may be configured to support a variety of frequency bands, including V-band (i.e., 40-75 GHz), Q-band (i.e., 33-50 GHz), Kurz-above (K), and UE-band (UE-band). a ) band (i.e., 26.5-40 GHz), Kurz (K) band (i.e., 18-26.5 GHz), and / or Kurz-under (K u The frequency of satellite signals from an EHF band, such as the L-band (i.e., 12-18 GHz), can be downconverted to the L-band. In the illustrated example, a 1:2 redundant BDC system 142 is provided for each of three sub-bands of the supported EHF band, such as a first sub-band consisting of 17.7-18.3 GHz, a second sub-band consisting of 18.3 GHz-18.8 GHz, and a third sub-band consisting of 19.7-20.2 GHz. The downconverted signals in a lower frequency band (e.g., the L-band) are provided to receiver 112 via coupler 132 and interface panel 122.

[0028] The interface panel 124 may be communicatively coupled to at least one, and typically multiple, block upconverter (BUC) systems 144 via couplers 134. Signals from the transmitter 124 are received via the interface panel 124 and couplers 134. These signals are then upconverted by the BUC systems 144 from lower frequency bands to higher frequency bands. For example, the BUC systems 144 may upconvert the frequency of signals from the L band to the EHF band (e.g., V, Q, K). a , K, K u In the illustrated example, a 1:1 redundant BUC system 144 is provided for each of three sub-bands of the supported EHF band, e.g., a first sub-band consisting of 27.00-27.55 GHz, a second sub-band consisting of 27.55 GHz-28.0 GHz, and a third sub-band consisting of 29.5-30.05 GHz, and a 1:2 redundant BUC system 144 is provided for a single sub-band of the supported EHF band, e.g., 27.55-28.6 GHz. The up-converted signal of the higher frequency band is input to a high-power amplifier 154, which boosts the power of the signal for transmission to a satellite 170. The boosted signal is then transmitted to the satellite 170 by a feed mechanism 160.

[0029] The frequency conversion system, including the BDC system 142 and the BUC system 144, consumes a significant amount of the limited space within the antenna hub. For example, in certain embodiments, this frequency conversion system requires at least nine bulky components that consume seven entire racks. The frequency conversion system also requires complex connections to the interface 120 and to the low-noise amplifier 152 and the high-power amplifier 154. Designing a frequency conversion system requires significant engineering effort, which incurs significant costs. Furthermore, if a failure occurs in the BDC system 142 or the BUC system 144, the failed system must be manually replaced at the device level. This means, at a minimum, that a technician must disconnect the failed BDC / BUC system, remove it from the antenna hub, insert a new BDC / BUC system into the rack, and reconnect the new BDC / BUC system. Thus, these frequency conversion systems not only consume valuable space, but also require significant effort, time, and cost to service and maintain.

[0030] FIG. 2A illustrates a gateway 100 with a frequency conversion system 200DU according to a first embodiment. In this first embodiment, the BDC system 142 and the BUC system 144, along with the couplers 132 and 134, are replaced with a single hybrid frequency conversion system 200DU that performs both downconversion and upconversion. Unlike the existing gateway 100, complex connections are not required between the frequency conversion system 200DU and other components. Rather, the frequency conversion system 200DU may include a backplane that includes simple connection ports for connections between the frequency conversion system 200DU and the interface 120, the low-noise amplifier 152, and the high-power amplifier 154. These connections may include waveguides, cables, optical fibers, digitization, etc.

[0031] 2B illustrates a gateway 100 with frequency conversion systems 200D and 200U according to a second embodiment. In this second embodiment, the BDC system 142 and the BUC system 144, along with the couplers 132 and 134, are replaced with a frequency conversion system 200D for downconversion and a separate frequency conversion system 200U for upconversion. Again, unlike the existing gateway 100, no complex connections are required between the frequency conversion system 200D or 200U and the interface 120. Rather, the frequency conversion system 200D may include a backplane including simple connection ports, including an output connection to the interface panel 122 and an input connection to the low-noise amplifier 152, and the frequency conversion system 200U may include a backplane including simple connection ports for an input connection to the interface panel 124 and an output connection to the high-power amplifier 154.

[0032] As used herein, a reference number with additional letter(s) is used to refer to a specific component, while the same reference number without any additional letters is used to refer collectively to multiple components or to a general or any instance of a component. Thus, for example, the term "frequency conversion system 200" refers to any of frequency conversion systems 200DU, 200D, 200U, or any other frequency conversion system with shared attributes, and the term "frequency conversion system 200" refers to multiple frequency conversion systems 200DU, 200D, 200U, or other frequency conversion systems with shared attributes, or a combination of frequency conversion systems 200DU, 200D, 200U, and any other frequency conversion system with shared attributes.

[0033] Each frequency conversion system 200 may include a controller 250. The controller 250 may be implemented as a circuit board within the chassis of the frequency conversion system 200. In other words, the controller 250 may be internal to the frequency conversion system 200. Alternatively, the controller 250 may be external to the frequency conversion system 200, in which case the controller 250 may control multiple frequency conversion systems 200. In either case, the controller 250 may monitor the frequency conversion within the frequency conversion system 200 and / or control (e.g., configure) one or more aspects of the frequency conversion system 200, as described elsewhere herein.

[0034] Additionally, each frequency conversion system 200 may include a connection matrix 260. Connection matrix 260 may be configured to provide any connection between one or more inputs of frequency conversion system 200 and individual frequency conversion units within frequency conversion system 200, and between one or more outputs of frequency conversion system 200 and individual frequency conversion units within frequency conversion system 200. Each frequency conversion unit may include one or more software-configurable local oscillators 270, as described in more detail elsewhere herein.

