Analytical Model of Information Exchange in the Low-Orbit Segment of Heterogeneous Networks Using Discrete Beam Hopping Technology

Low-orbit satellite communication systems are an important element of geographically distributed heterogeneous networks (HetNets) and enable global fixed and personal mobile communications across the entire surface of the Earth. The article is devoted to the study of the average delay of information exchange in “down” communication line between repeater satellite with phased array antenna with discrete beam hopping (DBH) on board and user terminals. A mathematical model as a queuing system (QS) has been developed to calculate the average delay time of information transmission in “down” communication line. Analytical expressions have been obtained that relate the value of the average delay time to the main system parameters: channel bandwidth, number of scanning beams and of time slots in the scan frame, etc. for two beam scanning algorithms: a static and a dynamic one. The dependencies illustrating the advantages of using the technology of discretely scanning beams are given, including estimate of the gain in the presence of several beams. Estimates of the number of beams of phased array antenna depending on the limitations on its size, antenna pattern and the size of the scanning sector are given, and an estimate of the throughput of the communication line is obtained depending on the number of beams.