Network performance evaluations for Ku band mobile satellite communications system based on Shinkansen railroads propagation conditions

Yutaka Imaizumi, Satoshi Harada, Fumiaki Nagase, Masayoshi Nakayama, Kohei Ohata and Masazumi Ueba
NTT Networking Innovation Laboratories Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation Yokosuka-shi, Kanagawa, Japan imaizumi.yutaka@lab.ntt.co.jp
cost, because this system uses an existing multimedia satellite communication system [2]. When the system is applied to the railway, the satellite signal suffers from shadowing caused by various terrestrial obstacles that exist along the railway line. Obstacles include tunnels, overpasses, bridges, buildings, trees, retaining walls, and trolley wire support structures that are periodically installed on the railway. We clarified that even a very short period of block out deteriorates network throughput significantly [3].
Data Transmission
MPEG-TS

Abstract This paper presents the network performance of our Ku band mobile satellite communications system under actual Shinkansen railroad propagation conditions. First, satellite visibility were judged by examining the obstacles obscuring the satellite in video taken by a small CCD camera with a fish-eye lens that was placed under the roof window of the Shinkansen High-Speed Multiple Inspection Train. After obtaining satellite visibility data, the statistical features of the obstacles affecting satellite visibility were analyzed. Based on these data, we clarified the optimum design parameter of layer-3 diversity, which is a diversity reception scheme for selecting IP packets (layer 3) as a shadowing countermeasure technology. The network throughput for all Tokaido Shinkansen routes was simulated on the test bed by using the satellite visibility data. The effectiveness of the shadowing countermeasure technology is discussed in relation to these throughput results. Keywords- Satellite Availability; Shinkansen Railway; Gap filler; Layer 3 Diversity Reception; Mobile Satellite Communication

Satellite Network Operations Center

Forward Link (30 Mbit/s)

Internet
Server
(Request/ Ack Signal)

Return Link

Tracking Antenna

I. INTRODUCTION Mobile communication systems have rapidly come into widespread use, and customers have begun to demand broadband communication services in mobile environments. Although third-generation (3G) mobile networks are expected to provide high-speed access, the current access speeds of 144 kbit/s at maximum in mobile conditions are insufficient for many applications. In addition, their coverage area is still limited. Mobile satellite communication systems are a powerful way of economically providing broadband communication services to vehicles by virtue of their instantaneous deployment with wide coverage. We are examining the application of a Ku-band mobile satellite communication system [1] as a means to offer broadband communication services to passengers in a train. This system implements the forward link on a high-speed Ku-band satellite network and the return link on the terrestrial mobile network. This network is suitable for the Internet access that will be provided as the main service, because the predominant feature of Internet traffic is its asymmetry. On the return link, the user transmits to the server a small amount of data composed of requests, control signals, acknowledgement signals and so on. On the other hand, the server transmits large amounts of data such as still images and videos on the forward link. Figure 1 shows the Ku-band mobile satellite communication system for trains. The main advantage of this system is to provide wideband Internet access service for vehicles (the current terrestrial mobile communications system cannot provide the service), immediately and at a low

Cellular Network

Figure 1. Ku-band mobile satellite communication system for trains. To improve satellite availability, we are considering diversity reception that uses multiple antennas set on different locations and terrestrial repeaters, generally known as gap-fillers, as shadowing countermeasure technologies against such obstacles. Generally, diversity reception can cover up short obstacles up to the antenna interval, and gap-fillers are for longer obstacles. The composition of the obstacles along the railway is that there are quite a lot of short obstacles and fewer long obstacles. For instance, there are about 10,000 trolley wire support structures, whereas there are only about 70 tunnels on the Tokaido Shinkansen, a representative Japanese trunk railway. Therefore, the diversity reception can exclude most of harmful effect by these obstacles at low cost. However, diversity reception is only effective against obstacles up to the diversity distance between two antennas. The gap-filler will be installed for long obstacles that exceed the diversity length. Our greatest concerns are the effectiveness of the diversity reception, the level of satellite link availability and network throughput under actual railway conditions. As a diversity reception, we have proposed IP packet (layer 3) selecting scheme, which we call layer 3 diversity reception, and have developed the packet selector that is the key to this reception scheme [4].

