This chapter revisits the impact of channel phase in multibeam multicast satellite precoding. First, we analyze the unicast case showing that the phase components relative to the different slant paths to each user do not affect the precoding performance. Then, we indicate that for the multicast transmission, the mentioned phase effect may have impact depending on the employed clustering technique. Finally, we propose an alternative clustering solution based on normalizing out the phase components relative to the different slant paths. According to our simulation results, this novel clustering technique provides robustness to these phase components and also behaves better than previously reported clustering schemes.

Chapter Contents:

• 65.1 Introduction
• 65.2 System model
• 65.2.1 Channel model
• 65.2.2 Precoding strategy
• 65.2.3 Multibeam system and performance metrics
• 65.3 Unicast
• 65.4 Multicast
• 65.4.1 Comparison of clustering techniques
• 65.4.2 Sensitivity to phase estimation errors
• 65.5 Conclusions and discussion
• Acknowledgments
• References

Inspec keywords: precoding; pattern clustering; multicast communication

Other keywords: channel phase; different slant paths; precoding performance; mentioned phase effect; novel clustering technique; alternative clustering solution; multibeam multicast satellite precoding; phase components; unicast case; multicast transmission; employed clustering technique

Subjects: Codes; Data handling techniques; Radio links and equipment