Study on the Channel Model and BER Performance of Single-Polarization Satellite-Earth MIMO Communication Systems at Ka Band

The statistic models for evaluating the fading term caused by the incoherent scatter in clear and rainy environments are derived, which are critical for establishing the multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel model at Ka band. The channel model of Ka-band single-polarization MIMO satellite-earth link is established, which comprehensively takes into account the propagation and scattering effects induced by those environments. Based on the channel model, the bit error rate (BER) performances in clear and rainy environments are investigated taking an assumed 2 x 2 satellite-earth link at 30 GHz in circular polarization as an example. During the investigation, the M-ary Phase Shift Keying (M-PSK) modulation modes with different M and the space-time codes of Space-Time Block Code (STBC), Space-Time Trellis Code (STTC) and Vertical Bell Laboratories Layered Space-Time (VBLAST) are considered. It is also discussed that the BER varies with propagation environment parameters, equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP), ground receiving antenna gain and elevation angle. The channel model given in this paper is also valid for the single-polarization MIMO satellite-earth link at other frequencies above 10 GHz.