0-7803-9152-7/05/$20.00 2005 IEEE

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This paper clarifies the actual shadowing conditions of the Tokaido Shinkansen railway and confirms the effectiveness of the proposed diversity technique by evaluating the network performance of the Ku-band mobile satellite communication system under the running train environment of this railway. The layer 3 diversity reception technique is described in section II. In section III, the satellite visibility data collection method along Shinkansen railway line is described, and the statistical features of the obstacles that were obtained from the analysis of collected data are shown. The design parameter of the diversity reception is described. Section IV presents the network throughput of the Ku-band mobile satellite communication system with the layer 3 diversity reception that was simulated on experimental test bed with the satellite availability data. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed shadowing countermeasure is discussed in relation to these throughput results. II. LAYER 3 DIVERSITY RECEPTION The diversity reception scheme applied to this mobile satellite communication system for trains must have the following requirements. (i) It must not influence the existing satellite communication system: Because this system is based on an existing multimedia satellite communication system [2], it must not influence existing users. Thus, the modulation scheme, FEC, and frame format cannot be modified. There must be no influence to the Internet mechanism. (ii) It must furnish network connectivity between different communication media such as not only satellite systems but also the satellite and gap-filler system: For instance, there are a lot of cases in which the diversity reception receives both the satellite signal and the gap-filler signal as in the vicinity of the tunnel entrance or exit. It should be noted that the gap-fillers are equipment for the terrestrial mobile communications, and there is strong possibility to use different communication system from satellite communication, especially in layer 1 system. Signals must be able to be seamlessly received even in such a case. Among several diversity reception methods indicated below, we have to select the adequate method which meets these requirements. (1) Layer 1 diversity reception (a) The antenna is switched by signal strength. (b) Electric power synthesis of each modulation symbol (c) Selection and/or synthesis by unit of error correction block (2) Layer 2 diversity reception Selection and/or synthesis with layer 2 frame such as, MPEG-TS, Ether or ATM. (3) Layer 3 diversity reception Selection of IP packet decoded in IP layer (layer 3) Because layer 1 diversity reception methods (b) and (c) and layer 2 diversity reception cannot satisfy requirement (ii), these methods cannot be adopted. Moreover, layer 1 diversity reception method (a) cannot be adopted because the receiving antenna might change neglecting a frame and/or a packet break point resulting packet loss. On the other hand, because the IP layer doesn't depend on communication media, the layer 3 diversity reception method can satisfy requirement (ii). In addition, the reception signal symbol difference is not a problem in this method because it processes after the signal received with each antenna has been

decoded into IP packets at the receiver. The layer 3 diversity reception scheme is depicted in Figure 2.

Tracking antenna receiver

Tracking antenna
receiver

Gap-filler with wireless LAN in tunnels

Packet selector

Access server
Server

Cellular networks

Packet selector

Diversity reception with satellite antennas

Diversity reception with satellite antenna and gap-filler

Figure 2. Configuration of layer 3 diversity reception. The proposed scheme chooses packets from two receivers by using a packet selector, each of which decodes the signals to obtain IP packets. The selector has two input ports to receive these IP packets and one output port. Two queues are placed in the selector, one for each receiver. A new packet is forwarded, and one that has already arrived in the other queue is discarded. This diversity reception can be applied regardless of the satellite link or the gap-filler link by setting two selectors in tandem; thereby a seamless connection can be realized even in tunnels that are longer than the length of the train. In addition, the scheme does not require additional information for packet identification, so the server or receiver are kept unchanged; therefore this method satisfies requirement (i). As can be seen in Figure 3, packet 1 arrives from receiver B, and packet 2 arrives from receiver A. Because the packets have not already arrived, they are output immediately by the selector. Note that packet 3 from receiver A is output and packet 3 from receiver B is discarded because the same packet has already arrived at A. Thus, even though this packet-selection scheme is very simple, packets are transmitted without any duplication or loss. Our former study shows that the layer 3 diversity is very effective even in the most ideal situation that the trolley wire support structures were sole obstacles [4].
Discard a packet if the same one has already been received at the other port.

