A novel ARQ protocol for IEEE802.11a based on rate-compatible codes

In this paper, we present a new ARQ protocol for the IEEE802.11a wireless LAN, based on the concept of rate-compatible punctured convolutional (RCPC) codes. The proposed protocol uses a progressive lower coding rate at each retransmission, based on different puncturing schemes of the 64-state convolutional code proposed in the 802.11a standard. The key idea of the new ARQ protocol is the transmission of the punctured bits at each retransmission to re-form a lower rate coded packet at the receiver side. The proposed approach improves the throughput of the 802.11a standard defined PHY/MAC modes due to a reduction in the number of retransmissions and the number of bits transmitted with each retransmission.