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Get Started with Satellite Communications Toolbox

Simulate, analyze, and test satellite communications systems and links

Satellite Communications Toolbox provides standard-based tools for designing, simulating, and verifying satellite communications systems and links. It enables orbit propagation and visualization for large satellite constellations. You can use the toolbox to support scenario modeling for time-varying visibility and link budget analyses with satellites, aircraft, and other mobile platforms in a single scenario.

The toolbox enables no-code link budget analysis with visualization-based tools for sensitivity and availability analysis. You can generate standard-based DVB-S2/S2X/RCS2, GPS, and CCSDS waveforms, suitable as golden references for design verification. With Satellite Communications Toolbox, you can use standard-based reference receiver designs as initial prototypes for more complex designs. You can also use standard-based satellite channel models to support link simulations for RF and optical links.

Tutorials

About Satellite Communications

  • What Is Satellite Communications?

    Learn the basics of communication using a satellite.

  • GPS and How It Works

    Learn about GPS, its segments, and how GPS and other GNSS signals work using the ranging and trilateration technique.

  • GPS Signals

    Describes the signal specifications of legacy (C/A and P-code) and modernized (L1C, L2C, and L5) GPS signals.

  • Satellite Link Budget

    Explore the factors that influence the satellite link budget analysis and derive the power budget equations for C/No and link margin.

  • Optical Wireless Communications

    Understand optical wireless communications and core components of free space optical communication (FSOC) and deep space optical communication (DSOC).

Featured Examples

Videos

Use the toolbox to configure, simulate, measure, and analyze end-to-end satellite communications links. The figure shows a satellite hovering over the Earth.

What Is Satellite Communications Toolbox?
A brief introduction to the toolbox.

Figure shows the multi-hop links between two ground stations and two satellites with a three-dimensional view of the Earth.

Multi-Hop, Time-Varying Communications Link Analysis
Create a satellite scenario that models a multi-hop link with two satellites and two ground stations.

Default static Satellite Link Budget Analyzer app configuration showing the budget analyzer tab.

Satellite Link Budget Analysis
Explore the Satellite Link Budget Analyzer app and analyze RF propagation paths by predicting atmospheric losses as per ITU-R P.618.