US 2026/0142676 A1Published application

Configurable Radio Frequency Front-End to Support TTC and ISL Satellite Links

AssigneeCesiumAstro, Inc.

InventorsTanim Taher, Colton Martin, Erik Luther, James Carwell

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Abstract

In some implementations, a satellite may include a software-defined radio (SDR), antenna circuits, and front-end circuits. Each antenna circuit may include a first antenna and a second antenna. Each front-end circuit may be coupled between the SDR and one of the plurality of antenna circuits and may include a transmit path, a first receive path, and a second receive path. The transmit path may include an input coupled to an output of the radio and an output selectively coupled to the first antenna for ISL and TT&C transmissions. The first path includes an input to couple to the first antenna and an output to couple to the radio. The second path includes an input coupled to the second antenna and an output to couple to the radio. The front-end circuit may selectively enable one of the first or second receive paths for ISL or TT&C communications.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system comprises:

one or more satellites, each satellite comprises:
a software-defined radio (SDR) configured to provide data for transmission and to process received data;
a plurality of antenna circuits, each antenna circuit including a first antenna configured to send and receive signals within a first frequency band and including a second antenna configured to receive signals within a second frequency band;
and
a plurality of front-end circuits, each front-end circuit coupled between the SDR and one of the plurality of antenna circuits, each front-end circuit including:
a switch including a first node and a second node and including a third node coupled to the first antenna;
a transmit path configured to couple an output of the SDR to the first node;
a first receive path including an input coupled to the second node and including a first output;
a second receive path including an input coupled to the second antenna and including a second output;
and
a multiplexer including a first input coupled to the first output, a second input coupled to the second output, and an output coupled to the SDR;
and
wherein the switch and the multiplexer are controlled to configure the front-end circuit to provide one of intersatellite link (ISL) communications or telemetry, tracking, and control (TT&C) communications.

10 more elements

A satellite comprising:

a software-defined radio (SDR) configured to provide data for transmission and to process received data;
a plurality of antenna circuits, each antenna circuit including a first antenna and including a second antenna;
and
a plurality of front-end circuits, each front-end circuit coupled between the SDR and one of the plurality of antenna circuits, each front-end circuit including:
a transmit path including an input coupled to an output of the SDR and an output configured to couple to the first antenna;
a first receive path including an input configured to couple to the first antenna and an output configured to couple to the SDR;
and
a second receive path including an input coupled to the second antenna and including an output configured to couple to the SDR;
and
wherein front-end circuit is configured to selectively enable one of the first receive path for intersatellite link (ISL) communications or the second receive path for telemetry, tracking, and control (TT&C) communications.

7 more elements

A system comprises:

a plurality of satellites configured to selectively communicate with one another via intersatellite links (ISL) communication links and with a ground base station using a telemetry, tracking, and control (TT&C) communications link, each satellite comprises:
a signal processing circuit;
an antenna circuit including a first antenna configured to send and receive signals within a first frequency band and a second antenna configured to receive signals within a second frequency band;
a front-end circuit comprising:
a transmission path including:
a first amplifier including an input coupled to an output of the signal processing circuit and including an output;
and
a first filter including an input coupled to the output of the first amplifier and including an output;
a first receive path including:
a second amplifier including an input and including an output;
a second filter including an input coupled to the output of the second amplifier and including an output;
a switch including a first node coupled to the output of the first filter, a second node coupled to the input of the second amplifier, and a third node coupled to the first antenna;
a multiplexer including a first input coupled to the output of the second filter, a second input, and an output coupled to an input of the signal processing circuit;
and
a second receive path including:
a third amplifier including an input coupled to the second antenna and including an output;
a third filter including an input coupled to the output of the third amplifier and including an output coupled to the second input of the multiplexer;
wherein the switch and the multiplexer are controlled to selectively disable one of the first receive path or the second receive path to provide one of a telemetry, tracking, and control (TT&C) mode or an intersatellite link (ISL) mode.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.