Abstract
A 12-GHz (11.7 to 12.75 GHz) band satellite service with dual-circular polarization is being studied for transmission channels to deliver Ultra High Defmition Television (UHDTV) broadcasting services. To carry the received signals, which are provided with right- and left- hand circular polarizations, on a single coaxial cable simultaneously, the signal provided with the left hand circular polarization has to be converted to the frequency higher than the intermediate frequency currently used (1032.23 to 2070.25 MHz). We evaluated the characteristics of the distribution equipment to study the technical problem of distribution systems for the satellite broadcasting reception. We also fabricated and tested a right- and left-circular polarized parabolic reflector antenna because the dual-polarization receiving antenna will make it possible to receive services provided over these polarizations with a single reflector antenna, reducing the installation costs of the receiving system. ARIB Standard STD-B63 defined the intermediate frequency for the signals with left-circular polarization (2224.41 to 3223.25 MHz) in March 2015. Therefore, we fabricated and measured the dual-polarization receiving antenna in accordance with the specifications of the standard, considering the feasibility of the mass production. The measured results showed that the aperture efficiency was more than 74 %, the cross polarization discrimination was more than 26 dB and the noise figure of the converter was less than 1 dB throughout the 12-GHz band. The radiation pattern of the fabricated antenna also complied with the reference pattern of ARIB Standard STD-B63.
