Accurately Demodulate Satellite Communication Signals

Satellites that use higher frequencies and wider bandwidths require higher-order and more complex modulation techniques. As a result, you need to test and characterize components and systems more thoroughly to ensure that they meet requirements. As modulation becomes more complex, viewing a time-domain waveform or frequency spectrum and understanding or troubleshooting signal quality issues becomes increasingly challenging. Such challenges are particularly apparent for techniques using IQ modulation. Instead, use a vector signal analysis tool to demodulate the signals and display them as constellations.

Keysight PathWave Vector Signal Analysis (89600 VSA) software allows you to analyze the modulation accuracy. It provides insight into error vector magnitude (EVM), IQ offset, quadrature error, and gain imbalance measurements. In addition to the standard digital modulation schemes used in satellite communication, the software supports custom modulations for your satellite applications.

  • Supports more than 40 digital modulation formats, including PSK, QPSK, QAM, FSK, VSB, custom APSK, SOQPSK.
  • Perform digital modulation analysis on nonstandard user-defined IQ signals.
  • Troubleshoot signals using modulation error analysis tools: EVM, IQ errors, and more.
  • See through the complexity of custom orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems and handle a wide range of signals using a highly customizable parameter setup.
  • Characterize signals and troubleshoot errors using flexible measurement displays.
  • Evaluate single-input / single-output and multiple-input / multiple-output (MIMO) systems with channel, stream, and cross-channel measurements.
  • Automate tests with SCPI or .NET programmability.

A Comprehensive Overview of Satellite Communication Modulation Techniques

As the demand for faster data throughput grows, satellite communications use complex modulation schemes to improve their spectral efficiency. In satellite communications, modulation techniques entail higher data rates and minimize nonlinear amplification in the radio-frequency power amplifier. Choosing the right modulation scheme depends on your communication channels, hardware limitations, and data throughput requirements. With flexible custom modulation software, you can save time on signal simulation and easily configure your signal analyzer for demodulation analysis.

This white paper discusses modulation techniques for modern satellite communications, from signal generation and signal analysis to how phase noise affects your modulation analysis.

PathWave VSA Digital Demodulation Analysis Demonstration

Learn how to analyze a wide range of digital modulations, including forms as simple as BPSK and as complex as 4096 QAM, for satellite communication analysis. Flexible parameter setup; powerful error analysis, including EVM; and intuitive displays help you understand every aspect of your signal.

The modulation types found in Option 89601AYAC are among the nearly 75 signal standards and modulation types the VSA software supports. You can explore every facet of your signal and optimize your complex designs. Additionally, this software includes more functionality for digitally modulated signal analysis (custom IQ modulation analysis), allowing longer symbol length analysis with a full IQ map for signal quality measurements.

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Evaluate PathWave VSA software, which helps you accurately and efficiently demodulate a wide range of signals. Flexible analysis targets wideband applications in satellite communications. Demodulate a wide range of signals with modulations from BPSK to 4096QAM plus application presets and flexible formats.

PathWave VSA Custom OFDM Modulation Analysis Demonstration

Communications systems have widely accepted OFDM signals because of their inherent immunity to noise and efficiency in transmission. However, troubleshooting and analyzing these systems can be challenging, especially for new, custom, generic, or nonstandard OFDM formats. Spectrum analysis tools can measure simple parameters such as frequency, power level, and spectral mask, but most in-depth quality measurements require specialized tools, such as VSA tools that can work with custom OFDM systems.

PathWave VSA with Option BHF, custom OFDM modulation analysis, provides an easy-to-use interface to describe your generic and proprietary OFDM signals without developing any special software. Troubleshooting your designs has never been easier. PathWave VSA displays a channel’s error summary including details on EVM, frequency, symbol clock, and common pilot errors; plus IQ errors such as offset, quadrature errors, gain imbalance, and time skew.

Find the Instrument That's Right For You

With our broad range of hardware and software signal generators and analyzers for satellite communications, you are sure to find the right instrument no matter where you are in the development cycle.

Discounted Hardware and Software Bundles for Satellite Communication Test

Whether you work in design verification or component test for satellite communications, you need to ensure that the performance of your devices meets crucial design requirements. Keysight’s signal generation and analysis solutions provide greater assurance that your systems and their subsystems work the first time, every time, and for the mission’s duration.

Applications Electromagnetic spectrum operations Satellite communications
Hardware Signal generator E8267D; M9384B M9384B
Signal analyzer N9030B; N9040B N9040B; N9042B
Software Signal generation N7620B N7608APPC
Signal analysis N9067EM0E N9054EM0E
Savings Up to $89k Up to $100k

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