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PROPSIM SATCOM Channel Emulation SolutionPoint-to-Point to Multilink Mesh Satellite Systems Testing

Up to now, satellite systems have been a highly specialized communication

channel with systems tailored for a specific purpose. 5G non-terrestrial networks

(NTN) plan to support cellular and broadband internet connections by providing

a robust secondary link for routing data. Specialized satellite communications

(SATCOM) applications such as global navigation systems or terrain imaging will

not disappear. But the need for high throughput in cellular networks and mobile

broadband dominates future investments in satellite systems.

The Keysight PROPSIM FS16 and F64 hardware platforms are widely adopted

for wireless radio testing by both device and network vendors. The PROPSIM

SATCOM Channel Emulation Solution forms a baseline for building the most

demanding satellite test beds by leveraging these platforms with other compatible

Keysight test and measurement solutions.

The Keysight PROPSIM SATCOM Channel Emulation Solution offers the most accurate signal fading processing in terms of delay, phase, and amplitude. It features an easy-to-use and configure user interface with powerful options:

• built-in input power measurement

• automated phase and amplitude calibration without the need for a vector network analyzer

S O L U T I O N B R I E F

Keysight Technologies’ new high-capacity PROPSIM SATCOM Channel Emulation Solution is the answer to

today’s satellite testing challenges.

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The PROPSIM SATCOM Channel Emulation Solution elevates traditional satellite link

testing to new and upcoming multilink high-frequency band satellite systems. The

solution enables multi-satellite radio constellation testing with real hardware in controlled

laboratory conditions. New satellite systems are progressing to multi-satellite and

multilink transmission. This type of transmission puts pressure on testing solutions to

perform end-to-end testing before launching the satellite in space or uploading and

activating new software.

Satellite Communication Testing ChallengesTesting single-link satellite channels can be challenging. The link conditions between the

radio on the ground and the satellite consist of hundreds or thousands of kilometers of

atmosphere and space.

Ionospheric effects, together with attenuation from clouds and weather conditions, set

the requirements for radios and antenna design. Also, the ground station surroundings

bring signal reflections and various interference issues.

Guaranteeing the quality of service for the end user requires careful total link budget

planning (Figure 1).

Link budget

Transmitter Receiver

Weather Clouds IonosphereFree space

Figure 1. Link budget from ground to ground using bent pipe satellite link

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PROPSIM RF Channel Emulator-Based Satellite Testing Solutions

Figure 3. Keysight F8800A PROPSIM F64

Channel Emulator with support up to 64 radios

A highly scalable and flexible solution that supports:

• testing from 2 to 64 radios

• support for single-input single-output (SISO) and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) in mesh network topologies for high test coverage in the lab

• configurable signal bandwidth starting from 40 MHz – supports up to 1.2 GHz

• modeling tool for aerospace with open file interfaces to enable the creation of advanced satellite test scenarios with third-party software simulation tools

High-performing, network-level channel emulation solution to easily replicate field conditions in a repeatable way:

• scales from single-link testing to whole network testing

• standard and waveform agnostic to guarantee operation with all proprietary systems

• single-antenna to high-order MIMO antenna modeling

Advanced radio channel modeling for:

• dynamic mesh with multipath links

• control of Doppler, delay, and phase

• create test scenarios with advanced tools

Figure 2. Keysight F8820 PROPSIM FS16

Channel Emulator with support up to 16 radios

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Highly Scalable and Flexible RF Channel EmulationFlexible use of frequency bands and signal bandwidth

PROPSIM Channel Emulators provide continuous frequency support from 3 MHz to

6 GHz in the base box. There is no need for external equipment in this frequency

range. The device under test can plug into PROPSIM using direct cabling. When

extending to C- and X-band frequencies, PROPSIM integrates with the Keysight

E7770A Common Interface Unit (CIU), which expands the frequency range to 12 GHz.

The Keysight M1740A Remote Radio Head (RRH) provides supports for the Ka-band

by covering the 24 to 44 GHz frequency range (Figure 4).

