Combined Effects of Up- and Down-Link Fading Through a Power-Limiting Satellite Repeater

Evaluating the capacity of a satellite communication system requires accurate prediction of the combined effects of up and down-path fading. This correspondence derives an expression for the resultant channel fade probability distribution as a function of up- and down-path fade distributions and the satellite TW input-output (I/O) power transfer characteristic, and demonstrate that power limiting in the satellite has a substantial effect.