Method and device for band translation

1. A band-stacked low-noise block converter, comprising:

a first input configured to receive a first input signal in a first input frequency band;

a first oscillator configured to output a first oscillator signal at a first frequency;

a first mixer operationally connected to the first input and to the first oscillator, the first mixer configured to mix the first input signal and the first oscillator signal into a first mixer output;

a second input configured to receive a second input signal in a second input frequency band;

a second oscillator configured to output a second oscillator signal at a second frequency;

a second mixer operationally connected to the second input and to the second oscillator, the second mixer configured to mix the second input signal and the second oscillator signal into a second mixer output;

a first combiner operationally connected to the first mixer output and to the second mixer output, the first combiner configured to frequency stack the first mixer output and the second mixer output into a first combiner output; and

a band translation block connected to at least the first combiner output, the band translation block configured to process requests and to output specific bands contained in at least the first combiner output.

2. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 1 , further comprising a band pass filter interposed between the first input and the first mixer, the filter comprising an input operationally connected to the first input and an output connected to a first input of the mixer.

3. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 2 , further comprising an amplifier interposed between the first input and the filter, the amplifier comprising an input connected to the first input and an output connected to a first input of the filter.

4. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first filter interposed between the first mixer and the first combiner, the first filter having an input and an output, the input of the first filter operationally connected to the output of the first mixer, the output of the first filter connected to a first input of the first combiner; and

a second filter interposed between the second mixer and the first combiner, the second filter having an input and an output, the input of the second filter operationally connected to the output of the second mixer, the output of the second filter connected to a second input of the first combiner.

5. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 4 , wherein the first filter comprises a high pass filter and the second filter comprises a low pass filter.

6. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 4 , further comprising an amplifier interposed between the first mixer and the first filter, the amplifier comprising an input connected to the output of the first mixer and an output connected to the first input of the first filter.

7. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 1 , further comprising:

a third input configured to receive a third input signal in the first input frequency band;

a third mixer operationally connected to the third input and to the first oscillator, the third mixer configured to mix the third input signal and the first oscillator signal into a third mixer output;

a fourth input configured to receive a fourth input signal in the second input frequency band;

a fourth mixer operationally connected to the fourth input and to the second oscillator, the fourth mixer configured to mix the fourth input signal and the second oscillator signal into a fourth mixer output; and

a second combiner operationally connected to the third mixer output and to the fourth mixer output, the second combiner configured to frequency stack the third mixer output and the fourth mixer output into a second combiner output;

wherein the band translation block is further connected to the second combiner output, and the band translation block is configured to process requests and to output specific bands contained in the first combiner output and the second combiner output.

8. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 7 , further comprising:

an auxiliary input connected to the band translation device, the auxiliary input operable to receive a band-stacked signal;

a first output port connected to a first output of the band translation block, the first output port operable to deliver a first specific frequency band to a first receiver; and

a second output port connected to a second output of the band translation block, the second output port operable to deliver a second specific frequency band to a second receiver.

9. A method of band-stacking signals received at a low-noise block filter, comprising:

receiving one or more input signals in a first input frequency band;

receiving one or more input signals in a second input frequency band;

mixing each of the input signals in the first input frequency band with a signal having a first local oscillator frequency to form one or more first mixer outputs;

mixing each of the input signals in the second input frequency band with a signal having a second local oscillator frequency to form one or more second mixer outputs;

combining at least one first mixer output with at least one second mixer output to form at least one combiner output; routing the at least one combiner output to a band translation block; and

providing output from the band translation block in response to a request, the output containing at least one specific band from the at least one combiner output.

10. The method of band-stacking signals received at a low-noise block filter of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving a first input signal in the first input frequency band from a first satellite in a first orbital location; and

receiving a second input signal in the first input frequency band from a second satellite in a second orbital location.

11. The method of band-stacking signals received at a low-noise block filter of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving an auxiliary input comprising a band-stacked signal; and

routing the band-stacked signal to the band translation device;

wherein the output from the band translation block contains at least one specific band from the at least one combiner output and the band-stacked signal.

12. The method of band-stacking signals received at a low-noise block filter of claim 9 , wherein the operation of providing output from the band translation device includes simultaneously outputting a first output signal and a second output signal, the first output signal including a first specific band from the at least one combiner output, and the second output signal including a second specific band from the at least one combiner output.

13. A band-stacked low-noise block converter, comprising:

first and second inputs configured to receive first and second input signals in first and second input frequency bands respectively;

a first mixer configured to mix the first input signal and a first oscillator signal into a first mixer output;

a second mixer configured to mix the second input signal and a second oscillator signal into a second mixer output;

an auxiliary input configured to receive an auxiliary input signal in an auxiliary input frequency band; and

a band translation block having two outputs, the band translation block operationally coupled to the auxiliary input and the first and second mixer outputs, the band translation block configured to process requests and to output specific bands via the two outputs.

14. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 13 , further comprising:

third and fourth inputs configured to receive third and fourth input signals in third and fourth input frequency bands respectively;

a third mixer configured to mix the third input signal and the first oscillator signal into a third mixer output; and

a fourth mixer configured to mix the fourth input signal and the second oscillator signal into a fourth mixer output, wherein the band translation block is operationally coupled to the third and fourth mixer outputs.

15. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 14 , further comprising:

a first combiner operationally connected between the first and second mixer outputs and the band translation block, the first combiner configured to frequency stack the first mixer output and the second mixer output into a first combiner output; and

a second combiner operationally connected between the third and fourth mixer outputs and the band translation block, the second combiner configured to frequency stack the third mixer output and the fourth mixer output into a second combiner output, wherein the band translation block is operationally coupled to the first and second combiner outputs.

16. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 13 wherein the first and second input signals are both left hand circular polarity (LHCP) input signals.

17. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 13 wherein the first and second input signals are both left right circular polarity (RHCP) input signals.

18. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 13 wherein the first input signal is a left hand circular polarity (LHCP) input signal and the second input signal is a right hand circular polarity (RHCP) input signal.

19. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 13 , wherein the first input signal is received from a first satellite in a first orbital position, the second input signal is received from a second satellite in a second orbital position, and the auxiliary input signal is received from a third satellite in a third orbital position.