Full Control of Radio Test Conditions

PROPSIM SATCOM Channel Emulators are compatible with all wireless links and system

parameters. You can test radios with all forms of arbitrary waveforms. The standard

independent file-based emulation engine guarantees operation with proprietary radio

systems. This also means you have full control of the radio conditions. All parameters

are tunable, and radio conditions can even surpass real-life physics to explore the true

performance of the system.

Figure 4. PROPSIM SATCOM hardware options for end-to-end satellite testing

Keysight M1740ARRH

Keysight E7770ACIU

Keysight F8820AFS16

Keysight F8800AF64

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Accurate File-Based Channel Modeling Technology

PROPSIM SATCOM Channel Emulators use Keysight’s file-based

channel emulation technology. File-based channel emulation guarantees

exact radio channel conditions between repetitive test runs. It also enables

importing Keysight scenario-based simulation data, third-party simulation

software data, or your proprietary data. The test scenarios can include

dynamic conditions. The solution provides enough capacity to model system-

level operations for multiple ground radios and multiple satellites. Modeling

antenna configurations can be a part of the emulation, including multi-antenna

transmission and beamforming.

Powerful fading processing combined with open file interfaces enables the use of any

scenario editing tool as the source of the channel emulation testing process. You can

also use tools and engineering environments with libraries for creating orbit data to

model the ionosphere. These capabilities enable you to create realistic test conditions

and scenarios for testing satellite radio hardware and software before launching

satellites into orbit.

Easy Operation and Industry-Leading Channel Emulation RF Performance

PROPSIM SATCOM Channel Emulators offer complete capabilities for satellite testing

with real radio hardware and RF equipment. Hardware and radio equipment prototypes

are subject to real-world link and radio conditions in a controlled laboratory environment.

Connectivity and clean channel testing enable the verification of basic operations. The

built-in scenario creation wizard makes it easy to increase the level of challenge for the

communication link by adding multipath fading and other radio channel impairments.

For analysis of the system under test, the performance and accuracy requirements of

the test platform need to exceed the most demanding specifications of modern radio

equipment. The PROPSIM Channel Emulation Solution provides industry-leading RF

performance, exceptionally low phase noise, and error vector magnitude (EVM < –50dB)

better than any channel emulator in the market.

The PROPSIM SATCOM Channel Emulation Solution is ideal for arbitrary radio network

testing and covers all standard and non-standard wireless technology testing needs.

Page 6This information is subject to change without notice. © Keysight Technologies, 2020, Published in USA, March 5, 2020, 7120-1034.EN

Find us at www.keysight.com

Learn more at: www.keysight.com

For more information on Keysight Technologies’ products, applications or services,

please contact your local Keysight office. The complete list is available at:

www.keysight.com/find/contactus

5G SolutionsKeysight’s industry-first 5G end-to-end design and test solutions enable the mobile

industry to accelerate 5G product design development. Our solutions encompass the

physical layer to the application layer and the entire workflow from simulation, design,

and verification to manufacturing, deployment, and optimization.

Keysight offers common software and hardware platforms compliant to the latest

3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard. You can quickly and accurately

validate 5G chipsets, devices, base stations, and networks, as well as emulate

subscriber behavior. To learn more about Keysight’s 5G solutions, please visit

www.keysight.com/find/5G.

To learn more about our solutions, please visit:

• PROPSIM FS16 and PROPSIM F64: www.keysight.com/find/PROPSIM

• Keysight PathWave: www.keysight.com/find/pathwave

• Keysight M1740A mmWave Transceiver for 5G: www.keysight.com/find/m1740a

• Keysight E7770A Common Interface Unit: www.keysight.com/find/e7770a

Keysight’s 5G Network Emulation Solutions leverage the Keysight E7515B UXM 5G

Wireless Test Platform and includes the following:

• 5G Protocol R&D Toolset: www.keysight.com/find/5g-protocol

• 5G Protocol Conformance Toolset: www.keysight.com/find/5g-protocol-conformance

• 5G RF / RRM DVT & Conformance Toolset: www.keysight.com/find/5g-rf-conformance