Satellite Downlink Reception through Intermediate Module Repeaters: Power Delay Profile Analysis

The introduction of Intermediate Module Repeaters (IMRs) in a satellite network architecture aims at improving the coverage of densely populated area, where the presence of buildings renders the link obstruction probability excessively high. This is particularly true when the satellite elevation angle is low. IMRs provide boosted replicas of the satellite signals, enabling the satellite signal reception, but also introducing a considerable amount of “artificial” multipath, especially when multiple IMRs are considered for outdoor coverage. The use of a Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum and a rake receiver makes it possible to collect the energy of the multipath components. For proper receiver design, it is necessary to characterize the overall received signal power delay profile, which is the aim of the present work.