Diversity techniques for satellite communications: an educational graphical tool

This paper presents an educational graphical tool for an understanding and teaching site and orbital diversity techniques. Such techniques are employed in satellite communications at frequencies above 10 GHz to counteract signal impairments due to rain. The satellite communication diversity performance tool (SCDPT) was developed using MATLABs graphical user interface (GUI). The tool illustrates the overall effect of rain fades and the application of diversity as a fade mitigation technique on the design of satellite communication systems to senior and graduate students studying telecommunications.