82090 - Satellite Communication and Navigation Systems M

Learning outcomes

Understanding of the architecture of satellite communication systems and satellite positioning systems and the main design principles and performance trade-off. The class covers the ground, space, and user segments fundamentals from a Communication Theory perspective.

Course contents

The course is organized into two main parts: Satellite Communications Systems and Satellite Positioning and Navigation Systems.

The first part addresses the main elements of a Satellite System Communication Architecture

• ground, space, user segments
• user and feeder links
• orbits and constellations
• link budget
• payload
• antennas
• Multibeam and single beam systems
• SatCom services: broadcast and broaband, fixed and mobile
• The Digital Video Broadcasting S2 standard

The second part, using several principles and concepts introduced in the first part, focuses on Satellite Positioning systems:

• Positioning principles
• Positioning principles applied to satellite systems
• the GPS system
• the Galileo system

Readings/Bibliography

G. Maral, M. Bousquet, and Z. Sun, Satellite Communications Systems: Systems, Techniques and Technology. John Wiley & Sons

B. Sklar, Digital Communications: Fundamentals and Applications. Upper Saddle River, NJ, USA: Prentice-Hall, Inc

E. Kaplan and C. Hegarty, Understanding GPS/GNSS: Principles and Applications, Third Edition:, ser. Engineering professional collection. Artech House Publishers, 2017.

Slide of the lectures (distributed by email and avaliable at the end of the course on AMS Campus)

Teaching methods

• Lectures based on slides

Assessment methods

• Written test and interview. The written test is mandatory, but not blocking.

Teaching tools

• Students will be invited to use Matlab programming to better understand concepts presented during the lectures
• Matlab tools will also be used as a teaching tool during the lectures

Office hours

See the website of Alessandro Guidotti