Network Topology & Routing Tools

The Network Topology Tool offers unmatched capabilities for configuring and manipulating satellite network models. With this tool, you can create a set of connectivity rules by specifying combinations of the following parameters:
  • Number of intraplane links, which connect a satellite to its nearest neighbors within the same plane.
  • The relative position of orbits of satellites connected via interplane links (relative plane number).
  • Number of interplane links, which connect a satellite to its nearest neighbors in co-rotating or counter-rotating planes.
  • Latitude range of a subsatellite point when intersatellite links of a given type are active.
  • The group of satellites (subconstellation) for which the specified set of links is valid.
For any connectivity rule, you can specify a time interval during which the rule is valid. 		Satellite Network
If these connectivity rules cannot completely define the network structure, it can be configured further by activating or eliminating potential connections with the Matrix Editor. This interactive tool displays the current connectivity matrix allowing you to manage (activate or eliminate) network connections at various levels: between two satellites, between subconstellations, between satellites grouped in orbital planes, between satellites and ground stations, etc. 
For any group of network connections, you can specify one or many time intervals during which the connections are active or inactive.
The routing algorithm supports four routing policies:
  • Routing policy that minimizes the number of hops across the satellite (this policy is part of the base product and is selected by default).
  • Routing policy that minimizes the number of hops (first) and the total length of the path from the source node to the destination node (second).
  • Routing policy that minimizes the total length of the path from the source node to the destination node.
  • Routing policy that minimizes the total delay, which includes the propagation, transmission, queuing, and processing delays along the path.
Routing Settings Tool
The Routing Settings Tool now offers the ability to define a balanced hierarchical search, choose between the Dijkstra algorithm, Breadth-First Search, and A* Search depending on the selected routing policy, and manage the path search frequency by selecting one of the following options: search at each step; initiate a new search after a specified delay; or wait while the current route remains valid.