Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS
Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS

Test bed for SatCom on the Move

FORTE SatCom on the Move

The FORTE SatCom on the Move (SOTM) test facility, with its 50-meter antenna tower, enables realistic emulation of mobile bidirectional satellite links in Ku-band and Ka-band in various channel environments (with fading, shadowing, etc.), with movements of the SOTM terminal replicated via an electromechanical motion emulator.

Due to similar frequency ranges in 5G FR2, this setup has already been successfully used for experiments and projects in the field of broadband terrestrial communications. Here, for example, a 5G beamforming antenna test environment including a scenario for a satcom backhaul network was developed and tested.

Key features of the far field SOTM test bed

Tests/measurements

  • Antenna pattern
  • Positioning, Acquisition, and Tracking (PAT) performance
  • Residual off-axis emissions
  • Forward/Return link performance
  • End-to-end link performance
  • Fading of the LMS channel including satellite signal impairments
  • Mechanical movement of the terminal platform
  • Realistic GPS/Galileo HF signal over the air (arbitrary tracks possible)
  • Interference from satellites in adjacent positions
  • Frequency ranges and polarizations:
    • Ku-Band (12/14 GHz) or Ka-Band (20/30 GHz)
    • Dual-linear or dual-circular polarization

© Fraunhofer IIS/Christoph Gorke

Advantages of the test bed

  • Higher accuracy of depointing measurements compared to satellite to terminal
  • Precise depointing measurement in azimuth and elevation
  • Cost-efficient and available all the time
  • Far field radiation pattern measurements
  • Weather independent

Our service offer

  • EUTELSAT SOTM type approval including pattern measurement for ESOG 120
  • GVF type approval measurements for e.g. GVF 101, GVF 104, GVF 105 as an ATE (Authorized Test Entity)
  • Consulting for SOTM systems
  • SOTM system integration (e.g. mobile satellite backhaul solutions in conjunction with a mobile LTE femto cell)

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Satellite communications at FORTE

Reference EPAK GmbH

SOTM testing for marine satellite antenna

The EPAK DSi6 internet antenna for maritime applications has been tested at FORTE.

 

Results:

  • Tests according to the GVF recommendations (GVF-105) and the type approval specifications of EUTELSAT (EESS-502 and ESOG-120)
  • Tracking performance approved on hardest maritime motion profile "Class A" developed by Fraunhofer IIS
 

© Johan Swanepoel - Fotolia.com

Satellite communication

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“Satellite communication“

Satellite Communication

Publications

Technical Paper

Standardized testing conditions for SOTM terminals

Alazab Elkhouly M, König J, Beuster N, et al.

Technical Paper

Pointing accuracy evaluation of SOTM terminals under realistic conditions

M. Alazab, W. Felber, G. D. Galdo, A. Heuberger, M. Lorenz, M. Mehnert, F. Raschke, G. Siegert, and M. Landmann

Technical Paper

SOTM terminals evaluation under realistic conditions

M. Alazab, G. Del Galdo, W. Felber, Albert Heuberger, M. Lorenz, F. Raschke, G. Siegert, M. Landmann

Technical Paper

Image-based state modeling of the land mobile satellite channel for multi-satellite reception

M. Rieche, D. Arndt, A. Ihlow, M. Landmann, and G. D. Galdo

Technical Paper

State modeling of the land mobile satellite channel via an image-based approach

M. Rieche, D. Arndt, A. Ihlow and G. Del Galdo

Technical Paper

Measurements of mechanical disturbances of vehicle mounted, mobile very small aperture terminals (VSAT)

M. Lorenz, M. Mehnert, and A. Heuberger