Description
Objective: Demonstrating in software the benefits of precoding in the forward link of multi-beam broadband systems.
Targeted improvement: System throughput improvement in the order of 40% of current broadband links based on DVB-S2.
Description:
Increasing the number of beams is a way to achieve high throughput satellite communication systems, but it leads to operate in an interference limited regime. In order to deal with this increased level of interference, current satellite systems rely on deploying a well-chosen frequency and polarization reuse pattern. More advanced interference mitigation techniques have been recently proposed, like precoding, which improve the system efficiency especially in presence of strong interference. The precoding techniques can be designed jointly with beamforming solutions (both on-board the satellite or on-ground).
The focus of the current activity is the forward link of multi-beam broadband satellite communication systems. As starting point, the reference air interface to be considered is the current DVB-S2 standard. The inclusion of advanced precoding algorithms requires the modification of some classical paradigms in DVB-S2 based links: statistical multiplexing and joint resource scheduler, framing structure, channel estimation and synchronisation, etc.
This activity will review the existing precoding techniques and re-design accordingly a multi-beam broadband air interface with the aim of increasing the system capacity. Finally, the activity will develop a software simulation platform of the end-to-end communication chain for validating in a realistic laboratory environment the benefits of adopting precoding techniques in multi-beam broadband systems.
Procurement Policy: C(1) = Activity restricted to non-prime contractors (incl. SMEs). For additional information please go to EMITS news "Industrial Policy measures for non-primes, SMEs and R&D entities in ESA programmes".