SATCOM-On-The-Move link emulator based on physical propagation models

Mobile satellite communications are affected by signal distortions that are negligible in traditional, fixed SATCOM applications. These distortions include delay and Doppler spread multipath that exhibit significant variations over a relatively short period. Accurate modeling and emulation of the fast fading multipath requires substantially different techniques than the slow fading models traditionally used for satellite communication systems. This paper presents a physically based model for accurate modeling of fast fading in a SATCOM-on-the-move (SOTM) environment. A dynamic link emulator is described that provides hardware-in-the-loop testing of SOTM modems and systems. Of particular importance is the phase continuous emulation of both carrier and data Doppler and propagation delay.