Micro SAT LW beyond-line-of-sight connectivity product

The Micro SAT LW from Get SAT is a small, lightweight satcom on-the-move terminal for beyond-line-of-sight communications, built for unmanned aerial vehicles and other compact platforms. It is a fully integrated Ka-band or Ku-band terminal with antenna, modem and RF electronics in one unit, and it gives autonomous operation for transmitting and receiving data at rates above 10 Mbps.

The all-in-one design contains everything needed for operation: modem, antenna control unit, block up converter, tracking sensors, low noise block downconverter and a full RF front end. This removes separate boxes and interconnecting cables that would otherwise add mass and failure points on an aircraft. The unit is designed for quick roll-on and roll-off installation, so one terminal can be moved between aircraft, vessels and vehicles. The terminals are stated to meet the IP66 ruggedized standard.

The antenna panel measures 25 x 13.5 cm, and the system size is 29 x 21 cm. Weight is 3.2 kg without the block up converter for the Ka-band version and 4.0 kg without the block up converter for the Ku-band version. Tracking covers the full 360° in azimuth and 0° to 90° in elevation, using a combined IMU, RSSI and optional GPS control technique. Slew velocity exceeds 200° per second in both axes, initial acquisition takes under 30 seconds and re-acquisition under 100 ms, which keeps the link available during aircraft manoeuvres.

On the RF side, the Ka-band unit transmits at 29-31 GHz or 27.5-30 GHz and receives at 19.2-21.2 GHz or 17.5-20 GHz, with a maximum G/T of 8.2 dB/K, circular polarization (RHCP/LHCP) and an EIRP of 46.3 dBW with a 25 W BUC. The Ku-band unit transmits at 12.75-13.25 GHz or 13.75-14.5 GHz and receives at 10.75-12.75 GHz or 10.75-11.75 GHz, with a maximum G/T of 4.2 dB/K, linear (V/H) polarization with automatic skew control and an EIRP of 42.7 dBW with a 50 W BUC.

Integration uses a 12-36 V DC power input, with power consumption of 20 W in receive and 200 W with the 25 W BUC at saturated power for Ka-band, or 250 W with the 55 W BUC for Ku-band. Interfaces are RS-232, Ethernet and TX/RX connections, and management is through a web interface, Open AMIP 1.16 or a software interface control document. This makes it straightforward to connect to a flight computer, a payload network or a ground-station routing chain.

Typical applications are beyond-line-of-sight command, control and payload data links for medium unmanned aircraft, airborne connectivity for compact installations, and portable satcom for vehicles and vessels that need a small terminal.