Case Study: DigitalGlobe achieves 50% higher downlink data rates (1200 Mbps) with MathWorks Simulink

DigitalGlobe Simulates Complete Satellite-to-Ground Communications Systems

DigitalGlobe needed to increase the WorldView-3 satellite downlink from 800 Mbps to 1200 Mbps while meeting strict X‑Band out-of-band emission limits adjacent to the Deep Space Network, coping with steep filters that can distort signals, and modeling cross-polarization interference as it moved from QPSK to 8‑PSK. Seeking a faster, lower-cost alternative to their prior tools, DigitalGlobe used MathWorks’ Simulink and related toolboxes to model and simulate the communications system.

Using MathWorks’ Simulink with Communications Toolbox, DSP System Toolbox, RF Blockset, RF Toolbox, and Signal Processing Toolbox, DigitalGlobe built an end-to-end model (amplifier, 8‑PSK modems, Reed–Solomon coding, filters, equalizers, AWGN channel) and ran 10 million‑bit BER simulations plus spectral and constellation analyses. The MathWorks solution made simulations ten times faster, exposed distortion effects for better tradeoffs, and validated a reliable 50% data‑rate increase to 1200 Mbps with BER < 10^-6, enabling deployment on WorldView-3.

DigitalGlobe

Skip Cubbedge

Aerospace Engineer