Performance of LAMS-DLC: A protocol for low altitude satellite networks

LAMS-DLC, a data link control protocol for low altitude satellite networks, was developed to overcome throughput limitations inherent in event-based positive acknowledgment (POS-ACK) automatic repeat request (ARQ) class protocols by relaxing certain reliability constraints, in particular the in-sequence delivery constraint. This relaxation results in a new class of link layer service, that of reliable datagram, and permits a fresh approach to link layer protocol design. In this paper we discuss the motivation for such a protocol, describe one such protocol, LAMS-DLC, and compare throughput efficiency with results obtained from a simulation model. Results suggest that LAMS-DLC provides near optimal throughput efficiencies in the target environment, while using significantly less buffer space than is required for conventional POS-ACK protocols.