2019 has given us a new parent company, greater global presence and the opportunity to exhibit our satellite communications test solutions and RF and Microwave components and cables at more trade shows. With the continued growth in satellite communications (satcoms) terminals, we are seeing an increasing demand for test equipment in particular. As the satellite industry evolves testing is becoming increasingly vital , especially for operators who are trying to maintain a good customer service, to remain competitive in this new landscape.
Exhibiting our latest RF simulation and testing products at both NAB and Satellite 2019 proved that there is growing demand and interest in cost effective testing and the importance of test equipment to ensure the smooth running of operations. This is hardly surprising when you consider that the satellite industry is challenged with ever more complex networks that can be expensive to test.
We received really good feedback at both NAB and Satellite, with many satellite companies looking to run extensive tests without having to go live to do so. One thing that is apparent is that there is still a lot of confusion between Test Loop Translators (TLTs) and Satellite Simulators.
TLTs and Satellite Simulators have a wide range of applications and uses in satellite communications. They can be used in the ‘factory test environment’ where live satellite access is not possible, to allow for measurement and characterise of complete end to end systems or sub-systems, before they are installed into their final locations. They can also be used to assist in fault diagnosis where a signal may need to be injected directly into a frequency converter or antenna waveguide for example. They can be adopted ‘on site’ and ‘in the field’ for final ‘pre-live’ testing and confidence checking prior to ground systems going operational with a live satellite.
Essentially, the fundamental difference between the two technologies comes down to the connection. Typically, TLTs connect directly to antenna hardware via coaxial cable, as opposed to satellite simulators that deliver a ‘dummy‘ RF signal over the air to an antenna feed.