Error-correction coding for commercial satellite channels

Several low-cost, error-correction coding techniques with applications to commercial satellite channels are described. The impact of system requirements and network constraints on the design of these techniques is also discussed. Specific examples illustrate that different system environments, such as access techniques, ambiguity resolution, basic message size, concatenation with additional error control mechanisms, and cost/performance considerations, often dictate the selection and implementation of certain techniques. It is also demonstrated that certain unexpected problems in existing satellite networks can be solved by proper application of error-correcting coding techniques at very low cost.