© 2008 VT iDirect, Inc.

Mesh TechnologyTony Naaman

Systems Architecture iDirect, USA

Evolutions in Satellite Telecommunication Ground Segments5 - 6 June 2008 - ESA/ESTEC - Noordwijk, The Netherlands

Agenda

• Introduction• Star & Mesh Networks• Mesh Scalability, Transmit & Receive Hopping

• Mesh• Markets & Applications• Technical Challenges• Market Trends• Enabling Technologies

• Internet Routing In Space (IRIS)• Overview• Routing, Scalability & QoS

© 2008 VT iDirect, Inc.

Introduction

Star Network

RF

Shared SCPC

Outbound

Star TDMA

Inbound

Hub

Remote-to-Remote Communication in Star Network

RF

Shared SCPC

Outbound

Star TDMA

Inbound

Hub

Remote-to-Remote Disadvantages in Star Network

• Latency • Critical for Real-Time Applications• Double Hop over the Satellite

• Inefficient use of Satellite Bandwidth• Remote-to-Remote Traffic requires Twice the Bandwidth of Star

Traffic

Remote-to-Remote Communication with Mesh Carrier

RF

Shared SCPC

Outbound

Star TDMA

Inbound

Hub

Mesh TDMA Carrier

Mesh Network – Scaling & Transmit Hopping

RF

Hub or Master Station

Mesh TDMA

Carriers

Mesh Network – Scaling & Receive Hopping

Large Stations

Mesh TDMA

Carriers

Small Stations

© 2008 VT iDirect, Inc.

Mesh Market, Technology & Trends

Mesh Markets & Applications

• Mesh Market Segments• Enterprise Networks

• Cellular Networks• Oil & Gas• Enterprise Connectivity• Distance Learning

• Government & Military• Embassy Networks• Disaster Management• Homeland Security• Defense

• Mesh Applications• VoIP• Video Conferencing• Cellular Backhaul (Move to Local Routing)• Other Data Applications

Mesh Technical Challenges

• Link Budget• Small Antenna & Limited Transmit Power

• Small Carriers => Need Multiple Carriers for Scaling

• Different Terminal Sizes & Rain Fade• Multi Symbol Rates, Modulation and Coding

• Timing & Frequency Tracking• Clock Inaccuracy & Doppler Shift

• Reference Source from Hub or Master Controller• Closed Loop for Adjustments

• Uplink Power Control• For all Carriers and Remote Terminals

• Closed Loop for Adjustments

• Transmit & Receive Hopping• Multi Symbol Rates, Modulation and Coding• Frequency Range - Across Transponders

• Single vs. Dual Transmitters• Multi-Demodulators vs. Receive Time Plan

Mesh Market Trends

• Higher Data Rates

• Larger Networks – Scalability

• More Flexibility – Hybrid Networks

• Improved Bandwidth Efficiency

• Lower Cost of Ownership

Enabling Technologies – Higher Data Rates

• Faster Processor on Remote Terminal• Larger FPGA & Memory• Remote Terminal Hardware Cost going Down

• Antenna, BUC, Processor, FPGA, Memory

• Faster Transmit & Receive Hopping• Multi-Demodulators for Simultaneous Receive of

Multiple Carriers• Hub or Master Controller

• Tighter Timing & Frequency Control• Better Bandwidth Management

Enabling Technologies – Scalability

• Transmit & Receive Hopping• Across Transponders• Multiple Symbol Rates, Modulation & Coding

• Intelligent Bandwidth Management Software• Transmit Time Plan• Receive Time Plan or Mesh Carrier Load Balancing

Enabling Technologies – Flexibility

• Hybrid Networks• Shared SCPC Outbound from Hub

• DVB-S2/ACM for Increased Efficiency

• TDMA Return to Hub (Star)• Remotes with Low or Irregular Traffic Pattern

• SCPC Return to Hub (Star)• Remotes with Steady Traffic Pattern

• TDMA Mesh between Remote Terminals• Remotes with Low or Irregular Traffic Pattern

• SCPC Mesh between Remote Terminals• Remotes with Steady Traffic Pattern

• Multiple Transmit• Example: SCPC to some Destinations & TDMA to Others

Enabling Technologies – Bandwidth Efficiency

• Adaptive FEC Rates• For Large Networks with Multiple Carriers

• Multiple Symbol Rates• Multiple Modulation (8PSK, QPSK, BPSK, Spread Spectrum)

• Real-Time Monitoring of SNR for each Remote Terminal & Optimal Carrier and FEC Chosen

• Intelligent Bandwidth Management System Generates Optimal Time Plan

Enabling Technologies – Low Cost of Ownership

• Sharing Hub & Space Segment Cost among Multiple Network Operators• Group QoS (GQoS) allows Sharing of Space Segment while

Logically Partitioning Bandwidth for Multiple Networks• Virtual Network Operator (VNO) allows Multiple Network

Operators to Manage their Networks Independently while Sharing Hub Equipment, Space Segment and Network Management System & Maintaining Total Privacy

• Lower Cost of Remote Terminal Hardware

Economically Viable Meshfor Small Enterprise Networks

© 2008 VT iDirect, Inc.

Internet Routing In Space (IRIS)

Internet Routing In Space (IRIS)

• Concept• On-Board Processing & Routing of IP Packets

• Routing across Transponders• On-Board Routing & Multicast Distribution

• Routing across Co-located Satellites• WiMax in Space

• Routing across Distant Satellites• Laser Inter-Satellite Link (ISL)

Scalable, Full-Mesh, Single-Hop Connectivity

Remote-to-Remote & Remote-to-Hub with IRIS

RF

Hub

Router

DVB-S2 Out

Hub In

Remote Terminals TDMA In

Hub-to-Remote Communication with IRIS

RF

Hub

Router

DVB-S2 Out

Hub In

Remote Terminals TDMA In

Accessing Google.com with Traditional Broadband

Google

Accessing Google.com with IRIS

Google

Transponder-1 Transponder-2

Router

Accessing Google.com with IRIS & Laser ISL

Google

Router Router

Capacity Sizing with IRIS

• Remote Inbound Traffic

= Mesh + Star Inbound

• Internet Traffic Asymmetrical

(Star Out = n * Star In)

• S2 Capacity

= Mesh Traffic

+ Star In Traffic

+ Star Out Traffic

Hub In

S2

TDMA Inbound

Internet

Mesh Traffic

Star Out Traffic

Star Out Traffic

Star In Traffic

Mesh & Star In Traffic

Star In Traffic

• Hub In Traffic uses much better Modulation & Coding than TDMA Inbound

• S2 Outbound uses ACM

• Note: QoS becomes more complex with Routing across Transponders & Satellites

Routing, Scalability & QoS with IRIS

Hub In

XP1

Hub In

XP2

Hub In

XP3

S2 XP3

S2 XP2

S2 XP1

TDMA XP2

TDMA XP1

TDMA XP3

Router

Region-1 Region-2 Region-3

Region-1 Region-2 Region-3

Internet Routing In Space (IRIS) - Advantages

• Scalability• Across Transponders & Satellites

• Link Budget• Signal Reconstruction• Higher Data Rates with Smaller Antenna & BUC

• On-Board Packet Replication• Multicast Applications

• Still Require:• Bandwidth Management (Group QoS)• Adaptive Schemes for Bandwidth Efficiency• Complexity On-Board or Ground Segment – Trade Off

© 2008 VT iDirect, Inc.

Thank you