PTP® Modem: A Complete Space Communications Platform

More than a modem, the PTP Modem combines programmable multi-channel RF performance with the full power of PTP software. As a result, users can manage waveform control, telemetry and command processing, RF-to-IP transport, recording, playback, and simulation from a single platform.

What Is The PTP Modem And How Does It Work?

The PTP Modem is a space communications system that combines a proven software-defined framework with FPGA-accelerated digital signal processing. As a result, it delivers user-configurable uplink and downlink capabilities from radio frequency (RF)/intermediate frequency (IF) signals into digital internet protocol (IP).

Users can configure and update waveforms and features in software. Meanwhile, latency-critical and real-time processing runs in deterministic FPGA pipelines. This architecture provides the flexibility customers expect from a software-defined radio (SDR) while delivering the performance of a hardware-accelerated DSP architecture.

The PTP Modem goes beyond traditional modem functionality by combining programmable, multi-channel RF performance with the full flexibility of PTP software. As a result, it does much more than simply modulate and demodulate signals.

Beyond Traditional Modem Functionality

The PTP Modem's uplink and downlink waveforms are programmable to match mission requirements. Additionally, the underlying PTP architecture allows users to build and reconfigure complete processing chains through a GUI using more than 100 software modules instead of custom code.

As a result, a single system can support RF-to-IP workflows, telemetry and command processing, protocol conversion, encoding and decoding, data-quality monitoring, recording and playback, and simulation functions within one integrated platform.

Furthermore, the PTP Modem supports standards and interfaces such as SGLS, VITA-49 Radio Transport, SLE services, and a wide range of network and serial interfaces. Therefore, it can adapt to changing mission requirements in ways that many fixed-function modems cannot.

How Does PTP Modem Support Telemetry, Tracking, And Commanding (TT&C) For Spacecraft?

The PTP Modem is a multi-channel satellite modem for telemetry, tracking, and command applications. All aspects of the uplink and downlink waveform are programmable to match the requirements of your satellite. Standard modulation and coding options are supported.

Key Product Benefits

All the power of the PTP software included in a modem
Wide range of supported modulation schemes and signal characteristics including SGLS and USB
Integrated ranging/tracking measurement and calculation
Performance within 1 dB of theory for typical waveform configurations
Telemetry and command format decoding and processing
Raw and processed data recording and configurable playback
Test pattern and user data simulation and verification
Integrated error/noise simulation and link quality measurements
Expandable to include additional analog and digital interfaces

How Does The PTP Modem Deliver Data?

Real-Time Telemetry Transport and Virtual Channel Processing

The PTP Modem is fully user-configurable for real-time telemetry transport across IP and baseband interfaces. It combines modem functionality with the flexible, modular PTP software environment. As a result, users can send and receive telemetry data over serial and network connections, including support for RF-to-IP applications through a VITA-49 Radio Transport (VRT) interface.

In addition, configurable virtual channel processing allows operators to filter, route, and distribute data by VCID/VCDU across ports and network connections. This capability helps meet mission-specific data delivery requirements. Furthermore, the system supports data recording and playback from points within the data stream. As needed, selected virtual-channel data can be replayed and delivered to designated users.

Features Of PTP Modem

Encoding and Decoding

Telemetry Processing And Simulation

SGLS/Unified S-Band Support

Direct Spread Spectrum Support

Data Archiving And Playback

Test Data Generation

Product Specifications

Modulator Specifications

Output Level	0 to -90 dBm in 1 dB steps(LS Card), 0 to -50 dBm in 0.5 dB steps (HR Card)
Carrier Frequency	70MHz to 6GHz: L/S Band Interface card 720MHz 2.1GHz IF: Wideband Interface card Vita 49 Transport (VRT) capable
Modulation	BPSK, SS BPSK, SS QPSK, SQPN, QPSK, OQPSK, SQPSK, GMSK, AM/FSK, SGLS, PM, FM, PM/PCM, FM/PCM, 8PSK, 16PSK, 16APSK
Matched Filtering	I&D RC, and Root-Raised Cosine
Externa Analog Input	1 V peak-to-peak @ 50 Ohms
External PCM Input	TTL, RS-422, TCP/IP and UDP/IP
Convolutional Encode	A, B, Invert A, Invert B, Swap A/B, CCSDS 101.0-B-6 Rate ½. ¾ and 7/8, Dual CE.
Unwanted Emissions	<-60 dBc, 0 to -20 dBm output
Phase Noise	< 0.5º rms in 1 MHz bandwidth
Carrier Sweep Range	+1 kHz to +1 MHz
Carrier Sweep Rate	1 Hz/s to 175 kHz/s
Carrier Offset	0 to +1 MHz

Demodulator Specifications

Input Ports	2 (LHCP and RHCP), 1(HR Only)
Carrier Frequency	70MHz to 6GHz: L/S Band Interface card 720MHz 2.1GHz IF: Wideband Interface card
Acquisition Range	+10 to +500 kHz, +/- 1MHz (HR)
Carrier Loop Bandwidth	0.03, 0.1, 0.3, 1 and 3% of symbol rate
Doppler Rate	<10 kHz/s (for loop bandwidth = 3kHz)
Demodulation	BPSK, SS BPSK, SS QPSK, SQPN, QPSK, OQPSK, SQPSK, GMSK, AM/FSK, SGLS, PM, FM, PM/PCM, FM/PCM, 8PSK, 16PSK, 16APSK
Acquisition Threshold	Eb/N0 < 0 dB
Carrier Acquisition Time	1s (typical)
BER Degradation	<1 dB for the listed data rates
Decoding	VRT, VRT Command Echo
PCM Decoding	NRZ-L/M/S, BiPhase-L/M/S
Bit Sync Acquisition Range	+3% of symbol rate
Ranging	PRN Ranging & Tone Ranging

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