Improving ARQ performance on satellite channels under high error rate conditions

Large round trip delay associated with satellite channels reduces the throughput for automatic repeat-request (ARQ) system of error control, rather drastically under high error rate conditions. Ground segments that usually accompany satellite circuits at both ends introduce bursts of errors, during which block error rates tend to be quite high bringing down the throughput to very low values. In this paper, some schemes that modify the currently known variations of ARQ (Stop and Wait and continuous systems) are suggested with a view to obtain higher throughput under high block error rate conditions. Specifically, the modified Go back N System appears to be quite attractive as it gives substantial improvement with little additional complexity in system implementation.