Semi-Empirical Model for Satellite Signal Reception Using Total Electron Content and Scintillation Impairments at Low Latitude Region

• Main Author: Bong, Voon Pai
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English; English
• Published: unimas 2017
• Subjects: T Technology (General); TK Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering
• Online Access: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/21021/

Mobile satellite system has become an important communication system to human beings since it provides reliable and continuous communication service over wide coverage. It operates in many frequency bands such as L-band frequency. However, the received signal performance is affected by the ionosphere particularly in the low latitude region. Significant research works have been done to characterize and model the satellite signal reception using the ionosphere parameters such as Total Electron Contents (TEC) and amplitude scintillation index (S4). The contribution of TEC and S4 in the empirical model for signal reception in low latitude region that is closer to the Sun is significant but not well established as compared to the other latitude regions. The aim of this research is to develop a semi-empirical model for satellite signal reception based on the TEC and S4 for the low latitude region. Global Positioning System (GPS) signal measured by Garmin handheld GPS receiver and GPS Ionospheric Scintillation and TEC Monitor (GISTM) receiver systems were used to imitate the actual mobile satellite receiver’s performance. Propagation data has been recorded under the clear sky and open space condition at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) station (1.28°N, 110.25°E).