[0035] It should be understood that a pair of gateways 100 may communicate with each other via satellite 170. In this case, each gateway 100 on either side of the satellite communication may include similar or identical subsystems. For example, both gateways 100A and 100B may include the disclosed frequency conversion system 200. Alternatively, one gateway 100A may include the disclosed frequency conversion system 200, while the other gateway 100B includes a conventional system that does not utilize the disclosed frequency conversion system 200.

[0036] 3 illustrates an example of a controller 250, according to one embodiment. The controller 250 may be any processor-enabled device capable of monitoring and / or controlling the components of the frequency conversion system 200. Other processing systems and / or architectures may also be used, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0037] The controller 250 may include one or more processors 310. The processor(s) 310 may include a central processing unit (CPU). Additional processors may be provided, such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), an auxiliary processor for managing input / output, an auxiliary processor for performing floating-point mathematical operations, a dedicated microprocessor (e.g., a digital signal processor) having an architecture suitable for fast execution of signal processing algorithms, a subordinate processor (e.g., a back-end processor), additional microprocessors or controllers for dual or multiprocessor systems, and / or coprocessors. Such auxiliary processors may be separate processors or may be integrated with the processor 310. Examples of processors that may be used with controller 250 include, but are not limited to, any of the processors available from Intel Corporation of Santa Clara, California (e.g., Pentium™, Core i7™, Xeon™, etc.), any of the processors available from Advanced Micro Devices, Incorporated (AMD) of Santa Clara, California, any of the processors available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino (e.g., A series, M series, etc.), any of the processors available from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. of Seoul, South Korea (e.g., Exynos™), any of the processors available from NXP Semiconductors NV of Eindhoven, The Netherlands, any of the available processors.

[0038] The processor(s) 310 may be connected to a communication bus 305. The communication bus 305 may include a data channel that facilitates information transfer between the storage and other peripheral components of the controller 250. Additionally, the communication bus 305 may provide a set of signals used to communicate with the processor 310, including a data bus, an address bus, and / or a control bus (not shown). The communication bus 305 may include any standard or non-standard bus architecture, such as a bus architecture conforming to standards promulgated by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), including Industry Standard Architecture (ISA), Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA), MicroChannel Architecture (MCA), Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) local bus, IEEE 488 General Purpose Interface Bus (GPIB), IEEE 696 / S-100, etc.

[0039] The controller 250 may include a main memory 315. The main memory 315 provides storage of instructions and data for programs executing on the processor 310, such as one or more of the functions discussed herein. It should be understood that the programs stored in the memory and executed by the processor 310 may be written and / or compiled according to any suitable language, including, but not limited to, C / C++, Java, JavaScript, Perl, Python, Visual Basic, .NET, etc. The main memory 315 is typically a semiconductor-based memory such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and / or static random access memory (SRAM). Other semiconductor-based memory types include, for example, synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), including read-only memory (ROM), Rambus dynamic random access memory (RDRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), etc.

[0040] Controller 250 may optionally include secondary memory 320. Secondary memory 320 is a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable code and / or other data stored thereon. In this specification, the term "computer-readable medium" is used to refer to any non-transitory computer-readable storage medium used to provide computer-executable code to or within controller 250. Computer-executable code stored in secondary memory 320 may be loaded into main memory 315 for execution by processor 310. Secondary memory 320 may include, for example, semiconductor-based memory such as programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory (a block-oriented memory similar to EEPROM).

[0041] The controller 250 may include an input / output (I / O) interface 335. The I / O interface 335 provides an interface between one or more components of the controller 250 and one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of input devices include, but are not limited to, sensors, keyboards, touchscreens or other touch-sensitive devices, cameras, biometric sensing devices, computer mice, trackballs, pen-based pointing devices, etc. Examples of output devices include, but are not limited to, other processing systems, cathode ray tubes (CRTs), plasma displays, light-emitting diode (LED) displays, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), printers, vacuum fluorescent displays (VFDs), surface-conduction electron-emitter displays (SEDs), field-emission displays (FEDs), etc. However, in general, the I / O interface 335 is intended to receive data (e.g., status, current configuration, etc.) from and transmit data (e.g., new configuration, etc.) to one or more BDC units, BUC units, and / or other units included in the frequency conversion system 200, as discussed elsewhere herein.

[0042] The controller 250 may include a communications interface 340. The communications interface 340 allows computer-executable code and / or other data to be transferred between the controller 250 and an external system 345. For example, data may be transferred directly from the external system 345 (e.g., a network server) to the controller 250, or may be transferred over one or more networks via the communications interface 340. Similarly, data may be transferred directly from the controller 250 to the external system 345 (e.g., a network server) or may be transferred over one or more networks via the communications interface 340. Examples of communications interface 340 include an internal network adapter, a network interface card (NIC), a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) network card, a cardbus network adapter, a wireless network adapter, a universal serial bus (USB) network adapter, a modem, a wireless data card, a communications port, an infrared interface, an IEEE 1394 Firewire, and any other device capable of interfacing the controller 250 with a network or another computing device. Communications interface 340 preferably implements industry-promulgated protocol standards such as the Ethernet IEEE 802 standard, Fibre Channel, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL), Frame Relay, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), Personal Communications Services (PCS), Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Serial Line Internet Protocol / Point-to-Point Protocol (SLIP / PPP), and may also implement customized or non-standard interface protocols.

[0043] Data transferred through communication interface 340 is typically in the form of electrical communication signals 355. These signals 355 may be provided to communication interface 340 via communication channel 350 between communication interface 340 and external system 345. In one embodiment, communication channel 350 may be a direct link, a wired or wireless network, or any of a variety of other communication links. Communication channel 350 carries signals 355 and may be implemented using a variety of wired or wireless communication means, including a waveguide, a wire or cable, an optical fiber, a conventional telephone line, a cellular phone link, a wireless data communication link, a radio frequency (“RF”) link, an infrared link, or the like.

[0044] Computer-executable code is stored in main memory 315 and / or secondary memory 320. Computer-executable code may also be received from external system 345 via communications interface 340 and stored in main memory 315 and / or secondary memory 320. Such computer-executable code, when executed, enables controller 250 to perform various functions of the disclosed embodiments as described elsewhere herein.

[0045] The controller 250 may include wireless communication components that facilitate wireless communication over a data network. The wireless communication components may include an antenna system 370, a radio system 365, and a baseband system 360 communicatively coupled to the processor(s) 310. Radio frequency (RF) signals are transmitted and received wirelessly by the antenna system 370 under the control of the radio system 365.

[0046] 4A-4D illustrate an example of a frequency conversion system 200, according to an embodiment. Specifically, according to an embodiment, FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate an alternative example of a frequency conversion system 200DU, FIG. 4C illustrates an example of a frequency conversion system 200D, and FIG. 4D illustrates an example of a frequency conversion system 200U. As shown, a single frequency conversion system 200 can be configured for strictly up-conversion, strictly down-conversion, or both up-conversion and down-conversion using different arrangements of BDC and / or BUC units.

[0047] In one embodiment, each frequency conversion system 200 may include a chassis 205. The chassis 205 may be configured to mount to a rack shelf or a National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) 4X electrical enclosure (not shown) and be secured to the shelf via any suitable fastening means (e.g., screws, nuts, and bolts through aligned openings in the front plane of the chassis 205 and the shelf and / or aligned openings in the backplane of the chassis 205 and the shelf). The chassis 205 may also be detached and removed from the shelf by loosening the fastening means. Multiple frequency conversion systems 200 may be mounted in a single rack or other enclosure, and / or other subsystems of the antenna hub may be mounted in the same rack or other enclosure as one or more frequency conversion systems 200.

[0048] In one embodiment, each frequency conversion system 200 is sized and shaped to slide as a single unit into and out of a shelf of a rack or other enclosure. Thus, the entire frequency conversion system 200 can be easily inserted into, extracted from, secured to, or removed from a rack or other enclosure. For example, the front plane of the chassis 205 of the frequency conversion system 200 may include two pull bars 208 on opposite sides of the front plane. A technician can grasp the pull bars 208 with both hands to lift, push, pull, and otherwise manipulate the frequency conversion system 200 within the antenna hub.

[0049] The chassis 205 may include multiple slots through a front plane of the chassis 205. Each slot is configured to receive a modular hardware unit therein. The units may be inserted into the slots of the chassis 205 from the front plane and secured therein via any suitable fastening means (e.g., screws, nuts, bolts, etc., through aligned openings in the unit and the front plane of the chassis 205 and / or aligned openings in the unit and the back plane of the chassis 205). Each unit may also be detached and removed from the chassis 205 by loosening the fastening means. In one embodiment, each slot may have the same or identical dimensions as each other, and each unit may have the same or identical common form factor as each other, such that any unit may be inserted into any slot. In an alternative embodiment, one or more slots may have different dimensions from one or more other slots, and one or more units may have a different form factor from other units, such that only certain units or types of units may be inserted into certain slots of the chassis 205.

[0050] The chassis 205 may include a connection matrix 260 on the backplane. The connection matrix 260 may be configured to provide any connection between one or more inputs of the frequency conversion system 200 and units in the slots, and between one or more outputs of the frequency conversion system 200 and units in the slots. In other words, each input port to the frequency conversion system 200 may be communicatively coupleable to an input port of any slot in the chassis 205, which corresponds to an input of any unit in that slot, and each output port from the frequency conversion system 200 may be communicatively coupleable to an output port of any slot in the chassis 205, which corresponds to an output of any unit in that slot.

[0051] The chassis 205 may also include a shared power supply (not shown). The shared power supply may include an electrical connection to a power source (e.g., a power grid), a battery system (e.g., an uninterruptible power supply (UPS)), and / or the like. The shared power supply may be electrically coupled to the power inputs of each slot, thereby providing power to each unit in each slot.

[0052] The controller 250 may be configured to control the connection matrix 260. Specifically, the controller 250 may configure the connection matrix 260 to connect any input of the frequency conversion system 200 to the input of any slot and any output of the frequency conversion system 200 to the output of any slot. Thus, communication couplings with units in slots can be switched automatically (i.e., without a technician having to physically change the connections). The controller may also include connections to a control port of each slot, each slot corresponding to the control port of any unit in that slot, thereby allowing the controller to automatically configure any unit in any slot.

[0053] The controllers 250 may operate independently. Alternatively or additionally, the controllers 250 may be controlled by an external system 345, which may send commands that are implemented by the controllers 250, and to which the controllers 250 may report data such as status, metrics, and / or the like. In this case, the external system 345 may control the controllers 250 of each frequency conversion system 200 manually (e.g., in response to user action), automatically (e.g., without user input), semi-automatically (e.g., automatically with confirmation or other input from a user), and / or the like.

[0054] Each unit attached or attachable to the frequency conversion system 200 may include a circuit board that performs one or more functions within a laser-sealed housing. The housing of each unit may hermetically seal the circuit board and shield the circuit board from electromagnetic interference. In one embodiment, each unit is approximately the same size as a moderately sized smartphone (e.g., 120-160 millimeters long, 58-79 millimeters wide, and 7-10 millimeters deep). This compact design allows the units to be placed side-by-side within slots in the chassis 205, allowing for easy insertion and removal, even while the frequency conversion system 200 is in operation.

