Energy Saving Adaptive SDR Transmitters for Small Satellites and Their Metrological Characteristics

Abstract

The paper presents a new class of narrowband low rate and low energy communication system (CS) transmitting signals from small satellites to the ground stations (GS) using optimal adaptive CS with feedback channel (AFCS). The transmitting complex – AFCS “satellite-GS” operates as a flexible software defined radio (SDR) complex. It is shown that optimal utilization of high quality feedback uplink GS-FT radically improves quality and spectral-energy efficiency of transmission over forward downlink FT-GS, as well simplifies architecture of FT and reduces its energy consumption. There are proposed verified in experiments and easily measured metrological characteristics permitting adequate and accurate on line evaluation of the performance of downlink FT-GS. The results of experimental study of the prototype of AFCS functioning are presented.