Sequencer Designs for Scanning-Beam Satellites

Sequencer Designs for Scanning-Beam Satellites By W. L. ARANGUREN, R. E. LANGSETH, and C. B. WOODWORTH (Manuscript received April 24, 1979) We present conceptual designs for the controlling sequencer that would be required on board a communication satellite employing a scanning phased-array antenna. Two basic forms are discussed: one providing separate pointing control for each time slot in the TDMA frame and the other providing a compact storage arrangement when the typical beam dwell time is several time slots. The update interface to the telemetry link is discussed briefly. The impending availability of radiation-resistant CMOS memories makes the control part of a large (100-element) scanning array feasible in the 1980 time frame, with an estimated power consumption under 50 watts.