Software-based monitoring system checks digital carriers

CARRIER monitoring is essential to the successful operation of a satellite- communications system. By using software-based carrier-monitoring systems s uch as those developed by ETL Systems (Here-ford, United Kingdom), carriers for satellite systems, as well as analog and digital terrestrial broadcast and communications systems, can be continuously monitored for weak or fail ing signals. Monitoring carriers when they first arrive in the equipment ha ll from a communication system's antennas and low-noise block downconverter s (LNBs) provides a first line of defense and warning against failing signa ls and systems.