[0055] The units may be plug-and-play. For example, when a unit is inserted into a slot, the unit's control ports may be automatically connected to the controller 250, and the unit's inputs and outputs may be automatically connected to the connection matrix 260 of the chassis 205. Thus, the controller 250 may automatically detect the connection and activate the unit as soon as the unit is inserted. Conversely, when a unit is removed from a slot, the controller 250 may automatically detect the disconnection and reconfigure the frequency conversion system 200 to take into account the removal of the unit.

[0056] The units installed in the slots of the chassis 205 may include one or more software-defined BDC units 210 and / or one or more software-defined BUC units 220. Each of the software-defined BDC units 210 and BUC units 220 may include a small, separate frequency conversion board with one or more software-configurable local oscillators 270. Each local oscillator 270 generates a signal that is mixed with an input signal to vary the frequency of the input signal. The frequency of the signal output by the local oscillator 270 may be adjustable, synthesizable, or otherwise configurable so that an input signal to the conversion unit 210 or 220 at any first frequency can be downconverted or upconverted to an output signal at any second frequency under the control of the controller 250. Downconversion by the BDC unit 210 results in a second frequency that is lower than the first frequency, while upconversion by the BUC unit 220 results in a second frequency that is higher than the first frequency.

[0057] Each frequency conversion unit 210 and 220 may be configurable to convert signals in any input frequency band within at least a first range of the radio spectrum to any output frequency band within at least a second range of the radio spectrum. Thus, for example, controller 250 may configure BDC unit 210 to downconvert an input signal from a first frequency band to a second frequency band, and then reconfigure BDC unit 210 to downconvert the input signal from a third frequency band to a fourth frequency band a second time. As a result, reconfiguration of frequency conversion system 200, including the individual units installed within frequency conversion system 200, can be performed on the fly using strictly software, without external switches, waveguides, cables, etc., and without the need for new equipment. Additionally, this reconfiguration can be performed at a finer granularity, channel level, rather than at the device level required by existing gateways 100.

[0058] The units installed in the slots of chassis 205 may also include units 230 other than frequency conversion units 210 and 220. Because frequency-converted signals are present in frequency conversion system 200, other units 230 may be brought online to process or sample these signals without the need for external interfaces. For example, other units 230 may include a dual BDC unit for monopulse, a test loop converter (TLT) for telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C) ranging, a system for complex carrier monitoring using, for example, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) digital signal processor (DSP), or the like. More generally, one or more units 230 may be inserted into chassis 205 under the control of controller 250 to provide any functionality that may be useful for frequency conversion by conversion units 210 and / or 220.

[0059] When inserted into a slot in chassis 205, each unit can report one or more parameters to controller 250, for example, via a connection between the slot's control port and controller 250. The parameter(s) can be reported continuously, periodically, or in response to polling by controller 250. The parameter(s) can include status, operating mode, input frequency, output frequency, etc. Thus, controller 250 can monitor the operation of each unit, including each conversion unit 210 and 220, as well as any other unit 230.

[0060] 4A , the frequency conversion system 200DU may include multiple BDC units 210, multiple BUC units 220, and optionally one or more other units 230. In the illustrated example, the frequency conversion system 200DU includes six BDC units 210, six BUC units 220, and two other units 230 consisting of a monopulse dual BDC unit 230A and a TLT unit 230B. Each BDC unit 210 can perform downconversion from at least one subband of the EHF bandwidth to the frequency band of the modem 110 (e.g., the L-band), and each BUC unit 220 can perform upconversion from the frequency band of the modem 110 to at least one subband of the EHF bandwidth. In addition, each of the BDC units 210 and BUC units 220 can be programmable so that the subband of the EHF bandwidth in which any given unit operates can be set by the controller 250. Collectively, the BDC unit 210 performs downconversion for the entire supported EHF bandwidth, and the BUC unit 220 performs upconversion for the entire supported EHF bandwidth. In other words, the subbands of the EHF band converted by the BDC unit 210 and the BUC unit 220 collectively span the entire EHF bandwidth supported by the frequency conversion system 200DU. The conversion units 210 and 220 may be redundant, as described elsewhere herein.

[0061] The EHF band used for communication with satellite 170 is typically 3-4 GHz wide. In one embodiment, each frequency conversion unit 210 and 220 may be configured to convert an approximately 1 GHz sub-band of this EHF band. In such an embodiment, three to four BDC units 210 and three to four BUC units 210 are required for complete frequency conversion. However, it should be understood that this is merely one non-limiting example and that many other configurations are possible.

