How the BGAN Network Emulator + Kratos’ Channel Simulator facilitate cost-efficient security testing

Thorough testing of a satellite communication system is essential to ensure that the communication system delivers a signal sufficient to sustain communication in all cases. Safety and security testing are very important, especially to clients working with sensitive information or important missions.

Traditionally, testing of satellite communication systems has been both expensive and time-consuming. Nevertheless, it is essential to have an extensive, test setup that represents real-life conditions closely to ensure safety and security.

Gatehouse Satcom and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. have an extensive collaboration which allows our clients to achieve commercial quality fast, efficiently, and with minimum costs when it comes to thorough testing of the satellite link with total control of the signal.

Kratos Defense x GateHouse SatCom

How is it done?

The aircraft is placed inside an RF shielded room (hangar) which allows our client to have complete control of the signal to test what happens to the satellite link when exposed to impairments such as signal degradation, latency, jamming etc.

Horn antennas transmit and receive signals inside the RF shielded room. A Kratos Channel Simulator simulates multiple, combined, and simultaneous distortions to the signals to and from the terminal in the aircraft and a BGAN Network Emulator from GateHouse emulates the BGAN core system in order to set up a connection.

The BGAN Network Emulator setup from Kratos and GateHouse brings the BGAN satellite network into a test bench, allowing our client to simulate a satellite connection for a BGAN, FBB or SBB terminal.

This results in the ability for our client to do end-to-end test of their connected aircraft under very difficult radio link conditions.

Impairments such as signal degradation, latency or jamming constitute a major problem, and it might be necessary to test the system’s robustness. The GateHouse BNE + Kratos Channel Simulator setup can be used preventively to emulate impairments to discover how much noise the signal can endure until it becomes insufficient for its purpose.

About the Kratos Channel Simulator

Kratos’ RF Channel Simulator is a powerful, yet economical, real time communications link simulator that enables testing RF environments in the lab. The Channel Simulator faithfully recreates RF effects in a physics-compliant and phase-continuous manner, ensuring the output precisely matches what would be experienced in the real world. The Channel Simulator offers wideband and narrowband capabilities.

More information

Relevant technology

BGAN Network Emulator

A fully configurable and comprehensive tool, which enables customized terminal testing.

BGAN Application Tester

The essential tool to ensure high-quality satellite applications connected via BGAN, FBB or SBB terminals with test and verification in an emulated and controlled Inmarsat BGAN environment.

BGAN Protocol Stack

The BGAN Protocol Stack supports all terminal classes defined by Inmarsat and it is integrated into various terminals.

Let’s get in touch

Get in touch with us to learn how embedded satellite communications software can enable your roadmap to compete in the rapidly evolving market for connectivity. You can contact us with any satellite communications software inquiries or to set up a meeting.

We look forward to hearing from you and to discuss your satellite communications software needs.