DATA TRANSMISSION OVER A COMMUNICATIONS LINK WITH VARIABLE TRANSMISSION RATES

摘要

An optimal data block size is determined for use in transmitting data atvariable rates over a communications link in predeterminedtime intervals, where each predetermined time interval has the same timeduration. Rather than varying data block size according to changesin transmission rates, which adds unnecessary complexity, the data blocks allhave the same fixed size, i.e., the same number of data bitsin each block. That fixed data block size is determined so that for all of theavailable data transmission rates, each predetermined timeinterval is fully occupied with useful information. The fixed data block sizeis determined based on a maximum frequency at which thetransmission rate may change on the communications link and a lowest availabletransmission rate. Preferably, the fixed size of each dateblock is limited by predetermined maximum and minimum data block sizes inorder to reduce the number of bit errors per data block,maintain a certain data throughput, and limit the amount of overhead bitsrelative to the number of payload bits for each data block.