PAGE CONTENTS
Objectives
The objective of the project is to develop a flat panel Ka-Band LEO-/NGSO-SOTM broadband User Terminal (UT) appropriate for the integration into vehicles. The UT is constellation agnostic, i.e. it supports connectivity to the upcoming constellations of EU- and Canadian operators. Compatible Modems (e.g. 5G-NTN) will be integrated as soon as available.
Benefits
The applied architecture with an application specific baseband processor / digital beamformer IC (ASIC), the UT has a better power efficiency than existing solutions. The architecture also avoids the use of extremely expensive FPGAs and uses cost efficient RF-ICs, therefore the manufacturing cost can be reduced significantly.
Features
Compact Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) User Terminal for Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO)-mobility applications, scalable architecture, i.e. different size apertures can be realised by using the same platform. The platform supports classical L-band modem interfaces as well as Digital Intermediate Frequency Interoperability (DiFi). The UT can be integrated in any type of vehicle.
Challenges
Integration density, RF performance (RX noise figure), compliance to power masks
System Architecture
The UT antenna uses active phased array technology with separate apertures for RX & TX for FDD transmission / reception. The architecture relies on hybrid beamforming with distributed base band processing / digital beam forming using an application specific type of IC (DDBB). The RF-unit consists of a stacked patch array antenna and one RF-Frontend / analog beamformer IC per 4 antenna elements. The RF-IC integrates an up-/downconverter. The connection between RF-IC and DDBB is therefore on a low IF or even Zero-IF (selectable). The DDBB serves 4 RF-ICs, so 16 antenna patches are controlled by one DDBB which has integrated ADCs and DACs. On the digital side, the DDBBs ICs are connected with a high speed SERDES link in daisy chain fashion. All chains are connected to a central signal combination logic that syncs up the signals, before sending the combined signal to the modem.
Plan
In the project, two revisions of the terminal prototypes (Prototype V1, and Prototype V2) will be built up and be delivered. The development of each prototype revision consists of a development phase and an integration phase. After each development phase and each integration phase a milestone is planned.
Current Status
Following the delivery of all terminal version 1 subcomponents and the successful completion of laboratory integration tests, RF-performance testing is now in progress.
Simultaneously, the design work for version 2 is in progress. This iteration focuses on the prototype housing and RF panels with 1024 elements, ensuring that all insights gained from version 1 are fully integrated.
Companies
