Space communications apparatus employing switchable band filters for transparently switching signals on board a communications satellite, payload architectures using such apparatus, and methods of implementing the apparatus and the architectures
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising an integrated bank of filters, having outputs that are combinable by switching, for switching input signals Si on n input ports to output signals So on m output ports, each of said input and output signals having a center frequency and occupying a bandwidth about said center frequency, the apparatus comprising at least p bandpass filters of bandwidth Δ
- Φ
, with center frequencies fj where j is an integer in the range p inclusive, the frequency difference between the center frequencies of two filters that are adjacent in frequency being substantially equal to the bandwidth Δ
Φ
of the passband of the bandpass filter, the number p being selected as a function of the bandwidth of the widest signal to be switched, Δ
Fmax =pΔ
Φ
, each of said input signals Si being applied to the inputs of p filters, the apparatus further comprising a switching and combining matrix, said matrix having not less than p inputs and not less than m outputs, said inputs to said matrix being connected to said bandpass filters so as to pick up signals passing through said filters, and wherein said filters and paths through said switching matrix are matched in phase and in amplitude.
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Abstract
The invention relates to switchable band filter apparatus for switching signals on-board a satellite, enabling signals of different and unforeseeable bandwidths to be switched between multiple input ports and multiple output ports. The invention also provides various payload architectures using such apparatus. Finally, the invention provides methods of implementing such apparatus and architectures for performing transparent switching of signals on-board a satellite.
54 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising an integrated bank of filters, having outputs that are combinable by switching, for switching input signals Si on n input ports to output signals So on m output ports, each of said input and output signals having a center frequency and occupying a bandwidth about said center frequency, the apparatus comprising at least p bandpass filters of bandwidth Δ
- Φ
, with center frequencies fj where j is an integer in the range p inclusive, the frequency difference between the center frequencies of two filters that are adjacent in frequency being substantially equal to the bandwidth Δ
Φ
of the passband of the bandpass filter, the number p being selected as a function of the bandwidth of the widest signal to be switched, Δ
Fmax =pΔ
Φ
, each of said input signals Si being applied to the inputs of p filters, the apparatus further comprising a switching and combining matrix, said matrix having not less than p inputs and not less than m outputs, said inputs to said matrix being connected to said bandpass filters so as to pick up signals passing through said filters, and wherein said filters and paths through said switching matrix are matched in phase and in amplitude. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- Φ
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10. A payload architecture for use in space to enable transparent switching of input signals Si on n input ports to output signals So on m output ports, each of said input and output signals having a center frequency and occupying a bandwidth about said center frequency, said input and output signals being capable of having different center frequencies and being capable of occupying different bandwidths, the architecture further including one or more banks of filters and one or more switching and in-phase summing matrices, wherein
each of said banks of filters comprises at least p bandpass filters of bandwidth Δ - Φ
, with center frequencies fj where j is an integer in the range 1 to p inclusive, the frequency difference between the center frequencies of two filters that are adjacent in frequency being substantially equal to the bandwidth Δ
Φ
, of the passband of the bandpass filter, the number p being selected as a function of the bandwidth of the widest signal to be switched, Δ
Fmax =pΔ
Φ
, each of said input signals Si being applied to the inputs of p filters, andeach of said switching and in-phase summing matrices has not less than p inputs and not less than m outputs, the p inputs being connected to said bandpass filters so as to pick up signals passing through said filters, and wherein said filters and paths through each of said switching matrices are matched in phase and in amplitude. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of switching on-board a satellite, the method performing switching between input signals Si on n input ports to output signals So on m output ports, each of said input and output signals having a center frequency and occupying a bandwidth about said center frequency, each of said input and output signals being capable of having different center frequencies and being capable of occupying different bandwidths, the method including the following steps for each of said input signals to be switched:
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applying an input signal to be switched coming from one of the n input ports and having a bandwidth Δ
F=pΔ
Φ
, via a first switching matrix, to a bank of bandpass filters having a passband Δ
Φ
for all of the filters, thereby splitting the input signal into a plurality, p, of narrow bands of constant width Δ
Φ
regardless of the bandwidth of said input signal Δ
F=pΔ
Φ
, thereby demultiplexing the input signal; andreassembling the input signal in phase from the p bands of width Δ
Φ
by means of a second switching and summing matrix which sends the p bands of width Δ
Φ
to one of the m output ports, said reassembling step performing a multiplexing operation, and whereina configuration of the switching matrix is controlled as a function of the duration of the input signals, of the input ports of the input signals and of the output ports of the output signals, and of the bandwidth Δ
F, i.e. the number p of bandpass filters of bandwidth Δ
Φ
required for transmitting the output signals without degradation. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification