Code Division Multiple Access. Access method for several stations to go through a single transponder which uses spread spectrum modulations and orthogonal codes.

Clarke belt

The geostationary orbit, named after Arthur Clarke who first said that such an orbit should exist

COMINT

Communication Intelligence

CONUS

Continental United States (all states but Alaska and Hawaii)

Coverage

Zone where the satellite's signals can be received

C-band US frequency chart (starting horizontal) (GHz)

Horizontal Uplink	Horizontal Downlink	Channel	Vertical Downlink	Vertical Uplink
	3.720	1		5.945
5.965		2	3.740
	3.760	3		5.985
6.005		4	3.780
	3.800	5		6.025
6.045		6	3.820
	3.840	7		6.065
6.085		8	3.860
	3.880	9		6.105
6.125		10	3.900
	3.920	11		6.145
6.165		12	3.940
	3.960	13		6.185
6.205		14	3.980
	4.000	15		6.225
6.245		16	4.020
	4.040	17		6.265
6.285		18	4.060
	4.080	19		6.305
6.325		20	4.100
	4.120	21		6.345
6.365		22	4.140
	4.160	23		6.385
6.405		24	4.180

C-band US frequency chart (starting vertical) (GHz)

Horizontal Uplink	Horizontal Downlink	Channel	Vertical Downlink	Vertical Uplink
5.945		1	3.720
	3.740	2		5.965
5.985		3	3.760
	3.780	4		6.005
6.025		5	3.800
	3.820	6		6.045
6.065		7	3.840
	3.860	8		6.085
6.105		9	3.880
	3.900	10		6.125
6.145		11	3.920
	3.940	12		6.125
6.185		13	3.960
	3.980	14		6.205
6.225		15	4.000
	4.020	16		6.245
6.265		17	4.040
	4.060	18		6.285
6.305		19	4.080
	4.100	20		6.325
6.345		21	4.120
	4.140	22		6.365
6.385		23	4.160
	4.180	24		6.405

DBS

Direct Broadcast Satellite
dBW: ratio of the power to one Watt in decibels (unit used to express EIRP values)
DC power: Total power produced by the solar panels or nuclear reactor
DCME: Digital Circuit Multiplication Equipment
DCP: Data Collection Platform
Downlink: The satellite to earth signal path
DTH: Direct To Home
EIRP: Effective Isotropic Radiated Power
Technical value that evaluates the strength of receive signals
ELINT: Electronic Intelligence
EOL: End Of Life
FDMA: Frequency Division Multiple Access Access method to a transponder by multiple stations each using 1 unique frequency
Footprint: A map of EIRP values that express the signal strengths at a given location

FXO: Foreign Exchange Office - the interface on a VOIP device for connecting to an analog PBX extension.
Frequencies (GHz if not specified)

HF-band	1.8 - 30 MHz
VHF-band	50 - 146 MHz
P-band	0.230 - 1.000
UHF-band	0.430 - 1.300
L-band	1.530 - 2.700
FCC's digital radio	2.310 - 2.360
SHF-band	3 - 30
S-band	2.700 - 3.500
C-band	Downlink: 3.700 - 4.200 Uplink: 5.925 - 6.425 Standard US chart (horizontal) Standard US chart (vertical)
X-band	Downlink: 7.250 - 7.745 Uplink: 7.900 - 8.395
Ku-band (Europe)	Downlink: FSS: 10.700 - 11.700 BSS/DBS: 11.700 - 12.500 Telecom: 12.500 - 12.750 Uplink: FSS & Telecom: 14.000 - 14.800 BSS/DBS: 17.300 - 18.100
Ku-band (America)	Downlink: FSS: 11.700 - 12.200 BSS/DBS: 12.200 - 12.700 Uplink: FSS: 14.000 - 14.500 BSS/DBS: 17.300 - 17.800
Ka-band	has multiple acceptations... roughly: 18 - 31 GHz
EHF-band	30 - 300
V-band	36 - 51.4


GEO: Geostationary Earth Orbit
Geostationary orbit: The circular orbit at 35.780 km above the equator. Satellites slotted on this orbit always appear at the same position in the sky. In degrees towards East (E or positive) or West (W or negative) from the Greenwich meridian.
G/T: Unit of measurement for an antenna + LNA Expressed from the gain and and noise temperature. The higher the better
GTO: Geostationary Transfer Orbit
Geostationary satellites are usually launched on a temporary orbit before being moved to GEO
Inclined Orbit: Term used for a GEO satellite that has turned off its North/South stabilization. From Earth, such a satellite seems to draw an 8 in the sky; part of the day it is above the Equator, and then below.

INTERNET PROTOCOL: The "IP" in voice over IP. It's one of a large family of specifications that define the transmission of information over data networks. But this one is particularly critical because it tracks the Internet addresses of nodes, routes outgoing messages, and recognizes incoming messages. It's the backbone -- or more figuratively, the language -- of the Internet.

IP TELEPHONY: A term used largely interchangeably with Voice over IP and VoIP to describe the transmission of voice -- in this case referring more specifically to voice in the form of live calls, rather than messages -- over data networks.

LATENCY: The average "travel" time it takes for a packet to pass through a network. The lower the latency, the better the voice quality.

IOL: Inter-Orbit Link
Launch id: Launch number that identifies the flight.
LEO: Low Earth Orbit
LNA: Low Noise Amplifier
LHCP: Left Hand Circular Polarization
LTWTA: Linearized Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier
Microsat: Satellite weighing between 10 and 100 kg
Minisat: Satellite weighing between 100 and 1000 kg
Nanosat: Satellite weighing between 1 and 10 kg
PAM: Payload Assist Module

PSTN: The public switched telephone network that traditionally routes voice calls from one location to another. The UN-VOIP.
Perigee: The orbital point were the satellite is closest from the earth
Picosat: Satellite weighing less than 1 kg
Polar orbit: Orbit that is perpendicular to the plan of the Equator
Polarization: Plane of vibration of the electrical field of a signal Different polarizations enable better frequency re-use
Power: The transponder amplification power
RADINT: Radar Intelligence
RHCP: Right Hand Circular Polarization

RTP: Real Time Protocol

RSVP: Resource Reservation Protocol

QoS: Quality of Service

SCPC: Single Channel Per Carrier
Access method for a large number of signals to go through a single transponder
SIGINT: Signal Intelligence
SSPA: Solid State Power Amplifier
TDMA: Time Division Multiple Access Access system where each station has a time slot for using a unique carrier shared with others
THEO: Twelve Hours Exocentric Orbit.
Transponder: The association of a receiver, frequency converter and transmitter devices in a satellite
TWTA: Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier

TOS: Type Of Service

Uplink: The earth to satellite signal path

VOICE OVER IP: The technology used to transmit voice conversations over a data network using the Internet Protocol described above. The data network involved might be the Internet itself, or a corporate intranet, or managed networks used by local or long distance carriers and ISPs. Who runs the network doesn't matter -- what does is the fact that you're taking voice (i.e., analog information) and encoding it digitally, converting it into packets, and then using a data network to move those packets along the most efficient path to their destination, where they get reassembled and delivered in the format they started in: voice.

WAN: Wide Area Network

FAQ Learn VSAT Careers Top