Future University

Faculty of Postgraduate Studies Master of Data Communication and Network Engineering

Present by :

Aboubida Ibrahim Amr AwadElkarim

VSAT

Supervised By: Dr.Ashraf Gasim Elsied

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Definition VSAT:

A very small aperture terminal (VSAT), is a two-way satellite ground station or a stabilized maritime VSAT antenna with a dish antenna that is smaller than 3 meters.
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It is used for the reliable transmission of data, video, or voice via satellite.
*

It requires no staff or additional technology to operate it.

*

It simply plugs into existing terminal equipment.

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History of the VSAT

The first commercial VSATs were C band (6 GHz) receive-only systems by Equatorial Communications using spread spectrum technology
In 1985, Schlumberger Oilfield Research co-

developed the world's first Ku band (1214 GHz) VSATs with Hughes Aerospace to provide portable network connectivity for oil field drilling and exploration units The largest VSAT network (more than 12,000 sites) was deployed by Spacenet and MCI for the US Postal Service
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Usage of VSAT
VSAT are used by car dealerships affiliated with manufacturers such as Ford and General Motors They are used for transmitting and receiving sales figures and orders, as well as for receiving internal communications, service bulletins, and interactive distance learning courses from manufacturers. The Ford Star network, used by Ford and its local dealers, is an example of this.

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Usage of VSAT
VSAT technology is also used for 2-way satellite internet providers such as HughesNet and StarBand in the US. Nearly all VSAT systems are now based on IP, with a very broad spectrum of applications. As of December 2004, the total number of VSATs ordered stood at over 1 million, with nearly 650,000 in service. Annual VSAT service revenues were $3.88 billion.

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Generally, VSAT systems operate in the Ku-band and C-band frequencies.

Ku-band system

Smaller sizes of VSAT antennas at remotes Abundant in frequency resource Existing the propagation problems caused by rain
0.6 ~ 2.4 m antenna

C-band system

Larger sizes of VSAT antennas at remotes Most C-band frequency resource already used Existing the interference problem between adjacent channels because of the congestion of channels
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1.8 ~ 2.4 m antenna

Orbits:

LEO: Low Earth Orbit. MEO: Medium Earth Orbit GEO: Geostationary Earth Orbit

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Satellite up links and down links can operate in different frequency bands:
Band C Ku Ka Up-Link (Ghz) 4 11 20 Down-link (Ghz) 6 14 30 ISSUES Interference with ground links. Attenuation due to rain High Equipment cost

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C-Band Down-link: 3.7 4.2 GHz Up-link: 5.9 6.4 GHz

Advantages: Less disturbance from heavy rain fade Cheaper Bandwidth Disadvantages: Needs a larger satellite dish (diameters of minimum 2-3m) Powerful (=expensive) RF unit More expensive hardware Possible Interference from microwave links

Ku Band Down-link: 11.7 12.2 GHz Up-link: 14.0 14.5 GHz

Advantages: No interference from microwave links and other technologies Operates with a smaller satellite dish (diameters from 0.9m) -> cheaper and more easy installation Needs less power -> cheaper RF unit Disadvantages: More expensive capacity Sensitive to heavy rain fade (significant attenuation of the signal) possibly can be managed by appropriate dish size or transmitter power.

At the Geostationary orbit the satellite covers 42.2% of the earths surface. Theoretically 3 geostationary satellites provides 100% earth coverage

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Characteristics of VSAT systems

Reliable Communications VSAT satellite communications provide virtually error-free digital data communications and better than 99.9% network reliability.

Remote Communications No matter how remote or dispersed your operations are, VSAT provide a link to your headquarters. VSAT can provide remote diagnostics, remote monitoring, and data streaming services from remote or hazardous sites.

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Time VSAT deployment takes no more than 4-6 weeks as compared to 4 to 6 months for leased lines. Management Network monitoring and control of the entire VSAT network is much simpler than a network of leased lines, involving multiple carriers at multiple locations. A much smaller number of elements needs to be monitored incase of a VSAT network and also the number of vendors and carriers involved in between any two user terminals in a VSAT network is typically one.
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Network

Maintenance A single point contact for operation, maintenance, rapid fault isolation and trouble shooting makes things very simple for a client, using VSAT services VSAT networks offer enormous expansion capabilities. VSAT can be rapidly installed to support the network expansion to any site, no matter however remote.

Flexibility

Cost

A comparison of costs between a VSAT network and a leased line network reveals that a VSAT network offers significant savings over a two to three years timeframe.
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 Always

on, two way/bidirectional IP based satellite connection providing instant Internet access Speed Instant access Easy to use Secure Affordable

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VSAT Network types

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VSAT IMPLEMENTATION

There are basically three ways to implement a VSAT Architecture

Point to Point (SCPC) STAR

VSATs are linked via a HUB
Each VSAT is capable of communicating directly with any other VSAT. Network control and duties of hub can be carried over by any of the VSAT or master control station duties are shared among the VSATs.

MESH

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Point to point :
Point-to-point SCPC (single channel per carrier) links are the satellite equivalent of a terrestrial leased line connection. They are usually set-up on a permanent, 24 hour basis and are thus more costly in satellite capacity and less efficient if not used all the time. However, they do support high bandwidths (typically from 9.6 kbps to 2 Mbps) and can easily be used to carry data, voice and even video traffic.

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VSAT STAR ARCHITECTURE

In this network architecture, all of the traffic is routed via the master control station, or Hub. If a VSAT wishes to communicate with another VSAT, they have to go via the hub, thus necessitating a double hop link via the satellite. Since all of the traffic radiates at one time or another from the Hub, this architecture is referred to as a STAR network.

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STAR

Mesh

Higher Propagation delay Used by TDMA VSATs High central hub investment Smaller VSAT antenna sizes (1.8 m typically) Lower VSAT costs Ideally suited for interactive data applications Large organizations, like banks, with centralized data processing requirements

Lower Propagation delay(250 ms) Used by PAMA/DAMA VSATs Lower central hub investment larger VSAT antenna sizes (3.8 m typically) Higher VSAT costs Suited for high data traffic Telephony applications and pointto-point high-speed links

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VSAT STAR ARCHITECTURE

All communications to and from each VSAT is via the Master Control Station or Hub

Master Control Station (The Hub) VSAT Community

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VSAT STAR ARCHITECTURE

VSAT VSAT Satellite VSAT HUB

VSAT

VSAT

Topology of a STAR VSAT network viewed from the satellites perspective Note how the VSAT communications links are routed via the satellite to the Hub in all cases.

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Star:

This is how a star data, TDM/TDMA VSAT network works using a hub station, usually six meters or more in size and small VSAT antennas (between 75 centimeters and 2.4 meters).

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VSAT MESH ARCHITECTURE

In this network architecture, each of the VSATs has the ability to communicate directly with any of the other VSATs. Since the traffic can go to or from any VSAT, this architecture is referred to as a MESH network. It will still be necessary to have network control and the duties of the hub can either be handled by one of the VSATs or the master control station functions can be shared amongst the VSATs.

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VSAT MESH ARCHITECTURE

VSAT Community

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VSAT MESH ARCHITECTURE

VSAT VSAT

VSAT Satellite VSAT

VSAT

VSAT

VSAT

VSAT

VSAT

VSAT

Topology of a MESH VSAT network from the satellites perspective Note how all of the VSATs communicate directly to each other via the satellite without passing through a larger master control station (Hub).

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Mesh:

Mesh networks which use capacity on a demand assigned multiple access (DAMA) basis take a different approach. The master control station merely acts as a controller

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Working of HUB station

Each end user is interconnected with the hub station via the satellite, forming a star topology. The hub controls the entire operation of the network . For one end user to communicate with another, each transmission has to first go to the hub station that then retransmits it via the satellite to the other end user's VSAT.

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Installing a dish is normally dangerous. Take care not to fall down and not to drop tools on others below. Be careful with ladders - always tie off the top to some secure point. A small electric shock may make you fall off a ladder so be extra careful. TIPS : If you are a beginner, practice the complete installation at ground level before moving everything to the roof. Accuracy The dish pointing needs to be near perfect as the transmit beam is narrower then the receive beam.
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Safety

VSAT Site Installation

The antenna needs to be mounted where it can 'see' the satellite and where it is safe from unauthorized access. Ground Mount

The

This involves a tube lowered into a hole which is then filled in with concrete. The pole should be accurately vertical so that when you swing the dish around to find the satellite the elevation angle stays the same all the time.
indoor data processing unit (DPU)

The indoor data processing unit (DPU) should be located in a dry, cool and clean place.

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Earth Stations

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VSAT Earth Station

Outdoor Unit (ODU) Inter-facility link (IFL) Indoor Unit (IDU)

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VSAT Earth Station

The VSAT Outdoor Unit (ODU) is located where it will have a
clear line of sight to the satellite and is free from casual blockage by people and/or equipment moving in front of it. It includes the Radio Frequency Transceiver (RFT). The Inter Facility Link (IFL) carries the electronic signal between the ODU and the Indoor Unit (IDU) as well as power cables for the ODU and control signals from the IDU. The IDU is normally housed in a desktop computer at the Users workstation and consists of the baseband processor units and interface equipment (e.g. computer screen and keyboard). The IDU will also house the modem and multiplexer/demultilexer (mux/demux) units if these are not already housed in the ODU.
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VSAT Earth Station - Block Diagram

Antenna Feed
LNC

IFL HPC RFT Outdoor Unit (ODU)

DEM MOD

Base Band Processor

(BBP)

To Data Terminal Equipment

Indoor Unit (IDU)

IDU

RFT IFL

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VSAT Earth Station Blocks Description

The Low Noise Converter (LNC) takes the received RF signal and, after amplification, mixes it down to IF for passing over the inter facility link (IFL) to the IDU. In the IDU, the demodulator extracts the information signal from the carrier and passes it at base band to the Base Band Processor. The data terminal equipment then provides the application layer for the user to interact with the information input. On the transmit operation, the user inputs data via the terminal equipment to the baseband processor and from there to the modulator. The modulator places the information on a carrier at IF and this is sent via the inter facility link to the High Power Converter (HPC) for upconversion to RF, amplification, and transmission via the antenna to the satellite.

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