On Hybrid ARQ Protocol schemes over the m(≥ 2)-ary Asymmetric Channel

Abstract

In the ARQ (Automatic Retransmission Request) protocol, the sender keeps retransmitting a codeword until it receives a positive acknowledgment from the receiver sent through the feedback channel. This paper proposes Plain and Diversity Combining ARQ Hybrid protocol communication schemes suitable for the m(≥ 2)-ary asymmetric channel using t-Asymmetric Error Correcting/All Asymmetric Error Detecting (t-AEC/AAED) codes. The analysis shows that error correction definitely improves the throughput of the system compared to the ARQ protocol which uses only error detecting codes. The paper provides simple analytic expressions and bounds for the average number of retransmissions in both Plain and Diversity Combining t-AEC/AAED ARQ (t ≥ 0) protocol systems over the m-ary asymmetric channel, m ≥ 2. These can be applied into the design and analysis of error controlling schemes in practical systems such as VLSI and optical communications.