Accurate Modeling and Analysis of Isolation Performance in Multiport Amplifiers

A Multiport Amplifier (MPA) is an implementation of the satellite power amplification section that allows sharing the payload RF power among several beams/ports and guarantees a highly efficient exploitation of the available DC satellite power. This feature is of paramount importance in multiple beam satellite systems where the use of MPAs allows reconfiguring the RF output power among the different service beams in order to handle unexpected traffic unbalances and traffic variations over time. This paper presents Monte Carlo simulations carried out by means of an ESA in-house simulator developed in Matlab environment. The objective of the simulations is to analyse how the MPA performance, in particular in terms of isolation at the MPA output ports, is affected by the amplitude and phase tracking errors of the high power amplifiers within the MPA. 1. Introduction Satellite telecommunication payloads are required to guarantee an increasing flexibility/reconfigurability in order to optimize their performance for different operational conditions, which may arise during the satellite lifetime. This flexibility requirement is mainly due to the large variety of services to be provided and to the uncertainties of the traffic requests that such services may have during mission lifetime. In particular, one of the main payload’s design objectives is to effectively combine coverage, power, and bandwidth flexibility, while minimizing the overall DC power consumption and mass, at attractive costs for operators. Among the abovementioned, in the case of multiple beam satellite systems, one of the most important payload flexibility means is the capability of reconfiguring RF output power among the different service beams in order to handle unexpected traffic unbalances and traffic variations over time. In this respect, at payload RF-front-end level, several implementations can be considered, depending on the type of integration among the power amplification section and the beam forming section. In particular, considering self-standing power sections, the solution that guarantees the highest level of RF power flexibility is that based on Multiport Amplifiers (MPAs) [1]. Generally speaking, a Multiport Amplifier is an implementation of the power amplification section that allows sharing the payload RF power among several beams/ports and guarantees a highly efficient exploitation of the available DC satellite power [2]. This paper presents Monte Carlo simulations carried out by means of an ESA in-house simulator developed in Matlab environment. The objective of the