Abstract: A satellite terminal and a machine-implemented method are provided for encoding a burst header of a burst for transmission on an inroute. One component of a group of satellite terminal components consisting of an ASIC, a FPGA, and a DSP, generates a burst header having five information bits encoded therein. The five information bits may be encoded using a Reed-Muller code, a (32, 5) block code or a convolutional code having a code rate of either 1/5 or 1/10. The five information bits may represent one or more of a modulation type for a payload of the burst, a code rate for encoding the payload, a code type, and a spreading factor for spreading the payload during transmission. A satellite gateway and a machine-implemented method are also provided for decoding a burst header of a burst received on an inroute as described above.

Abstract: A satellite terminal and a machine-implemented method are provided for encoding a burst header of a burst for transmission on an inroute. One component of a group of satellite terminal components consisting of an ASIC, a FPGA, and a DSP, generates a burst header having five information bits encoded therein. The five information bits may be encoded using a Reed-Muller code, a (32, 5) block code or a convolutional code having a code rate of either 1/5 or 1/10. The five information bits may represent one or more of a modulation type for a payload of the burst, a code rate for encoding the payload, a code type, and a spreading factor for spreading the payload during transmission. A satellite gateway and a machine-implemented method are also provided for decoding a burst header of a burst received on an inroute as described above.

Abstract: Approaches for staged data compression are provided, where each stage reflects a progressive increase in granularity, resulting in a scalable approach that exhibits improved efficiency and compression performance. The first stage comprises a long-range block-level compressor that determines redundancies on a block-level basis (based on entire data blocks, as opposed to partial segments within data blocks). The second stage comprises a long-range byte-level compressor that compresses an uncompressed block based on byte segments within the block that match previously transmitted segments. The duplicate segments are replaced with pointers to matching segments within a decompressor cache. Nonmatching segments of the data block are left uncompressed and passed to a third stage short-range compressor (e.g., a grammar-based compressor). The staged progression in granularity provides advantages of maximizing the compression gain while minimizing processing and storage requirements of the compressor and decompressor.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for synchronizing communication between systems having different clock rates, is described. The apparatus includes a communication unit, a synchronization unit, and an interface unit. The communication unit receives upstream information and generates a first sample stream representative of the upstream information based on a first clock rate. The synchronization unit converts the first sample stream to a second sample stream based on a second clock rate and in accordance with a predetermined burst plan. The interface unit receives the second sample stream at the second clock rate and outputs it based on the predetermined burst plan.

Abstract: A method of operating an RF system, the method including controlling coupling and uncoupling of RF ports included in an M by N radio frequency (RF) switch matrix including N first-side RF ports and M second-side RF ports, wherein each of the first-side RF ports may be selectively coupled to at least one of two or more of the second-side RF ports, such that RF signals are carried between selectively coupled ports; identifying one or more of the second-side RF ports as active ports, the active ports including a first active port; causing the RF switch matrix to couple the first active port to a first signal port included in the first-side RF ports; obtaining a first indication of reduced performance for a first piece of RF communication equipment coupled to the first active port; and causing, in response to the first indication, the RF switch matrix to couple the first signal port to a first spare port, wherein the first spare port is included in the second-side RF ports and is not included in the active ports.

Abstract: A method including determining that a first radio frequency (RF) port has been selected to be coupled via an M by N RF switch matrix to a second RF port, wherein the M by N radio frequency (RF) switch matrix includes M first-side RF ports and N second-side RF ports, the first RF port is included in the M first-side RF ports, the second RF port is included in the N second-side RF ports, M is at least 2 and N is at least 2, and each of the first-side RF ports may be selectively coupled to and uncoupled from at least one of two or more of the second-side RF ports, such that RF signals are carried between selectively coupled RF ports; obtaining a first indicator indicating a frequency, frequency range, channel, or band for an RF signal to be carried via the second RF port while coupled to the first RF port; obtaining, in response to the determination that the first RF port has been selected to be coupled to the second RF port, a first adjustment value based on the first indicator, the first RF port, and the secon

Abstract: A linear radio and a method for performing automatic level control are provided. A demultiplexer, within the linear radio, receives multiplexed signals from an indoor unit via a cable connecting the indoor unit with the linear radio. The demultiplexer demultiplexes the multiplexed signals to produce a transmit signal of an intermediate frequency. A variable gain amplifier within the linear radio, receives the transmit signal and a signal from an operational amplifier and produces the transmit signal with a changed gain, which is provided to a coupler. The coupler provides the transmit signal with the changed gain to a mixer and a power detector simultaneously. The power detector produces a second signal, which is provided to the operational amplifier, thereby forming a closed automatic level control loop. In some embodiments, the demultiplexer produces a power control signal, which is provided to the operational amplifier as a second input.

