Ber performance of MUOS U2B downlink for various phase noise profiles

The development of the ground-based user-to-base (U2B) feederlink demodulator for the Department of Defense (DOD) mobile user objective system (MUOS) is complete. Its integration with all components of the U2B feederlink system, including ground components and the spacecraft transmitter, is underway. This paper documents work performed to demonstrate the compatibility of the demodulator with the predicted worst-case phase noise of the spacecraft U2B transmitter. The availability of a programmable arbitrary phase noise generator, developed on a previous satellite communications program, presented a valuable opportunity to perform BER and cycle-slip testing with the predicted worst-case U2B transmitter phase noise, as well as with other phase noise profiles that were intended to ¿challenge¿ the demodulator. The paper presents brief overviews of the U2B demodulator and the arbitrary phase noise generator, a discussion of the various phase noise profiles used in the testing, and the test results.