NI Showcases Satellite Link Emulation in Cooperation With Ansys

Rhea-AI Summary

NI (NASDAQ: NATI) showcased its innovative Satellite Link Emulator (SLE) at the Farnborough Air Show from July 18-22, 2022. This advanced solution aims to enhance the testing of next-gen satellite communication links through a hardware-in-the-loop approach, ensuring high fidelity and flexibility. The SLE integrates Ansys Systems Tool Kit with NI PXI hardware, addressing challenges in Low Earth Orbit and Medium Earth Orbit satellite applications. NI's SVP emphasized the importance of collaboration in achieving faster design cycles and improved system validation, ultimately enhancing mission success rates.

Positive

• Launch of the Satellite Link Emulator (SLE) enhances testing for satellite communication systems.
• Integration of Ansys Systems Tool Kit and NI PXI hardware improves system validation.
• Focus on Low Earth Orbit and Medium Earth Orbit applications positions NI for growth in the satellite sector.

Negative

• None.

Demonstration at Farnborough Air Show 18-22 July, Booth 1028

FARNBOROUGH, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- NI (NASDAQ: NATI) NI, which for decades has helped the aerospace and defense industry optimize its test strategies to meet increasingly complex requirements, is demonstrating a Satellite Link Emulator (SLE) at the Farnborough Air Show 2022. This novel SLE is intended to validate next-generation satellite communication links with a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) approach that delivers maximum test fidelity and flexibility, emulating real-world system behavior and channel effects in a laboratory setting. The Ansys Systems Tool Kit (STK) is integrated with NI PXI hardware and LabVIEW FPGA, enabling communication links between satellite and ground stations to be validated against accurate and realistic channel parameters in real-time.

The rapid commercialization of Low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO) has led to the introduction of modern satellite-based applications like non-terrestrial networks (NTN) and high-resolution remote sensing and imagery. The satellite constellations, ground equipment, and supporting launch vehicles designed to support these new services create new challenges in design, system validation, and production test. NI’s Satellite Link Emulation Demonstrator helps engineers to effectively address these challenges.

“Time to market and risk mitigation are critical for designing and validating high-complexity systems like satellite constellations,” said Luke Schreier, SVP & GM, Aerospace and Defense Business Unit at NI. “Industry experts need to work together to make our mutual customers successful, and that’s exactly what NI and Ansys are demonstrating with this satellite link emulation capability. Combining high-fidelity simulation with high-performance, real-time instrumentation yields better designs, faster cycles, and ultimately greater capability.”

“Ansys STK is the world-leading software for digital mission engineering,” said Shashank Narayan, senior director, R&D at Ansys. “It helps model sophisticated satellite missions that include air and ground platforms and their RF communications payloads. STK’s approach to digital mission engineering and NI’s Satellite Link Emulation capabilities ensure that critical mission requirements are thoroughly designed, validated, and tested early and throughout the life cycle, helping to ensure mission success. RF payload modeling in STK can also include high fidelity electromagnetic physics by linking to Ansys HFSS antenna system models, which can incorporate host platform interaction effects and RF co-site interference assessment.”

NI’s demonstrator consists of COTS modular hardware and flexible software tools to address RF signal fidelity, system-level validation, and digital system test requirements. The system is built on the PXI modular test platform, which can be customized to meet specific I/O requirements. In the demo, the NI Vector Signal Transceiver (VST) RF instrument transmits and receives TT&C and SATCOM data link signals, while performing key signal fidelity measurements such as modulation accuracy, transmit power, and more. The VST is augmented with a FlexRIO FPGA co-processor that hosts channel models and other DSP IP, processing 1 GHz of RF bandwidth in real time. With the addition of a co-processor, the VST is transformed into an RF channel emulator—unlocking the ability to do full system-level validation.

To experience a hands-on demo of NI’s Satellite Link Emulator, NI will be at the Farnborough Air Show 18 – 22 July, Hall 1, BOOTH 1028. For a 1:1 press meeting, please contact NI PR at pr@ni.com.

About NI

At NI, we bring together the people, ideas and technology so forward thinkers and creative problem solvers can take on humanity’s biggest challenges. From data and automation to research and validation, we provide the tailored, software-connected systems engineers and enterprises need to Engineer Ambitiously™ every day.

National Instruments, NI, ni.com and Engineer Ambitiously are trademarks of National Instruments Corporation. Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.

About Ansys

When visionary companies need to know how their world-changing ideas will perform, they close the gap between design and reality with Ansys simulation. For more than 50 years, Ansys software has enabled innovators across industries to push boundaries by using the predictive power of simulation. From sustainable transportation to advanced semiconductors, from satellite systems to life-saving medical devices, the next great leaps in human advancement will be powered by Ansys.

Take a leap of certainty … with Ansys.

Ansys and any and all ANSYS, Inc. brand, product, service and feature names, logos and slogans are registered trademarks or trademarks of ANSYS, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States or other countries. All other brand, product, service and feature names or trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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pr@ni.com

Source: NI

FAQ

What is the Satellite Link Emulator (SLE) demonstrated by NI at the Farnborough Air Show?

The SLE is an advanced testing solution for validating next-generation satellite communication links using a hardware-in-the-loop approach.

When was NI's Satellite Link Emulator demonstrated?

The demonstration took place from July 18 to July 22, 2022, at the Farnborough Air Show.

How does the SLE enhance satellite communication testing?

It provides maximum test fidelity and flexibility by emulating real-world system behavior and channel effects.

What benefits does the collaboration between NI and Ansys provide?

The collaboration aims to achieve better designs, faster cycles, and ultimately greater capability in satellite mission success.

Where can I see the Satellite Link Emulator demonstration?

The demonstration is available at Booth 1028, Hall 1, during the Farnborough Air Show.