Hybrid ARQ Error Control for Burst Error Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed networking systems face challenges with burst errors, which can lead to increased retransmissions and decreased throughput, causing network congestion and reliability issues.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a hybrid automatic repeat query (H-ARQ) system that combines high-rate forward error correction (FEC) with automatic repeat request (ARQ) error-control, using cyclic redundancy check (CRC) and Reed-Solomon (RS) code correction & detection capabilities to establish double layer protection and improve link integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If FEC codes are used to detect and correct burst errors, then error correction capability is improved, but false packet acceptance rate increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines CRC error detection with RS error correction capabilities at the physical layer to create a hybrid error control mechanism. This merging allows the system to benefit from both the strong error correction of RS codes and the reliable error detection of CRC, thereby reducing false packet acceptance while maintaining error correction capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces CRC as an intermediary error detection layer between the physical layer FEC and higher protocol layers. This intermediary provides an additional check that prevents false packets from being accepted, acting as a mediator that filters out erroneous corrections before they propagate to upper layers
2Reliability
If CRC is applied at the link layer after packet construction, then error detection is improved, but system latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies CRC error detection at the physical layer before packet construction and link layer processing. By performing error detection preliminarily at an earlier stage, the system avoids the need for retransmissions and reduces overall latency, as errors are detected before data progresses through multiple processing stages
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the error detection function across multiple layers: physical layer CRC for early error detection and link layer CRC for final verification. This segmentation allows error detection to occur at multiple checkpoints, improving reliability without requiring all processing to wait for a single error check
3Reliability
If packet retransmission is requested due to burst errors, then data integrity is improved, but network throughput decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of burst errors into a benefit by using them to trigger selective retransmission requests only for affected data blocks. This approach maintains data integrity while minimizing the impact on throughput, as only erroneous blocks are retransmitted rather than entire packets
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the retransmission parameter from traditional ARQ (retransmit entire packet) to block-level retransmission based on physical layer error detection. This parameter change allows finer-grained control over retransmissions, improving data integrity for affected blocks while maintaining higher overall throughput by avoiding unnecessary retransmissions of error-free data
Data Source
AI summary
A communication system is described, among other things. An illustrative system is disclosed to include one or more decoding circuits to perform forward error correction for a received data block in a physical layer and one or more cyclic redundancy check circuits to perform a cyclic redundancy check based on a first output of the decoding circuits and a cyclic redundancy check code generated in the physical layer based on the received data block. In response to one or more of a second output of the decoding circuits and an output of the cyclic redundancy check circuits, a retransmission request of the data block is initiated.