Time-Sensitive Networking Mechanism Aided by Multilevel Cyclic Queues in LEO Satellite Networks

Abstract

With the proliferation of low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites, existing satellite networks need to be enhanced to better handle time-sensitive flows (TSFs). However, the migration of time-sensitive network (TSN) technology to satellite networks is challenged by the large space–time range and limited on-board resources, particularly in providing differentiated quality-of-service guarantees for multilevel TSFs. To address this issue, we propose a multilevel queue-based TSN technique that uses latency requirements as an indicator for traffic scheduling. This approach improves the time-sensitive transmission capability of services with different requirements in LEO satellite networks. We conducted a simulation evaluation under a Walker constellation, and the results demonstrate that our proposed method could significantly improve network throughput, and reduce the packet loss ratio by 90% and the time-out ratio by 14.5%. Additionally, our proposed mechanism could accommodate more TSFs with acceptable latency requirements.