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Sensors
Volume 25
Issue 15
10.3390/s25154645
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

System-Level Assessment of Ka-Band Digital Beamforming Receivers and Transmitters Implementing Large Thinned Antenna Array for Low Earth Orbit Satellite Communications

by
Giovanni Lasagni
1,
Alessandro Calcaterra
2,*,
Monica Righini
1,
Giovanni Gasparro
2,
Stefano Maddio
1,
Vincenzo Pascale
2,
Alessandro Cidronali
1,* and
Stefano Selleri
1
1
Department of Information Engineering, University of Florence, Via di Santa Marta, 3, 50139 Florence, Italy
2
Thales Alenia Space—Italy, Via Saccomuro 24, 00131 Rome, Italy
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sensors 2025, 25(15), 4645; https://doi.org/10.3390/s25154645 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 17 June 2025 / Revised: 16 July 2025 / Accepted: 22 July 2025 / Published: 26 July 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Subsystems and Technologies for Space and Airborne Communication Networks)
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

In this paper, we present a system-level model of a digital multibeam antenna designed for Low Earth Orbit satellite communications operating in the Ka-band. We initially develop a suitable array topology, which is based on a thinned lattice, then adopt it as the foundation for evaluating its performance within a digital beamforming architecture. This architecture is implemented in a system-level simulator to evaluate the performance of the transmitter and receiver chains. This study advances the analysis of the digital antennas by incorporating both the RF front-end and digital sections non-idealities into a digital-twin framework. This approach enhances the designer’s ability to optimize the system with a holistic approach and provides insights into how various impairments affect the transmitter and receiver performance, identifying the subsystems’ parameter limits. To achieve this, we analyze several subsystems’ parameters and impairments, assessing their effects on both the antenna radiation and quality of the transmitted and received signals in a real applicative context. The results of this study reveal the sensitivity of the system to the impairments and suggest strategies to trade them off, emphasizing the importance of selecting appropriate subsystem features to optimize overall system performance.
Keywords: Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications; non-terrestrial networks; Internet of Things (IoT); Ka-band Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications; non-terrestrial networks; Internet of Things (IoT); Ka-band

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MDPI and ACS Style

Lasagni, G.; Calcaterra, A.; Righini, M.; Gasparro, G.; Maddio, S.; Pascale, V.; Cidronali, A.; Selleri, S. System-Level Assessment of Ka-Band Digital Beamforming Receivers and Transmitters Implementing Large Thinned Antenna Array for Low Earth Orbit Satellite Communications. Sensors 2025, 25, 4645. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25154645

AMA Style

Lasagni G, Calcaterra A, Righini M, Gasparro G, Maddio S, Pascale V, Cidronali A, Selleri S. System-Level Assessment of Ka-Band Digital Beamforming Receivers and Transmitters Implementing Large Thinned Antenna Array for Low Earth Orbit Satellite Communications. Sensors. 2025; 25(15):4645. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25154645

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lasagni, Giovanni, Alessandro Calcaterra, Monica Righini, Giovanni Gasparro, Stefano Maddio, Vincenzo Pascale, Alessandro Cidronali, and Stefano Selleri. 2025. "System-Level Assessment of Ka-Band Digital Beamforming Receivers and Transmitters Implementing Large Thinned Antenna Array for Low Earth Orbit Satellite Communications" Sensors 25, no. 15: 4645. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25154645

APA Style

Lasagni, G., Calcaterra, A., Righini, M., Gasparro, G., Maddio, S., Pascale, V., Cidronali, A., & Selleri, S. (2025). System-Level Assessment of Ka-Band Digital Beamforming Receivers and Transmitters Implementing Large Thinned Antenna Array for Low Earth Orbit Satellite Communications. Sensors, 25(15), 4645. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25154645

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