Multi-rate low density generator matrix code for satellite laser communications

Abstract

We propose a new transmission scheme of multi-rate low density generator matrix (LDGM) code suitable for optical satellite communications. Since the proposed scheme doesn't utilize a preamble transmission of the rate information nor the repeat request scheme, a long feedback delay in the satellite link and a decrease of transmission efficiency can be avoided. Then, an adaptive rate transmission only with forward error correction (FEC) is achieved and the transmitter can choose the quality or the rate-efficiency of transmission from the transmitter-side state. In the receiver, an exact rate-decision and decoding are conducted without the preamble. It is shown that the proposed scheme is effective in the satellite-to-ground optical link by the computer simulations.