Algebraic Hybrid Satellite-Terrestrial Space-Time Codes for Digital Broadcasting in SFN

TL;DR

This paper introduces new algebraic hybrid satellite-terrestrial space-time codes for digital broadcasting in SFN, improving coverage and robustness, especially under power imbalance, with better performance than simple repetition schemes.

Contribution

It proposes simpler algebraic space-time codes for hybrid satellite-terrestrial systems and constructs new codes for 3x2 configurations, enhancing robustness and performance.

Findings

Significant performance improvement over repetition schemes

Codes are robust against power imbalance

Computer simulations confirm effectiveness

Abstract

Lately, different methods for broadcasting future digital TV in a single frequency network (SFN) have been under an intensive study. To improve the transmission to also cover suburban and rural areas, a hybrid scheme may be used. In hybrid transmission, the signal is transmitted both from a satellite and from a terrestrial site. In 2008, Y. Nasser et al. proposed to use a double layer 3D space-time (ST) code in the hybrid 4 x 2 MIMO transmission of digital TV. In this paper, alternative codes with simpler structure are proposed for the 4 x 2 hybrid system, and new codes are constructed for the 3 x 2 system. The performance of the proposed codes is analyzed through computer simulations, showing a significant improvement over simple repetition schemes. The proposed codes prove in addition to be very robust in the presence of power imbalance between the two sites.