A new multiple gateway transmit diversity technique for future satellite networks

Abstract

The next generation of High Throughput Satellite (HTS) will exploit Q/V band for the feeder link and Ka band for the user link. The exploitation of multiple gateways (GWs) is a transmit diversity measure to compensate severe rain attenuation of Q/V band feeder links. This paper introduces a new smart gateway diversity combination scheme that combinates N-active (K = 2) and N + 1 diversity method in detail from the working principle, gateway switching strategy, evaluation of system availability and implementation complexity. In addition, a feeder link outage event prediction algorithm featuring combination scheme is given detailly based on modified time-adaptive linear regression. Compared with the existing N + P scheme, the proposed scheme can provide higher system availability and more stable user's experience under the condition of properly increasing the complexity of payload design. Compared with N-active scheme that has been reported, it is much easier to implement in engineering and more cost-effective. As a result, the combination scheme is a realistic solution based on a trade-off between performance improvement and implementation complexity.