PAGE CONTENTS
Objectives
The aim of the project is to develop a Switch Matrix with Fibre Optical Interface.
The reason for the proposed product was driven by the following factors:
- Market demand,
- Requests and demands from potential customers during the last 2 years,
- User requirements.
Benefits
Based on these user demands and experiences, we have defined a new system architecture for satellite ground stations which integrates several functionalities in the proposed sub-system of a Switch Matrix with Fiber Optical Interface. This product will increase the competitiveness of the satellite communication service itself due to the significant decrease in costs.
- Provide a solution which is able to collect signals over a distance of more than 500m,
- No Frequency response dependent of distance,
- Immunity to electrical interference,
- Provide a Link with Redundancy,
- Request for a potential free Link to the outdoor equipment; electrical isolation,
- Lower cost compared to coaxial cable over long distances,
- Flexible Sizes of the Switch Matrix,
- Free Distribution of the antenna signals to a set of receiving equipment,
- Easy Monitor and Control via Web Interface,
- Monitor of the LNC Alarms,
Switch Matrix
Key features of the switch matrix are:
- 19” compact design in 3, 6 or 9 HU. This image shows the 3 HU 19” rack mount switch matrix with front panel display and keyboard.
- High port to port isolation
- Amplitude Flatness over the whole L-Band frequency range
- Redundant power supplies
- Front panel display and keyboard
- TCP/IP and HTTP Web Browser interface. The next image show the web interface of an 16×8 L-Band Matrix with a graphical representation of the current cross points.
Features
A Switch Matrix with fiber optical interface fits in the multimedia ground terminal as a central unit which collects at its input the receive signals from all the antennas with their Low Noise Block Converters (LNC) and distribute these signals free on demand at numerous outputs.
The proposed product consists of two parts the optical link and the switch matrix itself. The optical link is the interface to the LNC at the different antennas and transfers the signals via fiber optic even over long distances (which cannot be handled by coaxial cable) to the optical input ports of the switch matrix.
The switch matrix allows the user to switch each input to each output without any blocking effects. This gives the user of a switch matrix an unlimited routing and configuration capability. He can configure its total receive system in numerous ways depending to its requirements on demand. This is especially necessary for occasional use and for monitoring purposes.
Challenges
- Development of the Fibre Optical Link Modules which can be used as a stand alone product,
- Development of the Switch Matrix.
Plan
The project is divided into the following phases:
- User requirements Definition
- Design Phase
- Implementation Phase
- Test Phase
In order to make products available to the market as quickly as possible, the implementation phase is divided in several parts.
Current Status
- Contract signed in April 2005,
- BDR meeting was performed successfully at the 26th July 2005
- The Design Phase was successfully finished August 2006
- MTR meeting was performed successfully at the 4th September 2006
- Products are ready for market and were introduced at IBC 2006 in Amsterdam
- In 2007 sat-nms LSM Switch Matrix and sat-nms LFRXTX Optical Links are delivered to our customers and successful integrated in their infrastructure
- The activity has been completed successfully in March 2008