IF INTERFACE

• US 20090103596A1
• Filed: 10/22/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Inventors: Buer, Kenneth V., Noji, Mike
• Granted Patent: US 8,520,722 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/18 Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods may be provided for communicating telemetry signals between a satellite modem and transceiver over an IF receive link. In an exemplary embodiment, a communication system comprises a modem, a transceiver, an IF receive communication link coupling the modem and the transceiver and configured to allow IF communication between the modem and the transceiver, and a transceiver interface module and a modem interface module, wherein the modules are configured to allow telemetry communication between the modem and the transceiver over the IF receive communication link.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a modem;

a transceiver;

an IF receive communication link coupling the modem and the transceiver configured to allow IF communication between the modem and the transceiver; and

a transceiver interface module and a modem interface module, wherein the modules are configured to allow telemetry communication between the modem and the transceiver over the IF receive communication link.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the modem is a satellite modem, and wherein the transceiver is a Ka-band satellite transceiver.

3. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of:

(A) said transceiver interface module comprises a circuit configured to add a telemetry signal to said IF receive communication link and said modem interface module comprises a circuit configured to detect said telemetry signal; and

(A) said modem interface module comprises a circuit configured to add a telemetry signal to said IF receive communication link and said transceiver interface module comprises a circuit configured to detect said telemetry signal.

4. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the transceiver interface module and modem interface module together are configured to enable communication of telemetry signals over the IF receive link without the need to make any change to the IF receive link, where before the addition of the transceiver interface module and modem interface module, such communication of telemetry signals was not possible over the IF receive link.

5. The communication system according to claim 1, further comprising a detection module.

6. The communication system according to claim 5, wherein the detection module is capable of detecting errors with the communication link.

7. The communication system according to claim 5, wherein the detection module is capable of measuring a resistance of the communication link.

8. A method of facilitating communication in a satellite system, comprising:

providing a modem;

providing a receiver;

providing a communication link coupling the modem and the receiver, wherein said communication link is configured to allow IF communication between the modem and the receiver; and

providing an interface configured to allow telemetry signals to pass between the modem and the receiver.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the interface module comprises a modem interface and a receiver interface.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said receiver is part of a transceiver, wherein the modem is a satellite modem and wherein the transceiver is a Ka-band satellite transceiver.

11. The communication system according to claim 8, wherein the communication link comprises an IF receive link, and the telemetry data is carried by the IF receive link.

12. A method of adding telemetry communication between a modem and a transceiver in a satellite communication system, where the modem and transceiver are connected via an IF receive link, where such telemetry communication does not initially exist, the method comprising the steps of:

upgrading the transceiver such that the transceiver is connected to the IF receive link via a transceiver interface;

wherein the transceiver interface is configured to communicate the telemetry information by adding the telemetry signal to the IF receive link as a DC signal;

upgrading the modem such that the modem is connected to the IF receive link via a modem interface;

wherein the modem interface is configured to communicate the telemetry information by extracting the telemetry signal from the IF receive link.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the modem interface is internal to the modem and wherein the transceiver interface is internal to the transceiver.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of connecting one or more detection modules to the transceiver interface for communicating information to the transceiver interface that is at least in part communicated as telemetry information to the modem.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the detection module is capable of detecting errors with the communication link.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the detection module is capable of measuring a resistance of the communication link.

17. A communication device, comprising:

a modem, wherein the modem comprises a transmit link output and an IF receive link input, wherein said modem comprises a modem interface device electrically connected to the IF receive link input, wherein said modem interface is configured to strip off a digital telemetry signal from any signal being received at said IF receive link, thus facilitating telemetry communication with said modem over the IF receive link.

18. A communication device, comprising:

a transceiver, wherein said transceiver comprises a transmit link input and an IF receive link output, wherein said transceiver further comprises a transceiver interface device that is electrically connected to the IF receive link output, wherein the transceiver interface device is configured to add a telemetry signal to an IF receive signal being communicated out of the IF receive link output, thus facilitating telemetry communication from the transceiver.

19. A method of communicating telemetry information from a modem to a transceiver, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving telemetry information associated with a transceiver;

converting said telemetry information into a digital signal;

adding said digital signal to an RF receive link between said modem and transceiver; and

detecting said digital signal in said modem.

20. An interface module system comprising:

a first interface module having a receive intermediate frequency (IF) link input configured for connection to a receive IF link, a receive IF output connection configure configured for connection to the modem, and a telemetry output;

wherein the first interface module is configured to;

a. accept receive IF communications signals at the receive IF link input from a transceiver;

b. extract telemetry data from the receive IF communications signals, and provide that telemetry data to the telemetry output;

c. provide the receive IF communications signals to the receive IF output; and

a second interface module having a receive IF link output configured for connection to the receive IF link, a receive IF input connection configured for connection to the transceiver, and a telemetry input;

wherein the second interface module is configured to;

a. accept receive IF communications signals at the receive IF input connection from a transceiver;

b. accept telemetry data, and add a telemetry signal based on the telemetry data to the receive IF communications signals; and

c. provide the receive IF communications signals to the receive IF link output for communications to the modem.