[0062] FIG. 4B illustrates an alternative example of the frequency conversion system 200DU. In this alternative example, the chassis 205 physically divides the slots into separate sections, such as left, center, and right sections. These physical sections may correspond to logical groupings of units. For example, in the illustrated example, the left section corresponds to all of the BDC units 210, the right section corresponds to all of the BUC units 220, and the center section corresponds to all of the other units 230. Thus, a technician can easily visually distinguish between different logical groupings of units. Each logical grouping may represent a particular type of unit, a particular function, a particular redundancy, and the like. Notably, the same effect can be achieved using the example of FIG. 3A by simply leaving certain slots in the chassis 205 empty. In this case, the empty slots divide the sections or groups of units. While it may be preferable from a convenience perspective to populate the slots in a manner that divides the logical groups into respective physical sections, it should be understood that this is not a requirement of any embodiment. In other words, the logical groups need not correspond to physical sections of the chassis 205.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 4C , the frequency conversion system 200D may include multiple BDC units 210 and, optionally, one or more other units 230. In the illustrated example, the frequency conversion system 200D includes 12 BDC units 210 and two other units 230: a dual BDC unit 230A and a TLT unit 230B. The 12 BDC units 210 may be logically divided into two groups. For example, the BDC units 210A-210F may be a first group, and the BDC units 210G-210L may be a second group. Notably, the BDC units 210 may also be physically divided into these two groups by arranging the first group on one side (e.g., the left side) of the other units 230 and the second group on the opposite side (e.g., the right side) of the other units 230. In other words, the other units 230 divide the BDC units 210 into a first group and a second group. Collectively, the first and second groups of BDC units 210 may provide downconversion for two opposing polarization senses. For example, the first group of BDC units 210A-210F may perform downconversion for left-hand circular polarization, and the second group of BDC units 210G-210L may perform downconversion for right-hand circular polarization. Alternatively, the first group of BDC units 210A-210F may perform downconversion for horizontal linear polarization, and the second group of BDC units 210G-210L may perform downconversion for vertical linear polarization. In either case, each group may have redundancy, as described elsewhere herein. It should be understood that these are merely examples, and that various alternative configurations are possible.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 4D , the frequency conversion system 200U may include multiple BUC units 220 and, optionally, one or more other units 230. In the illustrated example, the frequency conversion system 200U includes 12 BUC units 220 and two other units 230: a dual BDC unit 230A and a TLT unit 230B. The 12 BUC units 220 may be logically divided into two groups. For example, the BUC units 220A-220F may be a first group, and the BUC units 220G-220L may be a second group. Notably, the BUC units 220 may also be physically divided into these two groups by arranging the first group on one side (e.g., the left side) of the other units 230 and the second group on the opposite side (e.g., the right side) of the other units 230. In other words, the other units 230 divide the BUC units 220 into a first group and a second group. Collectively, the first and second groups of BUC units 220 may provide upconversion for two opposing polarization senses. For example, the first group of BUC units 220A-220F may perform upconversion for left-hand circular polarization, and the second group of BUC units 220G-220L may perform upconversion for right-hand circular polarization. Alternatively, the first group of BUC units 220A-220F may perform upconversion for horizontal linear polarization, and the second group of BUC units 220G-220L may perform upconversion for vertical linear polarization. In either case, each group may include redundancy, as described elsewhere herein. It should be understood that these are merely examples, and that various alternative configurations are possible.

[0065] Any of the described frequency conversion systems 200 can be implemented using the chassis 205 of FIG. 4A including sets of equally spaced slots, or the chassis 205 of FIG. 4B including multiple sets of slots, each slot spaced a first width from any adjacent slot in the same set, and each set spaced a second width greater than the first width from any adjacent set, thereby forming multiple physical sections. Other configurations of the chassis 205 are possible. For example, the chassis 205 may include fewer or more slots than shown, the chassis 205 may include multiple rows of slots, the chassis 205 may include a different division of the physical slots than shown, etc.

[0066] Additionally, units may be grouped in any manner, or not grouped at all. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, BDC units 210 and BUC units 220 are physically grouped into logical sets. However, while this may make it easier for a technician to service frequency conversion system 200, it is not necessary for the operation of frequency conversion system 200. Rather, BDC units 210 and / or BUC units 220 may be distributed across slots in any manner, including a random manner. In embodiments in which connection matrix 260 provides any correspondence, the physical location of a unit within chassis 205 does not affect the ability of controller 250 to configure that unit as needed.

[0067] In one embodiment, frequency conversion system 200 can implement M:N redundancy, with M backup units provided for every N online units. For example, with 1:5 redundancy, a set of six BDC units 210A-210F in frequency conversion system 200DU can include five online units and one backup unit. The backup unit may be a hot spare, offline unlike the online units, but active like the online units, so that it can be quickly reconfigured and brought online when needed. In another example, with 1:2 redundancy, a set of six BDC units 210A-210F in frequency conversion system 200DU can include four online units and two backup units. Redundancy for BUC units 220A-220F in frequency conversion system 200DU can be established in a similar manner. It should be understood that the redundancy levels of the BDC units 210 and the BUC units 220 can be the same or different. Alternatively, BDC unit 210 and / or BUC unit 220 may be configured without redundancy (ie, all units are online).

[0068] Other examples of frequency conversion system 200 may provide redundancy in a similar manner. More generally, any logical group of conversion units 210 and / or 220 may be implemented with redundancy. For example, in frequency conversion system 200D, a first group of BDC units 210A-210F may implement M:N (e.g., 1:5) redundancy, and a second group of BDC units 210G-210L may also implement M:N (e.g., 1:5) redundancy. Similarly, in frequency conversion system 200U, a first group of BUC units 220A-220F may implement M:N (e.g., 1:5) redundancy, and a second group of BUC units 220G-220L may also implement M:N (e.g., 1:5) redundancy. While the redundancy between the first and second groups is generally the same, this is not a requirement of any embodiment. Rather, the redundancy between the first group and the second group may differ.

[0069] The redundancy of the logical group of conversion units 210 and 220 can be changed during operation. Specifically, controller 250 can reconfigure the group of conversion units 210 and / or 220 from a first redundancy to a second redundancy. For example, assume that the group of BDC units 210A-210F in frequency conversion system 200DU operates with 1:5 redundancy, with BDC units 210A-210E online and BDC unit 210F as a backup. To switch this group to 1:2 redundancy, controller 250 can reconfigure BDC units 210A-210D to perform conversion not only for the frequency bands for which they are already performing conversion, but also for the frequency bands for which BDC unit 210E was performing conversion. Next, controller 250 can switch BDC unit 210E to offline mode to function as a backup in addition to BDC unit 210F. Thus, there are four online BDC units 210 and two offline backup BDC units 210 (ie, 2:4 redundancy).

[0070] 5 illustrates a process 500 for providing redundancy in frequency conversion system 200, according to one embodiment. Redundancy allows controller 250 to automatically bring a backup unit online if an online unit fails. Process 500 may be performed for each logical group of redundant frequency conversion units (i.e., BDC units 210 and / or BUC units 220).

[0071] Process 500 may be performed by controller 250. For example, in one embodiment, process 500 is implemented as software stored in main memory 215 and / or secondary memory 320 and executed by processor(s) 310 of controller 250. In alternative embodiments, process 500 may be implemented entirely as hardware components or as a combination of software and hardware components within controller 250.

[0072] Although process 500 is shown with a particular arrangement and order of sub-processes, process 500 may be implemented with fewer, more, or different sub-processes, as well as with a different arrangement and / or order of the sub-processes. Additionally, it should be understood that any sub-process that is not dependent on the completion of another sub-process may be performed before, after, or in parallel with other independent sub-processes, even if the sub-processes are described or illustrated in a particular order.

[0073] In sub-process 510, when frequency conversion system 200 comes online, controller 250 may configure at least N frequency conversion units in M:N redundancy. This configuration may include setting the input frequency band and output frequency band of each frequency conversion unit. Controller 250 may also configure other units 230 and, optionally, M backup frequency conversion unit(s). It should be understood that the N frequency conversion units and the M backup frequency conversion unit(s) may be BDC units 210 and / or BUC units 220.

[0074] In sub-process 520, controller 250 may switch N frequency conversion units to online mode. Controller 250 may also switch one or more other units 230 to online mode. M backup frequency conversion unit(s) may be switched to or maintained in offline mode. However, at least one, and possibly all, backup frequency conversion unit(s) may remain active as hot spare(s) that can be hot-swapped when needed by simply switching each backup frequency conversion unit from offline mode to online mode.

[0075] In sub-process 530, controller 250 monitors the operation of at least N online frequency conversion units. Controller 250 may also monitor the operation of other units 230 and, optionally, M backup frequency conversion unit(s) if active as hot spare(s). Specifically, controller 250 may receive one or more parameters from each monitored unit via a control connection in each slot. These parameter(s) may include status, operating mode, input frequency, output frequency, etc.

[0076] In sub-process 540, controller 250 can determine whether a fault has occurred in the N online frequency conversion units based on the parameter(s) received from the monitored units, which could potentially include a lack of parameter(s) received from the monitored units (e.g., the monitored units not transmitting the parameter(s) at the expected time). Specifically, the parameter(s) or lack of parameter(s) may indicate that the frequency conversion units are in a fault state, are not operating within normal limits, are not properly performing their respective functions, etc. If a fault is detected (i.e., “Yes” in sub-process 540), process 500 proceeds to sub-process 550. Otherwise, while no fault is detected (i.e., “No” in sub-process 540), process 500 continues to monitor the operation of at least N online frequency conversion units.

[0077] In sub-process 550, after a fault is detected, the controller configures one of the M backup frequency conversion units to match the configuration of the faulty one of the N online frequency conversion units. For example, controller 250 may store the configuration for each of the N online frequency conversion units in secondary memory 320. When controller 250 detects that one of the N online frequency conversion units has failed in sub-process 540, controller 250 may obtain the configuration of the faulty online frequency conversion unit and configure the backup frequency conversion unit according to the obtained configuration. In other words, the faulty frequency conversion unit and the backup frequency conversion unit have the same configuration.

[0078] In sub-process 560, controller 250 can switch the backup frequency conversion unit configured in sub-process 550 from offline mode to online mode. Conversely, in sub-process 570, controller 250 can switch the faulty frequency conversion unit from online mode to offline mode. Specifically, controller 250 can control connection matrix 260 of frequency conversion system 200 to switch the connection between the input of frequency conversion system 200 and the input of the faulty frequency conversion unit to the connection between the input of frequency conversion system 200 and the backup frequency conversion system, and to switch the connection between the output of frequency conversion system 200 and the output of the faulty frequency conversion unit to the connection between the output of frequency conversion system 200 and the output of the backup frequency conversion system. This switching simultaneously switches the backup frequency conversion unit to online mode and switches the faulty frequency conversion unit to offline mode. In other words, sub-processes 560 and 570 are not necessarily separate sub-processes.

[0079] In sub-process 580, controller 250 may initiate an alert for the faulty power conversion unit. For example, controller 250 can send a notification to external system 345, which may be an upstream control system. The upstream control system can then notify a user, thereby dispatching a technician to replace the faulty power conversion unit. Alternatively, controller 250 can send the notification directly to the user. In either case, the notification can identify power conversion system 200, the faulty power conversion unit, etc. The notification to the user may include a message in a graphical user interface, an email message, a text message, an audio message, etc. In an alternative or additional embodiment, the alert may include an indicator light (e.g., a fault light) on the visual interface (e.g., front panel) of the faulty power conversion unit itself.

[0080] Although not specifically shown, after sub-process 570 and before sub-process 580, controller 250 may attempt to automatically recover the faulty frequency conversion unit. For example, controller 250 may apply standard fault recovery techniques, such as rebooting the faulty frequency conversion unit, running diagnostics on the faulty frequency conversion unit, and / or the like. In this case, if controller 250 is able to recover the faulty frequency conversion unit, sub-process 580 may be omitted. Alternatively, if the fault is recurrent, controller 250 may still perform sub-process 580.

