Patent ID: 8107877
Filing Date: 2012-01-31
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
1. A reconfigurable system for the analogue processing of radio frequency signals received in a plurality of uplink bands and of radio frequency signals for transmission in a plurality of downlink bands in a satellite communications system, comprising: a downconverter arrangement for downconverting received radio frequency signals in the plurality of uplink bands to a pre-selected first common intermediate frequency (IF means for dividing and routing the downconverted signals; agile filter means comprising at least one variable filter, and adapted for selecting one or more first frequency channel signals from the routed signals, to amplify and provide automatic gain control of the selected first frequency channel signals and for translating the selected one or more first frequency channel signals to one or more second frequency channel signals within a pre-selected second common intermediate frequency band (IF an up-converter arrangement for up-converting the frequency translated signals to one or more appropriate downlink bands, wherein the agile filter means is controllable to allow in-orbit reconfiguration of the system and the agile filter means is controllable to select appropriate first and second frequency channels in dependence on system requirements at a particular time.