What is a Test Loop Translator?

A Test Loop Translator (TLT) is a device used to evaluate the performance of satellite earth systems. The earth station transmits a signal to the TLT (instead of a satellite), the TLT, then converts this signal into an equivalent downlink signal that the Satellite would send back to the earth station.

Using a Test Loop Translator, users at a satellite earth station can carry out various tests and evaluate system performance without connecting to a real satellite. Connecting to a real satellite can be very expensive and can cause interference with other satellite users. This is why a TLT is an important requirement when developing, testing and evaluating SATCOM systems.

A basic version of the device consists of a mixer and a local oscillator. More advanced versions, allow the signal level, frequency bands and other parameters to be controlled for various scenarios. Click here to view Test Loop Translators from the leading manufacturers.