STM SatLink Hub Family User Manual

SatLink Hub Family

Efficiency | Throughput | Scalability | Reliability

Standards Compliant TDM/TDMA Satellite Networks

SatLink Hub Family

SatLink Hubs provide the high-performance modems, IP gateway, management and
control functions for all STM VSAT networks. They implement a TDM/TDMA network in
accord with DVB-S2 & DVB-RCS2 standards, offering Bandwidth-on-Demand, ACM, and
QoS on all carriers, while delivering excellent efficiency, throughput, scalability, and

reliability. The Hub design employs STM’s Open Hub Architecture using a common set of

modules that ease growth and re-configuration. All SatLink networks are fully managed
by the SatLink NMS.

A full range of SatLink Hub configurations are offered from small portable Hubs to carrier­class high-availability Hubs with 99.999% uptime. Hubs configured with redundancy in key
modules can be upgraded with minimal or no disruption to traffic flows.

STM is the leader in DVB-RCS & DVB-RCS2 networks including: VSATs, Hub Systems, and
Hub components, with value-added options and advanced QoS for data, voice, and
video networking. STM supplies ISPs, governments, enterprises, and partners around the
world, offering turnkey integration, installation, 24x7
global support, and managed network services.

Features & Benefits

● Bandwidth Efficiency at Many Levels

The efficiency of DVB-S2 forward links is matched with
DVB-RCS2 return links offering ACM per burst, Adaptive
Carrier Selection (ACS), return carrier spacing down to

1.12x, multiple layers of header compression, and the
most efficient IP encapsulation, with TDMA manage­ment that assures no wasted bandwidth.

● Comprehensive IP Networking Features

SatLink Hubs integrate full-featured IP routing & TCP &
HTTP acceleration with VPN tunneling, VLANs, & Virtual
Satellite Networks (VSN) for multiple IP address spaces,
and mesh networking routing control (with DVB-RCS).

● Advanced Traffic Shaping with QoS

Advanced traffic shaping on Forward and Return Links
with four QoS classes meet the strict requirements for
jitter and/or delay sensitive VoIP, video conferencing,
video streaming, and time critical data applications.

● Software-Defined RLS & FLS Platform

The FLS & RLS use STM’s own software-defined modem
platform optimized for processing both IP packets and
the DVB standard waveforms, using STM firmware &
software running on FPGAs & CPUs. They deliver many
cost reductions and operational benefits, including: high

-efficiency MODCODs, large TDMA carrier groups, fast­feedback ACM integrated with IP QoS, and custom
configurations of carrier groups for maximum efficiency
in burst-mode operation and space & power savings.

● High-Availability for Maximum Uptime

Module redundancy using 1:1 or N:1 with fast failover.
Geographic redundancy with multiple RF systems.
SW updates on-the-fly. Uptimes can exceed 99.999%.

● ACM, ACS, & Rain Fade Mitigation

With Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM) applied
on both Forward and Return Links and Adaptive Carrier
Selection (ACS) on all TDMA carriers, the impact of rain
fades is greatly mitigated, even in Ka band.

● Traffic Engineering, VNOs, & VSAT Groups

SatLink’s traffic engineering enables cost-effective hub
sharing by controlling bandwidth consumption and QoS
policies of Virtual Network Operators (VNOs) for each of
their VSAT Groups, without assigning hardware or dedi­cated carriers to particular VNOs.

● Comprehensive NMS & NCC Software

STM’s database-driven SatLink Network Management
System (NMS) and the SatLink Network Control Centre
(NCC) software optimize network performance using
close-loop control and simplify the configuration and
provisioning of Hub modules, VSATs, VSAT Groups,
carriers, VSNs, and VNOs. Support for multiple beams,
across multiple satellites on multiple bands (C, Ku, Ka,
EHF), including cross-strapped transponders, adds
versatility and scalability.