PSK-31 Linear/FM
Satellite Transponder
26
Sept 2012
Bob Bruninga, WB4APR,
Peter Martinez, G3PLX
Mirek Kasal,
OK2AQK
PSK-31 is the ideal FM Amateur Satellite Transponder because it allows as many as 30 simultaneous user conversations at the same time. Further, it uses one of the simplest and most popular digital narrowband and weak signal communications techniques. It requires only a PC sound card and radio making it ideal as a low cost easy-entry satellite application allowing maximum transponder sharing. The downlink is FM so that anyone with an inexpensive FM radio or walkie-talkie can receive it, and it is entirely software meaning there are no special hardware requirements other than the microphone on the PC to hear the radio. The uplink uses narrowband SSB.
In only 3 KHz of bandwidth, as many as 30 or more simultaneous users can be accommodated. Usually, the same advantage of the very narrow bandwidth that makes this possible also tends to make normal operation via satellites impossible due to very high Doppler shifts. But the following design solves that problem. It evolved from many ideas we explored with Peter Martinez back in 2000 while looking for ways to use PSK-31 via satellite. See the Paper. As this idea matured, we solicited Mirek Kasal of Brno University in the Czech Republic to build the Flight Receiver for flight on PSAT in 2013.
ADVANTAGES OF THE 10m Linear Uplink => FM Downlink
-
No downlink Doppler (other than crude FM 5 KHz steps)
-
All users remain in same relative position in analog passband
-
Stations accommodate Uplink Doppler to fit in common analog Passband
-
FM Downlink can be on 2m/70cm band with minimal Doppler issue
-
No requirement for Linearity on Downlink Transmitter
-
Downside is higher power budget and full power even if 1 user.
-
Each user can adjust Uplink power for equal audio level in downlink
-
Easy reception with any FM scanner
-
Uplink Geometry on 10m band almost guarantees equal user signal levels
DOPPLER Expected
The
Doppler on the 10m band is about 15 times less than on 70 cm and changes at a
rate between about 1 to 5 Hz per second.
The following table is a worst case (350 km orbit) and it shows the rate
of change of Doppler for typical passes below the peak elevations shown.
50deg
40deg 30deg 20deg 10deg
Peak Elevation of Pass
-----
----- ----- ----- -----
4%
8% 16% 33%
67% Percent of passes above this
angle
-----
----- ----- ----- -----
0.1
0.2 0.3 0.7
1.2 Doppler change in Hz per
second
0.3
0.5 0.7 1.1
1.9
1.0
1.3 1.5 2.4
2.5
3.5
3.8 4.0 4.1
3.0
9.0
7.3 6.5 5.0
3.0 (absolute worst case is 16
Hz/Sec)
6.0 5.5 5.0
3.5 2.5
1.9
3.6 2.1 3.0
2.3
0.5
0.9 0.9 2.0
1.5
0.1
0.2 0.3 0.9
0.9
So
2/3rds of the time the Doppler rate of change is in the range of about 3 Hz per
second or less. It looks like 90% of the time
it is 5 Hz or less. And worst case is 16
Hz change per second. Peter G3PLX is
working on a second order AFC tracking loop to keep up with this dynamic rate
of change. But it will be better if all
users correct their Doppler in their uplink instead of the downlink. [Note: for LEO spacecraft the Doppler rate of
change is always downward. For GTO or
elliptical orbits, however, the rate of change can be either direction
depending on whether the satellite is accelerating towards you coming in from
Apogee, or slowing down as it goes outward from Perogee].
Actually,
for software written for this application, it is best if the software adjusts
for this Doppler on the Uplink so that the relative position of everyone in the
passband will remain constant. This should be easy to do, because the
Satellite is full duplex, so your sound card can be monitoring your signal on
the downlink and making AFC changes on the uplink to keep you at the same
frequency on the downlink…
CONCEPT OF FULL DUPLEX PSK-31 OPERATIONS:
Because the software will be working FULL DUPLEX so that it can listen to its own Doppler shifted uplink in the downlink to run its AFC, this means that the user will typically operate KEY DOWN on 10m the whole 8 minute pass. But while he is transmitting, he will be SEEING everyone else on the band. Thus this will be a new mode of PSK-31 operations, kind of like a chat room full of people with everyone seeing what everyone is saying in real time and being able to KEYBOARD to them all as fast as one can type. Each pass will all be over in 8 minutes or less, though.
The ideal downlink band is on 2 meters where the Doppler is less than +/- 3 KHz so NO FM downlink tuning is necessary if the deviation on the transmitter remains below about 3 KHz deviation. But if the 70 cm Amateur Satellite Downlink is used, then the operator will have to change the frequency of his UHF FM receiver 3 or 4 times a pass to keep up with the +/- 9 KHz of total FM carrier Doppler on the downlink.
PASSBAND POWER SHARING:
One
of the biggest problems with linear transponders is power sharing of power in
the linear passband.
This results in the strongest signal getting most of the power at the
expense of the other operators. This is
compounded when the AGC reduces the overall passband
gain to prevent the strongest signal from overloading the system, which results
in everyone losing power.
To
mitigate this problem, this 10 meter PSK-31 Transponder has the advantage of
the inherent self leveling of uplink power in the passband
as shown in the following diagram:
USER LICENSE REQUIREMENTS:
Another
unique aspect of this transponder is that it will be the first amateur
satellite to use 10 meters as the uplink band. This is necessary to have all of
the advantages of this PSK-31 low-Doppler and balanced passband
design. The IARU band plan suggests only
29.300 to 29.510 for “Satellite Downlinks”.
This apparent limitation of 10m for only downlinks is only a legacy of
the early Mode A satellites and is not part of the FCC nor
the ITU rules. The entire 10m band is
legal for satellites from that perspective.
A second issue is that only the 28.1 to 28.3 MHz sub band is authorized
for Novice and Tech-Plus licensees in the USA.
We
proposed that this PSK-31 Satellite UPLINK be a 3 KHz wide spectrum somewhere
in the 28.1 to 28.3 MHz CW/Digital sub-band not only so that Novice and
Tech-Plus operators may use it, but also, to prevent the obvious temptation for
an SSB user to saturate the entire passband with his
single Voice QSO. Currently PSK-31 QSO’s
on the 10m band congregate near 28.120 and a Transceiver Kit crystal controlled
on that frequency is readily available from Small Wonder Labs making
this an easy satellite for students to access.
In one
sense, you can think of this transponder as a satellite transponder, or your can think of it as an over-the-horizon band-monitor
for present activity in the routine PSK31 10m band.
Send
comments to WB4APR@amsat.org.