[0081] Although not specifically shown, in sub-process 530, controller 250 may also monitor M backup frequency conversion units, which may be maintained as hot spares. In this case, if a failure of one of the M backup frequency conversion units is detected in sub-process 540, controller 250 may initiate an alert in sub-process 580. Notably, sub-processes 550-570 are omitted in this scenario because the failed frequency conversion unit is already offline and there is generally no reason to configure the failed frequency conversion unit.

[0082] After sub-process 580, the technician who received the alert may physically remove the faulty frequency conversion unit from its respective slot in chassis 205. Then, the technician may insert a new frequency conversion unit into the same slot. Controller 250 may automatically detect, boot, initialize, test, configure, etc. the newly inserted frequency conversion unit. This newly inserted frequency conversion unit becomes one of the M backup frequency conversion units, maintaining the M:N redundancy of the logical group.

[0083] Advantageously, in the failure detection of process 500, represented by sub-processes 530-580, a backup frequency conversion unit can be programmed during run time to mimic and replace a failed frequency conversion unit. For example, assume that BDC units 210A-210E of frequency conversion system 200DU are online, BDC unit 210F is a hot spare (i.e., 1:5 redundancy), and BDC unit 210C fails. Controller 250 can automatically detect the failure of BDC unit 210C (e.g., in sub-process 540) based on parameter(s) received or unexpectedly not received from BDC unit 210C. In response, controller 250 configures backup BDC unit 210F to the same configuration as failed BDC unit 210C (e.g., in subprocess 550) and switches the inputs and outputs of failed BDC unit 210C to backup BDC unit 210F, thereby bringing the configured backup BDC unit 210F online (e.g., in subprocess 560) and taking failed BDC unit 210C offline (e.g., in subprocess 570). Once failed BDC unit 210C is offline, the controller can apply standard fault recovery techniques to failed BDC unit 210C. Alternatively, or if the fault recovery techniques fail, controller 250 can issue an alert (e.g., in subprocess 580) so that a technician can physically replace failed BDC unit 210C with a new BDC unit 210. Specifically, the technician can remove failed BDC unit 210C from its respective slot and insert the new BDC unit 210 into the empty slot. Regardless of whether BDC unit 210C is recovered or replaced, the BDC unit 210 in the slot (e.g., recovered BDC unit 210C or new BDC unit 210) becomes the backup BDC unit 210 to be used in the event of a future failure, thus maintaining 1:5 redundancy.It should be understood that similar examples may be provided for the BUC unit 220 and further units 230.

[0084] Multiple frequency conversion systems 200 may be used together to implement frequency conversion within an antenna hub. For example, frequency conversion system 200D and frequency conversion system 200U may be used together to perform downconversion and upconversion, respectively, for the entire supported EHF band. As another example, multiple frequency conversion systems 200DU may be used together to collectively perform frequency conversion for the entire supported EHF band, with each frequency conversion system 200DU performing frequency conversion for a different sub-band of the supported EHF band. As an additional example, multiple frequency conversion systems 200D may be used together to collectively perform downconversion for each of multiple sub-bands of the supported EHF band, and multiple frequency conversion systems 200U may be used together to collectively perform upconversion for each of multiple sub-bands of the supported EHF band. In other words, frequency conversion systems 200 may be stacked (e.g., on different shelves of the same rack or other enclosure) to create a comprehensive frequency conversion system of any size and with any level of redundancy. Unlike conventional systems, each frequency conversion system 200 is compact and has built-in automatic software-controlled configurability and redundancy, as well as easy interchangeability at both the channel and device levels.

[0085] Advantageously, the disclosed frequency conversion system 200 reduces the space required for frequency conversion within the antenna hub, allows the frequency conversion system 200 to be located in close proximity to the antenna feed combiner network, and simplifies connection to other subsystems such as the interface panel 120, the low-noise amplifiers 152, and the high-power amplifiers 154. Furthermore, each unit (e.g., the BDC unit 210, the BUC unit 220, and the other units 230) may share a common form factor, such that units of the same type are interchangeable and can be easily replaced and removed as needed (e.g., to address a failure within a unit), and as a result, units of different types may also be interchanged as needed to change the configuration of the frequency conversion system 200 (e.g., to change the redundancy level, increase the number of BDC units 210 or BUC units 220, decrease the number of BDC units 210 or BUC units 220, change the functions performed by the other units 230, etc.).

[0086] The above description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to those embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles described herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. It will therefore be understood that the description and drawings presented herein represent presently preferred embodiments of the invention and, therefore, represent the subject matter broadly contemplated by the present invention. Furthermore, it will be understood that the scope of the present invention fully encompasses other embodiments that may become apparent to those skilled in the art, and therefore, the scope of the present invention is not limited.

[0087] As used herein, the terms "comprising," "comprise," and "comprises" are open-ended. For example, "A comprises B" means that A can include either (i) B alone, or (ii) B in combination with one or more, and potentially any number of, other components. In contrast, the terms "consisting of," "consist of," and "consists of" are closed-ended. For example, "A consists of B" means that A includes only B and does not include any other components within the same context.

[0088] Combinations described herein, such as "at least one of A, B, or C," "one or more of A, B, or C," "at least one of A, B, and C," "one or more of A, B, and C," and "A, B, C, or any combination thereof," include any combination of A, B, and / or C, and may include multiple As, multiple Bs, or multiple Cs. Specifically, combinations such as "at least one of A, B, or C," "one or more of A, B, or C," "at least one of A, B, and C," "one or more of A, B, and C," and "A, B, C, or any combination thereof" can include A only, B only, C only, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C, and any such combination can include one or more elements of its components A, B, and / or C. For example, a combination of A and B can include one A and multiple Bs, multiple A and one B, or multiple A and multiple Bs.