Input from receiver A Input from receiver B

Time

Time Forward a packet if the same one has not been received. 1 2 3 Output of the Time packet selector Figure 3. Proposed packet selection scheme.

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III. SATELLITE VISIBILITY EVALUATION ALONG SHINKANSEN RAILROAD A. Measurement of satellite visibility Although an onboard satellite-tracking antenna on top of the roof of a Shinkansen train would be the most reliable way to evaluate existing satellite visibility, it was impossible to mount one for security and operational reasons. Instead, we obtained satellite visibility data by investigating the obstructions in the satellite direction on the video images of the zenith taken as the Shinkansen moved. First, a massive number of video frames were taken by a small CCD camera with a fish-eye lens that was placed under the roof window of the Shinkansen High-Speed Multiple Inspection Train, nicknamed Doctor Yellow [5]. The satellite cannot be seen on the video; i.e., it cannot be determined from the video images whether the calculated satellite positions are correct or not. Instead, the satellites position was superimposed in each video frame. The position was calculated by using the train's position obtained by GPS and kilometer marker data provided every 200 msec, and the attitude angle of the train obtained with a gyro at the moment the image was taken. The resolution of the gyrofiber optical gyro : FOG) was plus-minus 0.1 degrees but without some form of correction, the yaw angle error of the gyro would accumulate to 10 degrees during the 2 hour and 40 minute run of the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka. We corrected the yaw angle error by using the vector angle converted from the position information obtained by the GPS along a straight section of the railway. After the measurements and calculations of the satellite position to all images, we verified the accuracy of the satellite position measurement with the following two corroborations.

1) Comparison with the calculated and videoed solar position 2) Comparison with satellite signal reception result Figure 4 show one example of momentary video images before and after the sun moves behind a building. In these figures, the center of the red cross mark shows the calculated solar position. Note that the smear (an undesired signal that appears as a brighter vertical stripe emanating from a hot spot of the sun) and the cross mark overlap (Figure 4 (a)). Also note that the smear disappears at the moment the sun goes behind the building and the cross mark overlaps the building edge (Figure 4 (b)). These phenomena were observed everywhere en route. After the comparison of the calculated solar position with the measured solar position for all the sun images, it was confirmed that the maximum calculation error of solar positions was about 6 or 7 pixels and average error was about 3 pixels (about 1 degree). The error is confirmed to be allowable to recognize the obstacle on the image.

This beam interrupts the link for the entire bridge length.

(a) Example of satellite visible state in video image.

Relative satellite signal reception level [dB]

5 0 -5 -10 -15 -20

time

close-up

Bridge section

(a) Before the sun moves behind a building.

(b) Example of satellite visible state in satellite signal reception.

close-up

Figure 5. Comparison of the results of two visibility measuring methods. Satellite signal receivers were used as auxiliary detectors for the second corroboration and N-Stars [6] S-band beacon was the target signal. Six conformally arranged helical antennas were installed under the roof windows. The antenna had low gain but a broad beam, and one or two of them were always in the sensible position. A broad beam antenna is tolerant of loose pointing but intolerant of unwanted signals from off-axis directions. Spectrum analyzers were used as the receiver and the resolution bandwidth (RBW) was narrowed to suppress the undesired signals. Because of the narrow RBW,

(b) After the sun moves behind a building. Figure 4. Example of verification image using the solar position.

