Concept for an all-digital satellite communications earth terminal

Abstract

Current DoD requirements call for a single Enterprise Terminal supporting up to 48/96 (threshold/objective) transmit and 56/112 (threshold/objective) receive communications carriers, not considering future expansion. The number of links supported by an Enterprise Terminal dictates aggregate servicing capacity. A single Teleport/standardized tactical entry point (STEP) site can consist of five or more terminals operating in several frequency bands. Each carrier requires individual converter and modem chains, which are linked to the antennas with a complex switch matrix subsystem. This architecture results in severe size, weight, and power (SWAP) constraints that limit expansion to support objective capacity and connectivity requirements within available facility space and infrastructure.