Claims

1. 1. A frequency conversion system comprising: a chassis comprising a plurality of slots, each of the plurality of slots configured to receive a frequency translation unit, each frequency translation unit configured to translate signals from a first frequency band to a second frequency band using at least one software configurable local oscillator; a controller, For each frequency translation unit in the plurality of slots, configuring the first frequency band and the second frequency band of the frequency conversion unit; switching the frequency conversion unit between an online mode and an offline mode; monitoring the operation of the frequency conversion unit to detect faults in the frequency conversion unit; When the fault of the first frequency converting unit is detected in the online mode, In the offline mode, a second frequency conversion unit is configured to match a configuration of the first frequency conversion unit; Switching the first frequency conversion unit to the offline mode while switching the second frequency conversion unit to the online mode; The controller configured as follows: The frequency conversion system includes:

2. 2. The frequency conversion system of claim 1, wherein the chassis includes a front plane, and the plurality of slots extend through the front plane.

3. The frequency conversion system of claim 2 , wherein the chassis includes two pull bars on opposite sides of the front plane.

4. 2. The frequency conversion system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of slots has the same dimensions as each of said other plurality of slots.

5. The frequency conversion system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of said frequency conversion units, each of said plurality of frequency conversion units being mounted in a respective one of said plurality of slots.

6. The frequency conversion system of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of frequency conversion units has the same form factor as each of the other plurality of frequency conversion units.

7. 6. The frequency conversion system of claim 5, further comprising a connection matrix configured to provide optional connections between one or more inputs of the frequency conversion system and each of the plurality of frequency conversion units, and between one or more outputs of the frequency conversion system and each of the plurality of frequency conversion units.

8. 8. The frequency conversion system of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to control the connection matrix to connect any of the one or more inputs of the frequency conversion system to the input of any one of the plurality of frequency conversion units and to connect any of the one or more outputs of the frequency conversion system to the output of any one of the plurality of frequency conversion units.

9. The frequency conversion system of claim 5 , further comprising a shared power source, the shared power source configured to provide power to all of the plurality of frequency conversion units in the plurality of slots.

10. 6. The frequency conversion system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of frequency conversion units include two or more block downconverter (BDC) units each downconverting an input signal at a first frequency to an output signal at a second frequency, the second frequency being lower than the first frequency.

11. 6. The frequency conversion system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of frequency conversion units include two or more block upconverter (BUC) units each upconverting an input signal at a first frequency to an output signal at a second frequency, the second frequency being higher than the first frequency.

12. The plurality of frequency conversion units are two or more block downconverter (BDC) units each downconverting an input signal at a first frequency to an output signal at a second frequency, the second frequency being lower than the first frequency; two or more block upconverter (BUC) units each upconverting an input signal at a third frequency to an output signal at a fourth frequency, the fourth frequency being higher than the third frequency; 6. The frequency conversion system of claim 5, comprising:

13. The frequency conversion system of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of frequency conversion units is removable from its respective slot.

14. 2. The frequency conversion system of claim 1, wherein the frequency conversion units are arranged in one or more logical groups, and the controller implements M:N redundancy for each of the one or more logical groups by maintaining, for each of the one or more logical groups, M frequency conversion units in the logical group in the offline mode for every N frequency conversion units in the logical group in the online mode.

15. 15. The frequency conversion system of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to maintain at least one of the M frequency conversion units as active for use as a hot spare.

16. 15. The frequency conversion system of claim 14, wherein, in each of the one or more logical groups, each of the N frequency conversion units in the logical group performs frequency conversion to a different sub-band of an extra-high frequency (EHF) band.

17. 15. The frequency conversion system of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of said frequency conversion units, each of said plurality of frequency conversion units being mounted in a respective one of said plurality of slots, and said one or more logical groups being at least two logical groups.

18. 18. The frequency conversion system of claim 17, wherein a first logical group of the two logical groups includes a plurality of block downconverter (BDC) units as the frequency conversion units, and a second logical group of the two logical groups includes a plurality of block upconverter (BUC) units as the frequency conversion units.

19. 18. The frequency conversion system of claim 17, wherein a first logical group of the two logical groups includes a plurality of block downconverter (BDC) units as the frequency conversion units configured in a first polarization sense, and a second logical group of the two logical groups includes a plurality of block downconverter (BDC) units as the frequency conversion units configured in a second polarization sense opposite to the first polarization sense.

20. 18. The frequency conversion system of claim 17, wherein a first logical group of the two logical groups includes a plurality of block upconverter (BUC) units as the frequency conversion units configured in a first polarization sense, and a second logical group of the two logical groups includes a plurality of block upconverter (BUC) units as the frequency conversion units configured in a second polarization sense opposite to the first polarization sense.

21. 1. A frequency conversion system comprising: a chassis having a plurality of slots; a plurality of frequency translation units, each of the plurality of frequency translation units in a respective one of the plurality of slots, each frequency translation unit translating a signal from a first frequency band to a second frequency band using at least one software configurable local oscillator; a connection matrix providing optional connections between one or more inputs of the frequency conversion system and each of the plurality of frequency conversion units, and between one or more outputs of the frequency conversion system and each of the plurality of frequency conversion units; a controller, For each frequency translation unit in the plurality of slots, configuring the first frequency band and the second frequency band of the frequency conversion unit; switching the frequency conversion unit between an online mode and an offline mode; monitoring the operation of the frequency conversion unit to detect faults in the frequency conversion unit; When the fault of the first frequency converting unit is detected in the online mode, In the offline mode, a second frequency conversion unit is configured to match a configuration of the first frequency conversion unit; Switching the first frequency conversion unit to the offline mode while switching the second frequency conversion unit to the online mode; the controller; The frequency conversion system includes:

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