Performance analysis of the ieee 802.16 arq mechanism

Abstract

The IEEE 802.16 technology defines the ARQ mechanism that enables a connection to resend data at the MAC level if an error is detected. In this paper, we analyze the key features and parameters of the 802.16 ARQ mechanism. In particular, we consider a choice for the ARQ feedback type, an algorithm to build block sequences, a scheduling of the ARQ feedbacks and retransmissions, the ARQ block rearrangement, ARQ transmission window and ARQ block size. We run a number of simulation scenarios to study these parameters and how they impact a performance of application protocols. The simulation results reveal that the ARQ mechanism and its correct configuration play an important role in transmitting data over wireless channels in the IEEE 802.16 networks.