Evaluation of the effects of user antenna pointing error in multiple high-altitude platform systems

The effect of user antenna pointing error in multiple high-altitude platform (HAP) systems is examined. A truncated Gaussian distribution is applied to the pointing error. Ranges of different standard deviations and user antenna beamwidth are combined to show different aspects of the system capacity degradation. A concept of virtual points of HAP locations is introduced to give a direct indication of the severity of the pointing error. Optimum user antenna beamwidths are determined as a function of standard deviation of pointing error, for various percentiles of the spectral efficiency, to aid the system designer. The multiple HAP system itself will not jeopardise the system capacity by introducing the user antenna pointing error. It is shown that pointing error reduces the received carrier power with the interference little affected and hence multiple HAP systems are no more susceptible than a single HAP system