Digital modulator architectures for satellite and space applications

The present paper aims to define viable strategies for implementing flexible and programmable fully digital modulators, able to cope with multiple symbol rates, signal bandwidths, and modulation schemes, using a single analog section (composed by filters. and up-converters). This development is applicable both in the field of broadband Multimedia Communication Payloads, as well as in Telemetry Tracking and Command links and also in Deep Space communications, for which the topics that need to be addressed are essentially the same. However, when state-of-the-art performance is required, it might be needed to separate the developments on the basis of the specific application. An example of GMSK modulator architecture is also given.