What is a Test Loop Translator?

A test loop translator (TLT) is a kind of frequency converter that is used to simulate a real satellite by translating uplink frequencies to corresponding downlink frequencies (generally in the same band) for testing and evaluating the performance of satellite earth systems without the need to connect to a real satellite. Connecting to a real satellite is expensive and can cause interference with other satellite users. Hence, the test loop translator is an important tool when developing, testing, troubleshooting, and evaluating SATCOM systems/equipment.

During testing and evaluating the performance earth station, the TLT simulates a real satellite, i.e., the earth station transmits a signal (uplink signal) to the TLT (instead of a satellite), then the TLT converts this signal into a downlink signal that the satellite would send back to the earth station.