Abstract: Methods and devices are provided. Devices asynchronously transmit, without diversity, bursts including information encoded using a low rate FEC code having a code rate no higher than ½. A terminal receives transmitted multiple overlapping bursts. The terminal detects and decodes bursts in a window of burst times, performs an iteration of an iterative interference cancellation process, and when at least one burst of at least a portion of the window remains incorrectly decoded, another iteration of the iterative cancellation process is performed as long as a maximum number of repeated iterations has not yet been performed. When all of the bursts in at least the portion of the window are correctly decoded, the window is advanced by an amount of burst time, at least the portion of the window is updated, and the iterations may be repeated. Correctly decoded bursts may be passed to a next process or device.

Abstract: A network management method comprises configuring network domains (NDs) of a host communications network (HCN). Each ND provides a virtual network (VN) provisioned within the HCN for an enterprise customer, which forms a virtual communications subnetwork from which the enterprise customer provisions communications services. The HCN provides bandwidth over outroute and inroute channels of the HCN for the VNs. Outroute partitions are configured via outroute channels of the HCN and inroute partitions are configured via inroute channel groups configured within inroute channels of the HCN. Each outroute partition supports outroute bandwidth and each inroute partition supports inroute bandwidth. The outroute capacity partitions and the inroute capacity partitions are allocated to VNs to provide outroute and inroute capacity to the VN. Operator classifications are configured within the ND associated with the VC.

Abstract: Approaches are provided for a congestion detection algorithm for detection of congestion in outroute port queues (associated with respective satellite downlink beams), of a Layer 2 switch on-board a processing satellite, before the congestion reaches the point of dropping packets. Such approaches employ congestion notification protocols to inform all inroute sources of the congested ports. The on-board Layer 2 switch sends congestion notifications to the on-board system controller. The system controller broadcasts a notification reflecting the report of contested ports/beams to source terminals. The source terminals then segregate bandwidth requests regarding traffic destined for congested beams from traffic destined to all uncongested beams, and categorize such requests based on respective traffic priority levels.

Abstract: A system architecture and methods for data traffic flow classification are provided. An initial traffic class is assigned to a data flow as a current traffic classification, where the initial traffic class is based static traffic classification method(s) applied with respect to an initial packet of the data flow. A predetermined number of further packets of the data flow, subsequent to the initial packet, are analyzed based on predetermined factor(s), and a traffic class based on the analysis of the further packets is determined. The traffic class based on the analysis of the further packets is assigned as the current traffic classification of the data flow. Data indicating a traffic class for the data flow (based on a dynamic traffic classification method) is received, and the traffic class based on the dynamic traffic classification method is assigned as the current traffic classification of the data flow.

Abstract: An approach is provided for increasing transmission throughput rates for a source signal transmitted over a wireless channel, applying faster-than-Nyquist (FTN) signaling rates combined with tight frequency roll-off to the a source signal. A receiver is provided that compensates for ISI effects induced by the FTN rate and tight frequency roll-off, where the complexity of the receiver grows only linearly with the interference memory. The receiver comprises an equalizer configured to compensate for the ISI effects, and a decoder configured to decode the output of the equalizer to determine and regenerate the source signal. The receiver processes the received signal via a plurality of processing iterations. For one processing iteration, the decoder generates a set of a posteriori soft information based on the output of the equalizer, and the equalizer uses the a posteriori soft information as a priori soft information for a subsequent processing iteration.

