Square Peg Communications, the Ottawa-based firm that supports the simulation and testing of complex networks and satellite communications links prior to launch, has enhanced its RLS-2100 Radio Link Simulator to expand this unit’s satellite system testing capabilities.
The enhanced RLS-2100 Radio Link Simulator is billed as being the first such simulator to test up to 2 GHz bandwidth of spectrum coverage in a single compact package. This makes it possible for satellite operators to conduct ultra-wide bandwidth hardware-in-the-loop testing on their equipment on the ground.
According to a February 25, 2025 company news release, the RLS-2100 also allows satellite operators, manufacturers, integrators and defence agencies to conduct dynamic and precise 5G non-terrestrial network (NTN) testing of new satellite use cases (such as 5G NTN direct-to-device testing), and to enable seamless OpenAMIP modem to antenna integration.
For the record, “Non-terrestrial networks (NTN) are networks or segments of networks that use either Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) operating typically between 8 and 50km altitudes, including High Altitude Platforms (HAPs) or satellites in different constellations to carry a transmission equipment relay node or a base station,” said 3gpp.org, the website of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) that develops protocols for mobile telecommunications.
“OpenAMIP is an IP-based protocol that facilitates the exchange of information between an antenna controller unit and a satellite,” said ST Engineering iDirect’s website. (ST Engineering iDirect, Inc. is an IP-based satellite communications company.)
“As satellite communications advances and continues to require higher bandwidth for an increasingly data-driven future, it also increases the complexity of testing and simulation prior to launching into orbit,” said Michael Gertsman, President of Square Peg Communications. “Square Peg is leading the way with the RLS-2100 platform, adding breakthrough capabilities to meet the increased need for greater bandwidth, robust 5G NTN satellite communications testing and OpenAMIP integration for realistic simulation of antenna control — all from a single compact and cost-effective box.”
In addition to offering 2 GHz bandwidth ultra-wideband testing for satellite system builders and operators — which helps them accommodate the demand from increasing satellite data throughput from customers — the RLS-2100 does support dynamic 5G NTN testing to synchronize satellite movements and networks. “This synchronized test platform enables critical verification of low-latency, high-speed connections in 5G systems,” explained the Square Peg news release. “Square Peg pioneered this technology when it was previously selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop an emulation environment for testing scenarios across multiple satellite constellations as part of its Space for 5G and 6G Strategic Programme Line.”
Square Peg also said that its enhanced RLS-2100 is also the first platform to offer fully-integrated OpenAMIP simulation. This capability allows satellite operators to test real-world antenna behaviors in a lab to avoid expensive failures after deployment.
Ottawa’s Square Peg Communications is spotlighting its RLS-2100 enhancements at SATELLITE 2025. It is the major industry show being held in Washington DC on March 10-13, 2025. The company’s wares can be seen at booth #1214 within the Walter E. Washington Convention Center at SATELLITE 2025.
