State modelling of the land mobile propagation channel for dual-satellite systems

The quality of service of mobile satellite reception can be improved by using multi-satellite diversity (angle diversity). The recently finalised MiLADY project targeted therefore on the evaluation and modelling of the multi-satellite propagation channel for land mobile users with focus on broadcasting applications. The narrowband model combines the parameters from two measurement campaigns: In the U.S. the power levels of the Satellite Digital Audio Radio Services were recorded with a high sample rate to analyse fast and slow fading effects in great detail. In a complementary campaign signals of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) were analysed to obtain information about the slow fading correlation for almost any satellite constellation. The new channel model can be used to generate time series for various satellite constellations in different environments. This article focuses on realistic state sequence modelling for angle diversity, confining on two satellites. For this purpose, different state modelling methods providing a joint generation of the states ‘good good’, ‘good bad’, ‘bad good’ and ‘bad bad’ are compared. Measurements and re-simulated data are analysed for various elevation combinations and azimuth separations in terms of the state probabilities, state duration statistics, and correlation coefficients. The finally proposed state model is based on semi-Markov chains assuming a log-normal state duration distribution.