Abstract: A system and method for association of remote nodes with respective aggregation nodes in a high capacity shared bandwidth communications network, which meets various requirements and desires associated with efficient, robust, reliable and flexible broadband services, and which is relatively efficient and automated from a network management and load balancing standpoint, is provided. A remote node receives a message transmitted by a gateway over the communications network, wherein the message includes service codes identifying one or more service capabilities of the gateway. The remote node determines, based on the service codes, whether the gateway is an eligible gateway for servicing one or more service requirements of the remote node. The remote node then adds the gateway to a pool of eligible gateways within the communications network.

Abstract: A receiver is used with third code blocks based on first code blocks, second code blocks, and a planning code block. The first code blocks are associated with a first sequence number and modulated with a first modulation scheme. The second code blocks are associated with a second sequence number and modulated with a second modulation scheme. The planning code block associates the third code blocks with the first code blocks and the second code blocks. The receiver includes a de-multiplexing portion, which includes a code block selector and a look up table, that outputs a de-multiplexed signal based on the third code blocks. The code block selector selects a code block from the third code blocks to output as the de-multiplexed signal based on entries in the look up table. The receiver also includes a recovery portion that outputs received code blocks based on the de-multiplexed signal.

Abstract: Power spectral density in an aeronautical satellite communication system is controlled through the use of adaptive inroute selection and spreading. Once a communication session has been established between the aircraft and the satellite, environmental conditions and aircraft conditions are monitored to detect events capable of affecting transmit/receive properties during the communication session. A maximum allowable transmission output is determined based, at least in part, on governmental regulations and the conditions being monitored. One or more transmit parameters are adjusted in order to maintain transmission output power of the aircraft terminal below the maximum allowable transmission output power.

Abstract: An approach for improved compensation for nonlinear distortion in multicarrier satellite systems is provided. Source reflecting encoded and modulated sequences of source data symbols are received. Each source signal is predistorted, and a transmit filter is applied to each predistorted source signal. Each filtered signal is translated to a carrier frequency, and the translated signals are combined into a composite signal for transmission via a multicarrier transponder. The final predistorted version of each source signal is generated via an iterative process of a number of stages, wherein, for a given stage and for each source signal, the process comprises: receiving a prior predistorted version of each source signal from a preceding stage; processing each prior predistorted source signal based on all of the received prior predistorted source signals, wherein the processing is performed based on a characterization of one or more characteristics of the multicarrier satellite transponder.

Abstract: A single or multistage signal predistorter includes an input coupled to receive an information signal comprising input samples and an output coupled to the high power amplifier, the signal predistorter configured to receive an input sample, generate a distortion sample based on an estimate of nonlinearity of the high power amplifier at an operating saturation level, modify the input sample with a correction term to generate a predistortion signal, wherein the correction term is proportional to the distortion sample, and further wherein the predistortion signal comprises the information signal modified to account for nonlinearities in the high power amplifier.

Abstract: An apparatus for PLL bandwidth expansion including a compensation filter and a phase locked loop, where the compensation filter is programmed with a compensation function derived based on programmable coefficients and parameters of a transmitting device, a frequency response of the phase locked loop, and a wanted frequency response.

Abstract: A method and a satellite gateway for minimizing an impact of a noise floor variation in a spot beam satellite system. A demodulator processes digitized signals from multiple channels. Digitized signals are automatically gain controlled by respective automatic gain control components associated with respective channels. Automatic gain controlled digitized signals are downconverted and provided to a burst processor. The burst processor processes each downconverted signal and provides, with respect to each downconverted signal, an automatic gain control estimate, a code rate, and an inroute number to a processor component. The processor component determines an average automatic gain control value for each inroute, provides automatic gain control references to the respective automatic gain control components, and periodically sends noise map information to satellite terminals served by the satellite gateway. In some embodiments, the automatic gain control values are biased according to corresponding code rates.

Abstract: A method and a satellite communication system are provided. At least one satellite gateway earth station receives at least one multicast stream from an external network. In a static forwarding mode, the at least one satellite gateway earth station replicates and forwards traffic from the at least one multicast stream over at least one first respective outroute carrier of at least one first respective spot beam of a satellite regardless of whether any terminal is arranged to actively receive any of the at least one multicast stream. In a dynamic forwarding mode, the at least one satellite gateway earth station replicates and forwards second traffic from any of the at least one multicast stream over at least one second respective outroute carrier of at least one second respective spot beam only when at least one respective terminal is arranged to actively receive the any of the at least one multicast stream.