Space Systems/loral, LLC

Gerald T Murdock

Weimin Zhang

Ali Shayegani

Richard Hoffmeister

Will Caven

An arrangement is disclosed for providing the functionality of a four port, four channel rotary switch. The arrangement includes a first four port rotary microwave switch, the first switch including a first rotor and a first set of four waveguide ports, and a second four port rotary microwave switch, communicatively coupled to the first switch, the second switch including a second rotor and a second set of four waveguide ports. Each of the first switch and the second switch has at most three channels.

Waveguide T-switch

Active switch matrix apparatus that is used in a satellite communications system that provides for reconfigurability of the communication channels of the communications system. The active switch matrix apparatus has redundan channels and components that provides for a high probability of success during the lifetime of the satellite. The active switch matrix apparatus is comprised of two switch matrices, one for each polarization (horizontal and vertical). Each of the switch matrices contains redundancy, including redundant paths through power dividers, power combiners and amplifiers to outputs of the apparatus. This is accomplished using a plurality of controllable switches in the power dividers and a plurality of controllable output switches coupled to outputs of the amplifiers. Each of the switch matrices are coupled to redundant DC/DC converters and switch matrix controllers.

Switching apparatus for routing communication channels through a satellite payload

Redundancy ring communication apparatus having a plurality of communication channels, that comprises normally used and redundant amplifier channels that are interconnected using selectively controllable switches. Pairs of amplifier channels may be selectively coupled together using controllable switches and hybrid couplers. A controller is coupled to each of the switches that selectively sets the switches to (1) route selected signals through independent communication channels, (2) route a selected signal through the pair of amplifier channels to provide a high power output for the selected communication channel, (3) route a selected signal through a redundant communication channel in the event of failure of another communication channel, and (4) route the signal of the normally unused communication channel that is normally amplified by the second amplifier of the paired amplifier channels operating in high power mode through an unused amplifier channel to provide a communication channel for the signal of the normally unused communication channel.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Gerald T Murdock