Digital Folded Architecture for Satellite Payload Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Communications satellites face challenges in efficiently performing beamforming, channelization, and routing operations while minimizing hardware power, cost, and weight, as existing systems often require numerous physical connections and dedicated pathways, leading to inefficiencies and increased power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A digital folded architecture that integrates analog-to-digital converters, channelizers, beamformers, reconstructors, and routing networks within a single package, utilizing a switch network capable of bi-directional data transmission and time-domain interleaving to reduce the number of serial communication connections and enhance flexibility and scalability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional separate architecture with dedicated pathways is used for beamforming, channelization, and routing, then signal routing reliability is improved, but device complexity and hardware weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines beamforming, channelization, and routing functions into a single integrated digital folded architecture. Multiple functional blocks (beamformers, channelizers, reconstructors) share common resources including ADCs, DACs, and a unified switch network, eliminating the need for separate dedicated pathways while maintaining signal routing reliability through virtualization and time-domain interleaving.
Solution Approach 2:
The switch network is designed as a universal resource that can dynamically route different signal types (sub-channel signals, input beam signals, output beam signals) to multiple destinations. The same physical infrastructure supports multiple functions simultaneously through reconfigurable routing and time-division multiplexing, reducing hardware complexity while maintaining versatility.
2Reliability
If numerous physical connections and dedicated pathways are implemented, then signal transmission reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple signal pathways are merged into shared physical connections. The unified switch network routes different signal types through common ADCs, DACs, and transmission media, reducing the total number of physical connections required. This consolidation directly reduces power consumption while maintaining reliable signal transmission through proper signal isolation and timing management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses time-domain interleaving and periodic time-division multiplexing to transmit different signal types sequentially over shared connections. By allocating specific time slots for different signal flows (sub-channel, input beam, output beam signals), the system reduces the number of simultaneous physical connections needed, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining transmission reliability.
3Manufacturing precision
If fixed architecture is used for beamforming and channelization, then manufacturing precision is improved, but adaptability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamically reconfigurable architecture where the switch network can be programmed to perform different routing configurations based on operational requirements. The system transitions from fixed physical pathways to dynamic virtual pathways controlled by configuration data, allowing the same hardware to adapt to different beamforming patterns, channelization schemes, and routing topologies while maintaining precise circuit implementation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (routing matrices, beamforming weights, channelization configurations) through software control rather than requiring physical reconfiguration. By modifying control parameters and configuration data, the system can adapt to different mission requirements while maintaining the same precise hardware implementation, achieving versatility without sacrificing manufacturing precision.
4Reliability
If multiple separate functional blocks are used, then signal processing quality is improved, but hardware weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate functional blocks (beamformers, channelizers, reconstructors) into a single integrated digital folded architecture that shares common resources including ADCs, DACs, and the switch network. This consolidation reduces the total hardware weight while maintaining signal processing quality through proper functional separation within the integrated structure and efficient resource sharing.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device for a communications satellite for beamforming, channelization, and/or routing is implemented using a digital folded architecture to reduce the number of serial communication paths and provide more flexible routing and network configurability and scalability. A method for configuring the switching network of a system comprising multiple electronic devices allows the system to be dynamically reconfigured to implement different types of networks.