SKYWAN 5G

Status

Completed
Status date

2017-01-24
Activity Code

8G.014

Objectives

The objective of this project is to develop a new modem, including

Powerful, future-proof hardware and software platform
Flexible Topologies and Network Support
Detailed VRF and QoS Concept
Network management as Web based application and virtual appliance
Simplified Installation by USB stick and wizard

The resulting SKYWAN 5G overall offers

Flexibility in Topologies
Reliable for Applications
Attractive in Pricing
Powerful in Performance

Simplicity in Hardware

Challenges

Competitive VSAT modem for star- and mesh networks with state-of-the-art performance
savings in customer logistic with scalability for network growth
transmission of Layer-2 and Layer-3 traffic
transmission with extremely low jitter for voice or real-time processes
Seamless integration of an additional DVB-S2X link with ACM capability to a true full mesh (hubless) MF-TDMA design with minimum configuration effort.
Allow multiple DVB-S2 links concurrently and give customer the freedom to put DVB-S2X transmitters at any site where Cloud or traffic sources are connected.

SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE

SKYWAN 5G implements both MF-TDMA and DVB-S2X satellite links. Based on the 5G THE ONE (a 1U unit), by cascading the transmission performance can be increased while still be seen as one node by NMS.

The DVB receiver in a 1U unit allows receiving DVB traffic coming from one DVB transmitter. Each DVB receiver automatically performs authentication at its DVB transmitter and ACM messaging.

Networks may be structured with multiple DVB transmitting sites at any location. SKYAN 5G nodes from different mesh networks may be grouped to listen to one DVB transmitting site. Another option is to engineer one TDMA network but use several DVB transmitters as traffic sources.

The term “hub” is not applicable anymore:

a remote with DVB transmitter(s) can be a “traffic hub”.
Network growth will benefit from this architecture: start with 2 nodes, add further nodes and DVB and network structure or segmentation as you like.
With SKYWAN’s architectural concept of geo-redundant network control for mesh, each 5G node can become Master. This capability is a software function; any 1U unit can be configured to automatically take-over in case of prime Master failure. Hardware failures of a DVB transmitter can be remedied by a stand-by DVB transmitter – at the same or at another location.

SKYWAN 5G was designed to fit all network scenarios.

Benefits

The main benefits of the new SKYWAN 5G include:

Single Hardware

Star, Multi-Star and Full Mesh with COTM supported with the same hardware
Any remote can be upgraded by additional licences to all kind of available feature sets (e.g. full master hub functionality)
One software image for remote, cascaded units and hubs

Highly Scalable Platform

Always two demodulators (DVB-S2/TDMA) per unit
Increase transmission capacity by stacking remotes and hubs
Low cost hubs can be cascaded as network grows – also possible for each remote location

SCPC-“like” throughput with advantages of TDMA

TDMA user data rate up to 20 Mbps per carrier in- and outbound
High efficiency for each condition while supporting many MODCODs from BPSK to 16APSK and wide range of FEC rates

Supports critical applications and evolving IP requirements

Separate multiple customers and critical applications with enhanced IP feature support as well as routing protocols
Supports multiple virtual routers (VRF) per satellite network
Each Ethernet port can handle multiple virtual interfaces
Sophisticated QoS mechanisms
Guarantee jitter down to 5ms in both directions

User friendly NMS

Web based environment with configurable dashboards
Virtual appliance allows a growth as you need approach

Minimized local on-site configuration tasks for TDMA Rx carrier only and completion via master/NMS signalling.

Features

SKYWAN 5G Feature Overview

New Modem Features:

Always dual demodulator (TDMA + DVB-S2)
16APSK for TDMA
ACM for DVB-S2
Extended L-Band range (for Ka-Band and to cover all 3 Ku-band ranges)
LNB control supported by IDU (DiSEqC)

Improved IP Features

Four independent 1Gbit/s Ethernet ports
VRF (Virtual Routing & Forwarding)
VLAN, DNS-Proxy, DHCP, NAT
IPv4, IPv6
OSPF, BGP, GRE

Modular Terminals

Scalable with network traffic growth
Cascading at Hub and Remote Sites

Network Topology Flexibility

Lowest price for small networks
Multi-hub / Sub Network Hubs
Same Hardware everywhere
Sub networks sharing the same capacity
Single hop wherever required
Support of multiple DVB-S2 outbound locations

User Data Rates

TDMA from 200 K symbols/s up to12 M symbols/s, i.e. up to 20 Mbps rates in bidirectional usage (20/20 Mbps)
Total data rates per single remote: 75/20 Mbps
Total data rates per cascaded remote: 75/80 Mbps
multiple DVB-S2 outbound paths from different locations per network

Multi-Master / Multi-Hub

Each terminal can fulfil “TDMA master” functionality
Seamless failover TDMA redundancy concept
Hub functionality by licence key

Network Management

Simple installation & management
transaction based reconfigurations without terminal reboots
secure management interfaces only

CISCO-style CLI with transaction mechanisms

Plan

The project covers the specification, design, implementation and verification up to the product release of SKYWAN 5G to the field.

Current status

The SKYWAN 5G project with development of a new hardware modem generation including DVB-S2 was successfully completed in November 2016.

The modem SKYWAN 5G is in series production since July 2015. The DVB-S2 capability is the last feature that was added to this product and released for general availability in October 2016.

As per November 2016, several networks with DVB-S2 for final network sizes of 2500 terminals were sold using the product release developed in this ESA programme.