The Boeing Company

Hughes Electronics Corporation

Douglas T Bell

Brian A Clebowicz

Steven O Lane

Kary L O'Connor

A digital payload for processing a sub-band spectrum received on an uplink beam at a communications satellite includes a digital channelizer, a digital switch matrix and a digital combiner. The digital channelizer divides the sub-band spectrum into a plurality of frequency slices that can be routed by the digital switch matrix to any of a number of receiving ports. A digital combiner receives the frequency slices and re-assembles them to form one or more output sub-bands for transmission on an output beam of the communications satellite. The digital payload may also include an embeddable digital regeneration module configured to demodulate some or all of the sub-band spectrum to extract a digital bitstream therefrom. The digital bitstream may be processed to implement code-based multiplexing, switching, access control, and other features.

Systems and methods for digital processing of satellite communications data

A communication payload system for a satellite having a beam forming network, an amplifier associated with each output port of the beam forming network, and a plurality of hybrid matrices and a calibration pick-up antenna. Each hybrid matrix has a plurality of inputs connected to selected amplifiers and a corresponding number of outputs. One output of each hybrid matrix is connected to a power absorber adapted to function as an output calibration port producing a calibration sample and the remaining outputs connected to feed radiating elements. A calibration system applies power to selected output ports and calculates calibration corrections in response to the values of the calibration samples and the values of the power radiated by each feed radiating element which are applied to the beam forming network to maintain the calibration of the payload system.

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Torrance, CA, United States of America

Douglas T Bell