Calian has identified some powerful emerging trends in the space ground systems, revolving around higher frequency ranges, increased antenna performance, optimization through orchestration and digitization of the gateway.
Calian antenna and RF system
Communication Ground Systems + Services and Satcom Products
Calian continues to see next-generation satellite networks migrating to Q/V-band gateway ground equipment as satellite network operators expand the capacity of their systems. Calian leads the way in deploying a continent-wide Q/V-band gateway network, using best-of-breed in Q/V band technologies, including their own composite carbon fiber antenna. With on-air tested performance, this innovative ground gateway solution makes Q/V band feeder links a reality.
Antenna + RF Systems
The digitization of the ground system opens the door for a whole new range of innovative ground gateway architectures to support virtualization and diversity. The wide-band RF over IP offering from their Satcom Products division will enable operators to increase system capacity while simplifying their total block diagrams. As part of the DIFI Consortium, Calian will support interoperability across a variety of vendor platforms to create a robust modular ground system infrastructure.
The rapid expansion of space-based broadband networks is fulfilling the need for increased bandwidth and lower latency. The ground gateway systems to support these networks require innovation, especially in gateway systems. To address this future need, Calian has developed a full-motion, Q/V, four meter, LEO tracking gateway system. Once again leading the way, Calian will provide the first commercial solution to verify this link between the ground and the LEO satellites. Link validation will include payload performance to produce propagation measurements and tracking performance to understand the effects of scintillation, doppler and weather at these very high frequencies.
The Calian approach to system engineering for advanced SATCOM networks enables the company to understand and appreciate the needs of their customers. Calian builds their products to meet these needs. As they develop products and services for the market, Calian can optimize a customer’s network at the system level, thus simplifying operations, reducing total costs and improving performance.
Decimator D4 Spectrum and Signal Analyzer
Situational awareness has become a necessity for satellite operators to react quickly to service disruptions. For many years, Calian has provided carrier monitoring systems that notify service providers immediately if any of their carriers or services require attention. In 2023, Calian will add Illuminator to their portfolio. The new product provides cost-effective software-based carrier monitoring to their popular Decimator Spectrum Analyzer product to provide situational awareness.
Software Defined Solutions
The Software Defined Solutions division provides innovative software solutions to the satellite industry, simplifying the management, operation and orchestration of complex satellite networks. As more customers continue to outsource software development for these complex systems, 2023 is expected to be another busy year for this division.
Satellite Planning and Management Solutions provides software for planning, managing and operating complex satellite communication networks. This consists of planning tools and real-time solutions that dynamically orchestrate configuration changes and resource allocations between the payload and ground segment as demand fluctuates. New, highly flexible digital communication payloads drive the demand for these advanced tools, and in response, Calian will be releasing their Satellite Capacity Management System under new licensing and deployment models, including SaaS. This advanced software system is used by satellite operators and service providers to plan and manage satellite capacity, including link budget analysis, transponder loading analysis and multiple planning modes.
Beam Coverage of Planning Management System
Network Management Solutions provides operational monitoring and control of mission-critical, Earth station equipment. This business line is based on the long-standing Calian Mon-A-Co product, a best-of-breed element manager geared specifically for RF ground systems, and the newly released Calian Central Management Platform (CMP), a management system for consolidating all the ground segment status and data into a single consolidated view for NOC operations. The CMP has been architected to support cloud and virtualized deployments. Over the next year, Calian will be refreshing Mon-A-Co based on the infrastructure created for the CMP, giving it improved data management, a modern web-based GUI, improved configurability and scalability, plus new deployment options. Expect to see an announcement of a new and enhanced Mon-A-Co product later in 2023.
Network Management Solutions Dashboard
Calian will continue to explore emerging trends in 2023, and they are looking forward to continued growth, challenges and opportunities in the year ahead.
Various authors at Calian, Advanced Technologies, contributed to this article including Patrick Thera, President of Calian Advanced Technologies, Darren Schlageter, Vice President, Communication Ground Systems, Dan Baril, Vice President Software Defined Solutions, and Peter Waskowic, Senior Director, Satcom Products. To contact our Calian experts, email commsystems@ calian.com.
Calian Advanced Technologies is a global supplier of highly technical solutions, services and products to the aerospace and defence, satellite, wired and terrestrial wireless, test and measurement, agricultural technology, GNSS technology and nuclear industries. They provide infrastructure for satellite ground systems including antennas, antenna/RF systems, and software defined solutions for controlling and monitoring satellite network resources, equipment and services. Their engineering, nuclear and technical solutions teams are some of the most highly sought experts in their fields.
Advanced Technologies also designs and manufactures Calian and OEM-branded communication products for wired and wireless applications and power management and control products for military vehicle applications. Additionally, they provide third-party build-to-print electronics/electromechanical engineering, manufacturing/test and product lifecycle management services for customers in commercial and defence/security markets.
www.calian.com/solutions/satcom/