FODA/IBEA‐TDMA: A flexible fade countermeasure system for integrated services in user‐oriented networks

Abstract A flexible, processor based, TDMA station has been implemented. This station and its associated variable data rate modem enables users to implement very complex frame structures under software control. Burst rates of 512 kb/s‐8‐192 Mb/s and different coding rates are possible allowing the transmitted bit energy from each station in the network to be adapted to prevailing conditions. The proposed application of the station is the transmission of mixed stream and packet traffic, in a LANs interconnection via satellite environment, using a modification of the FODA 1 technique. The association of the up‐link power control feature with the bit and coding rate variation gives the system an interesting ability to cope with fade conditions. The link outage probability is investigated for the Olympus transponder in k a band. The ability of the system, together with the good performance of Olympus, shows that the K a band is usable for the above mentioned types of networks without prohibitive fade degradation, at least for limited coverages.