Satellite Transmitter Power Ramping for Stable Receiver Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Satellite communication systems experience tracking issues in receivers due to sudden power variations in adjacent or nearby carriers during handover or carrier size changes, particularly in new space scenarios where carriers come and go quickly, affecting automatic gain control and baseband processing spread across multiple devices.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a radio unit in the transmitter that ramps up or down transmission power according to a predefined power profile, using variable gain settings to mitigate the impact on receivers, allowing smooth power adjustments even when baseband processing is distributed across multiple devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If carriers are enabled or disabled quickly in new space scenarios, then productivity and response time are improved, but tracking stability in receivers deteriorates due to sudden power variations affecting automatic gain control
Solution Approach 1:
The transmitter applies a power profile to carriers before they are fully enabled, gradually ramping up power from an initial level to a target level. This preliminary power adjustment prevents sudden power variations that would otherwise disrupt receiver automatic gain control and tracking stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the power parameter of carriers over time according to a predefined power profile. By controlling the rate of power change rather than applying instantaneous power changes, the system maintains receiver tracking stability while still enabling quick carrier activation.
2Device complexity
If transmission power is changed abruptly during handover or carrier size changes, then device complexity is reduced and operation is simplified, but signal quality and tracking performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The transmitter pre-configures power profiles that define the desired power trajectory for carriers. These profiles are applied automatically during handover or carrier size changes, providing smooth power transitions without requiring complex real-time control mechanisms at the receiver side.
Solution Approach 2:
The power profile acts as an intermediary between the simple on/off carrier control and the complex power variations. It mediates the transition by introducing controlled intermediate power levels, ensuring signal quality stability while maintaining operational simplicity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If baseband processing is distributed across multiple devices, then system adaptability and processing capacity are improved, but coordination complexity increases and power variation impact propagates across devices
Solution Approach 1:
The baseband processing is segmented across multiple devices, with each device handling specific carriers or processing functions. The power profile mechanism is distributed accordingly, with each device applying appropriate power adjustments to its assigned carriers, reducing the coordination burden while maintaining overall system adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The power profile mechanism serves as a universal control approach that can be applied across all distributed baseband processing devices. Each device independently applies the same power profile principles to its local carriers, providing a scalable solution that works regardless of how baseband processing is distributed.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a radio unit for a satellite communication system. The radio unit is arranged for transmitting a waveform which bears data symbols on at least one carrier. The waveform is a non-slotted signal of at least 30 seconds. The transmitter is arranged for ramping up or down the power of the waveform to be transmitted to a target power value according to a predefined power profile by adjusting at least one variable gain setting. The radio unit is part of a transmitter, which can be a single-carrier transmitter or a multicarrier transmitter. The invention also relates to a satellite communication system comprising such a transmitter.