Systems Engineering - ATI

Satellite RF Communications and Onboard Processing
Effective Design for Today’s Spacecraft Systems
April 12-14, 2011
Beltsville, Maryland
$1590 (8:30am - 4:00pm)
"Register 3 or More & Receive $100 00 each
Off The Course Tuition."
Summary
Successful systems engineering requires a broad
understanding of the important principles of modern
satellite communications and onboard data processing.
This course covers both theory and practice, with
emphasis on the important system engineering principles,
tradeoffs, and rules of thumb. The latest technologies are
covered, including those needed for constellations of
satellites.
This course is recommended for engineers and
scientists interested in acquiring an understanding of
satellite communications, command and telemetry,
onboard computing, and tracking. Each participant will
receive a complete set of notes.
Instructors
Eric J. Hoffman has degrees in electrical engineering and
over 40 years of spacecraft experience. He
has designed spaceborne communications
and navigation equipment and performed
systems engineering on many APL satellites
and communications systems. He has
authored over 60 papers and holds 8 patents
in these fields and served as APL’s Space
Dept Chief Engineer.
Robert C. Moore worked in the Electronic Systems Group at
the APL Space Department from 1965 until
his retirement in 2007. He designed
embedded microprocessor systems for space
applications. Mr. Moore holds four U.S.
patents. He teaches the command-telemetrydata
processing segment of "Space Systems"
at the Johns Hopkins University Whiting
School of Engineering.
Satellite RF Communications & Onboard Processing
will give you a thorough understanding of the important
principles and modern technologies behind today's
satellite communications and onboard computing
systems.
What You Will Learn
• The important systems engineering principles and latest
technologies for spacecraft communications and onboard
computing.
• The design drivers for today’s command, telemetry,
communications, and processor systems.
• How to design an RF link.
• How to deal with noise, radiation, bit errors, and spoofing.
• Keys to developing hi-rel, realtime, embedded software.
• How spacecraft are tracked.
• Working with government and commercial ground stations.
• Command and control for satellite constellations.
Course Outline
1. RF Signal Transmission. Propagation of radio
waves, antenna properties and types, one-way radar
range equation. Peculiarities of the space channel.
Special communications orbits. Modulation of RF
carriers.
2. Noise and Link Budgets. Sources of noise,
effects of noise on communications, system noise
temperature. Signal-to-noise ratio, bit error rate, link
margin. Communications link design example.
3. Special Topics. Optical communications, error
correcting codes, encryption and authentication. Lowprobability-of-intercept
communications. Spreadspectrum
and anti-jam techniques.
4. Command Systems. Command receivers,
decoders, and processors. Synchronization words,
error detection and correction. Command types,
command validation and authentication, delayed
commands. Uploading software.
5. Telemetry Systems. Sensors and signal
conditioning, signal selection and data sampling,
analog-to-digital conversion. Frame formatting,
commutation, data storage, data compression.
Packetizing. Implementing spacecraft autonomy.
6. Data Processor Systems. Central processing
units, memory types, mass storage, input/output
techniques. Fault tolerance and redundancy,
radiation hardness, single event upsets, CMOS latchup.
Memory error detection and correction. Reliability
and cross-strapping. Very large scale integration.
Choosing between RISC and CISC.
7. Reliable Software Design. Specifying the
requirements. Levels of criticality. Design reviews and
code walkthroughs. Fault protection and autonomy.
Testing and IV&V. When is testing finished
Configuration management, documentation. Rules of
thumb for schedule and manpower.
8. Spacecraft Tracking. Orbital elements.
Tracking by ranging, laser tracking. Tracking by range
rate, tracking by line-of-site observation. Autonomous
satellite navigation.
9. Typical Ground Network Operations. Central
and remote tracking sites, equipment complements,
command data flow, telemetry data flow. NASA Deep
Space Network, NASA Tracking and Data Relay
Satellite System (TDRSS), and commercial
operations.
10. Constellations of Satellites. Optical and RF
crosslinks. Command and control issues. Timing and
tracking. Iridium and other system examples.
Register online at www.ATIcourses.com or call ATI at 888.501.2100 or 410.956.8805 Vol. 104 – 53