Applications of on-board processing to mobile satellite communications systems: the INMARSAT Standard-C example

Discusses the applications of on-board processing (OBP) to mobile communications satellites, addressing in particular the INMARSAT Standard-C system. The authors briefly present the main characteristics of the Standard-C communications structure and review the possible future evolutions of the system. They describe a spot-beam architecture, based on OBP techniques and consistent with Standard-C specification. The onboard payload complexity is also assessed, using mass and power consumption figures. The overall tradeoff between performance and complexity is examined.<
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