OmniTRACS: a commercial Ku-band mobile satellite terminal and its applicability to military mobile terminals

Abstract

The technical characteristics of the OmniTRACS system are described. This system is the first operational mobile Ku-band satellite communications system and provides two-way message and position determination service to mobile terminals using existing Ku-band satellites. Interference to and from the system is minimized by the use of spread-spectrum techniques, together with low-power, low-data-rate transmissions. The applicability of this technology to implement a military mobile terminal operating over existing SHF satellites is also presented. Features discussed include the return- and forward-link modulating signals, the return-link power density, and the mobile-terminal hardware.<>