Satellite FEC Processing Architecture Without Onboard Decoding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current satellite communications systems face challenges in achieving better performance without increasing cost and complexity, particularly in satellite architectures that require complex decoders and struggle with soft decision information loss, leading to performance penalties in bit error rates.
Innovation Solution
The enhanced partial processing satellite system architecture employs an encoder on the satellite and an outer encoder in the transmitting terminal, using Forward Error Correction (FEC) concatenated coding schemes, with decoders in the receiving terminal to handle both inner and outer codes, eliminating the need for a decoder on the satellite and optimizing performance by preserving the encoder.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If more processing is performed onboard the satellite, then performance is improved, but cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the processing functions between the satellite and ground terminals. The satellite performs only encoding operations while the complex decoding is distributed to ground terminals, achieving performance improvement without concentrating all complexity in the satellite.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the complex decoder functionality from the satellite and places it in the ground terminals. This extraction allows the satellite to achieve better performance through enhanced processing while the complexity is removed from the satellite platform.
2Device complexity
If a simple transponder architecture is used, then cost and complexity are reduced, but performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary encoding action at the satellite before transmission. By pre-encoding the signal with sophisticated error correction codes, the system achieves better performance than simple transponder architecture while maintaining relatively simple satellite hardware.
3Reliability
If complex decoders are used on the satellite, then performance is improved, but cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex decoder from the satellite and relocates it to ground terminals. This extraction maintains performance benefits while dramatically reducing satellite manufacturing cost and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The ground terminals perform self-service decoding operations, eliminating the need for expensive satellite-based decoders. Each terminal independently handles its own decoding requirements, reducing overall system cost.
4Device complexity
If soft decision information is lost, then implementation is simplified, but performance penalty occurs in bit error rates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary encoding with high-performance codes before transmission. This preliminary action creates a more robust signal that maintains performance even when soft decision information is lost during processing.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems, methods, and apparatus for enhanced partial processing of satellite user data are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, a disclosed method for processing satellite data comprises encoding with an outer encoder in a transmitting terminal, modulating with a transmit modulator in the transmitting terminal, demodulating with a satellite demodulator in a satellite, encoding with an inner encoder in the satellite, modulating with a satellite modulator in the satellite, demodulating with a receive demodulator in a receiving terminal, decoding with an inner decoder in the receiving terminal, and decoding with an outer decoder in the receiving terminal. In one or more embodiments, the outer encoder and/or the inner encoder is operable to perform forward error correction (FEC) encoding. In at least one embodiment, the outer decoder and/or the inner decoder is operable to perform FEC decoding.