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the time response was too low to detect short shadow periods; nevertheless, the detected signal was beneficial for confirming the visibility analysis of the video frame. Figure 5 shows one comparison example when the train crossed a bridge. In this case, longitudinal structure beams continuously but subtly obstruct the satellite direction (Figure 5 (a)). Figure 5 (b) shows the satellite signal reception level on the same bridge. The satellite signal reception level is significantly attenuated on this bridge. Consequently, it was also confirmed that this bridge section shadows the satellite signal and therefore that the calculated satellite position was judged to be in a shadowing condition. B. Statistical Analysis of obstacles The evaluation using the above-mentioned method revealed that the satellite visibility of N-STAR A (132 deg. East longitude) along the Tokaido Shinkansen is 82%. However, this visibility percentage is too low for the communication service. We aim to get a satellite availability of more than 99%, which is the current availability in Tokyo for Personal Digital Cellular (the Japanese 2G Cellular System). To achieve this, the statistical features of the obstacles affecting satellite visibility were analyzed. The obstacles were categorized as shown in the pie graph in Figure 6. Each sector represents the proportion of the whole distance obstructed by particular obstacles. The trolley wire support structures were not judged with the video images because in sight period of them are too short to recognize with a video camera; each of them passes through the view range in less than 1/5 period of single video frame when a Shinkansen runs at 270 km/h. Instead, the structures of 0.5 meters in width, were assumed to be located every 50 meters along side the railway representing actual conditions.
Bridges 7% Structures supporting trolley wire 6%

in this case. The remaining obstacles are mostly obstacles less than 100 meters in length. Therefore, satellite availability can be increased if, in addition to employing gap-fillers, the diversity distance can be made longer than 100 meters. Figure 8 shows the result of analyzing the satellite availability in terms of diversity distance. The satellite availability improves from 94.8 % to 98.5 % when the diversity distance is 50 meters, and our target satellite availability of 99.0 % can be achieved when the diversity distance is 150 meters. It is clear that satellite availability improves in relation to the diversity distance. Apparently, a diversity distance of 300 meters (maximum installation length for two receiving antennas on a Shinkansen train) can raise the satellite availability to 99.3%.
Probability (Obstacles length >ABSCISSA) [%]
100

Current distribution of obstacle lengths

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Gap-fillers are assumed in all tunnels and platform roofs

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Figure 7. Cumulative distribution of obstacle length.

Satellite availability [%]

100 99 98 97 96 95 94 0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Tunnels 74%

Overpasses 3% Platform roofs 2% Others 8%

Figure 6. Kinds of the obstacles and their relative cumulative length. Figure 7 shows the cumulative distributions of the obstacle lengths with and without gap-fillers as shadowing countermeasure technology. The abscissa is the obstacle length, and the ordinate shows the percentage of the sum of all obstacle lengths longer than the abscissa over the total distance of the Tokaido Shinkansen route. The blue curve shows the case when the shadowing countermeasure technology including a gap-filler is not used, that is to say, the current distribution of obstacle lengths. The distribution extends from several centimeters to several kilometers. The diversity reception technique can cover up to the length of a Shinkansen train. Obstructions whose lengths exceed a Shinkansen trains, such as tunnels and platform roofs, can be remedied by gap-fillers. The red curve shows the case when gap-fillers are assumed to be placed in all tunnels and platform roofs. Evidently, satellite availability rises to 94.8 %

Diversity distance [m]

Figure 8. Satellite availability dependency on diversity distance. IV. NETWORK PERFORMANCE EVALUATION A. Test bed The TCP throughput performance of the proposed Ku-band mobile satellite communication system for trains that used layer 3 diversity reception and the effectiveness of layer 3 diversity reception were evaluated on an experimental test bed we have constructed in our laboratory. Figure 9 shows the configuration of the test bed for diversity reception. Only one receiver was used for the non-diversity measurements. To simulate the satellite link propagation delay and network delay, a network emulator was placed between the FTP server and the ATM router. This delay time was set according to the measurement result for the round trip delay of 450 ms. The

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aforementioned shadowing conditions in the satellite link were simulated with the satellite controller and the SPDT (single pole double throw) switches (SW), which could arbitrarily break the emulated satellite signals that were set by the satellite controller, to simulate the measured shadowing conditions. The shadowing of the rear antenna was reproduced to simulate diversity reception by delaying the shadowing of the front antenna with a delay corresponding to the running speed of the Shinkansen train. The return link was set to 64 kb/s, assuming a 3rd generation (3G) mobile communication network.
Satellite states

