Simulation models for performance evaluation of satellite multiple access protocols

Simulation models are described for the performance evaluation of satellite multiple-access protocols used in VSAT (very small aperture terminal) data networks. Since the design of VSAT-based wide-area networks for interactive applications is critically dependent on the delay-throughput characteristics of the channel access protocol used, detailed simulation models have been developed to augment analytical performance-evaluation methods. Simulation models for several candidate VSAT access protocols, including random-access techniques such as Aloha, selective reject Aloha and slotted Aloha and demand-assignment multiple-access based techniques, are discussed in terms of traffic-source models, access algorithms, and performance-evaluation criteria. Numerical results for a realistic interactive data VSAT network environment are presented