Emulated satellite link

Network Emulator
FTP Server

State time

ATM Router

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Packet Selector

Client PC (WinXP)

with diversity reception is 800 kbit/s to 900 kbit/s except for the first 50-kilometer section which is in a Tokyo urban area where a lot of buildings and overpasses exist. On the other hand, the average throughput without diversity reception was 235 kbit/s as shown in Table 1. The highest throughput without diversity reception was 345 to 392 kbit/s in the section from 50 kilometers to 150 kilometers and from 450 kilometers to 500 kilometers. These sections have a lot of tunnels in which gap-fillers give complete link availability. On the other hand, the throughput was degraded to 150 kbit/s in the Tokyo urban area. Thus the effect of the tunnel gap-fillers is to make the throughput in these sections higher than in other sections. The effectiveness of the proposed layer 3 diversity reception as a shadowing countermeasure technology was well demonstrated. Table 1: Average TCP throughput in all sections
satellite reception states ideal environments actual environments without diversity 235 kbit/s 1122 kbit/s with diversity 834 kbit/s satellite availability 94.8% 99.3%

Switch

Receiver

RAS
ISDN

Emulated return link

TA

Figure 9. Test bed configuration of network TCP throughput when layer 3 diversity reception is used. B. Network throughput performance Under such conditions, the network throughput with and without layer 3 diversity reception was evaluated by transferring a 3 GByte file in the server (Windows XP) to a user PC (Windows XP) by employing FTP. In the evaluation, TCP window size was set to 64 Kbytes and the selective ACK mode was activated. The diversity distance of the two antennas was assumed to be 300 meters. The TCP throughput with no interception of the satellite link as the ideal situation was 1122 kbit/s.
1000 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0

V. CONCLUSION This paper described the network performance of our Ku band mobile satellite communications system with layer 3 diversity reception under actual Shinkansen railroad propagation conditions. The results confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed shadowing countermeasure technologies under high-speed running Shinkansen train environments. Our Ku-band mobile satellite communication system was thus proven able to offer a broadband communication environment to passengers in trains. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The author wish to express our deep gratitude to the members in the technology research and development department of Central Japan Railway Company, in particular, Mr. Seiji Imai and Mr. Ryuta Kawai for their cooperation with us in this work. REFERENCES Fumiaki Nagase, Hiroshi Tanaka, Jin Mitsugi, and Masazumi Ueba, IP Network Performance of a Ku Band Mobile Multimedia Satellite Syatem,AIAA-2002-2061, 20th AIAA ICSSC, May 2002. Masayoshi Nakayama, Manabu Nakagawa, Youichi Hashimoto, Kazunori Tanaka, and Hiroshi Nakashima, A satellite communication system for multimedia network, IEICE Trans. Commun., Vol.E80-B, no.1, pp. 103-108, Jan. 1997. Fumiaki Nagase, Jin Mitsugi, Masayoshi Nakayama, and Masazumi Ueba, Ku Band Mobile Multimedia Satellite Communications System for Trains, AIAA-2003-2205, 21st AIAA ICSSC, May 2003. Fumiaki Nagase, Jin Mitsugi, Masayoshi Nakayama, and Masazumi Ueba, Shadowing Countermeasure Technology with Layer 3 Diversity Reception for Ku Band Mobile Satellite Communication Systems, AIAA-paper-2004-3148, 22nd AIAA ICSSC, May 2004. http://jr-central.co.jp/english.nsf/doc/report/$FILE/Annua l_Report_2003.pdf Masayoshi Tanaka and Kazuichi Yamamoto, New Technologies in N-STAR Communication Payload, AIAA-98-1248, 17th AIAA ICSSC, Feb. 1998.

Throughput [kbit/s]

With diversity Without diversity

[1]

[2]

500 11 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 10 515 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Distance [km]
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Figure 10. Average TCP throughput of every 50-kilometer section. Figure 10 shows average TCP throughput for every 50-kilometer section when the measured satellite visible data was used. Moreover, Table 1 shows the average throughput for all sections. When diversity reception is used, about 74% (834 kbit/s) of throughput in the ideal situation is obtained. However, when the diversity reception is not used, this value drops to only about 20 % (235 kbit/s). In each case, it was assumed that gap-fillers were set up in all tunnels and platform roofs, and there were no interceptions of the satellite link in their sections. The other obstacle data used the measurement result for the satellite visible states including the trolley wire support structures. In Figure 10, the throughput

[4]

[5]
[6]

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