Mx-DMA® MRC

Expect a Greater Return

Mx-DMA MRC sets the benchmark for return waveforms by uniting efficiency, scalability, service agility and performance into one—the industry’s most flexible and dynamic return technology. With the latest Dialog release, the waveform can support 300 Mbps return throughput on a single modem.

ST Engineering iDirect’s Mx-DMA MRC (Multi-Resolution Coding) is a patented, efficient and dynamic waveform and multiple-access scheme bringing ultimate service agility in a single return technology. With Mx-DMA MRC, service providers can support the largest networks and a full spectrum of use cases while sharing satellite capacity more efficiently over a group of different satellite terminals.

Mx-DMA MRC delivers the highest level of intelligent, real-time bandwidth allocation without limits on efficiency.
The scalability of Mx-DMA MRC allows a single network to support thousands of terminals for the widest mix of applications and network requirements.
Mx-DMA MRC offers a simpler way to manage complex traffic demands. Its service agility provides the highest Quality of Experience on a multi-service platform.
Performance on Mx-DMA MRC expands into data rates formerly only achievable by SCPC. The waveform reaches 100 Msps resulting in a record 300 Mbps throughput on the return channel.

As a single waveform that covers the widest mix of use cases, Mx-DMA MRC is engineered to meet any range of user requirements with the simplest yet most complete technology available to the satellite industry.

Mx-DMA MRC adapts rapidly to changing network traffic and link conditions, without introducing jitter and latency experienced with other waveforms while maximizing the utilization of available bandwidth resources. It provides the fastest reaction time combined with precision allocation of bandwidth. Mx-DMA MRC’s rapid response is made possible by precise time and frequency synchronization between the hub and the modems. It operates at 5 millisecond intervals. Up to 25 transmit plans are being created per second. Each new plan adapts for these changes for all sites:

Frequency assignment
Transmit power assignment
Symbol rate assignment
Modulation & Code Rate (MODCOD) assignment
Transmission length
Code length

Highest MODCOD granularity and high MODCOD support up to 64APSK: Each terminal operates at the highest MODCOD sustained by its link budget
5% roll-off: No unnecessary loss of capacity
Self-organizing: The return link collects all inputs in real-time to assign the bandwidth autonomously and dynamically to the entire population. No need for predefined carrier planning
Automatic regrowth control: Each terminal operates at the highest MODCOD, with real time monitoring of regrowth, caused by BUC nonlinearities
High resolution bandwidth allocation: Available spectral resources redistributed 25 times per second adapting seamlessly to changing traffic demand and link conditions. Minimum 5ms transmission lengths with a 100kHz symbol rate create industry-leading granularity in bandwidth assignment, lowest latency and jitter, and highest efficiency for any traffic profile
Scalable demodulator technology: Minimum transmit lengths of 5ms allows up to 5,000 active terminals with a single multi-carrier demodulator minimizing hub-side hardware requirements
Adaptive payload length: Adapting in real time versus using pre-coded static payload length results in meaningful efficiency gains across all applications from low-rate, bursty to high-rate traffic profiles
Phase noise optimization: Different phase noise profiles provide the flexibility to opt either for robustness or efficiency, based on the ODU phase noise characteristics
Advanced monitoring: On top of an extensive set of physical layer KPIs, Noise Floor measurement is used in-between frames for interference detection while embedded Spectrum Analyzer displays facilitate advanced troubleshooting
Unsolicited logon: No idle capacity consumption as terminals not passing traffic will log-off and restart transmission with an unsolicited logon mechanism as needed

Mx-DMA MRC ensures the highest efficiency for any type of application, fixed or mobile, and from very bursty traffic to fixed high bitrate services. The shared return can support a broad mix of traffic profiles. Applications with relatively lower bitrates, such as SOHO and broadband access, typically have a higher degree of overbooking to accommodate bandwidth sharing. Moving up the scale, Enterprise, SNG, Government, Cellular Backhaul and Maritime market applications have higher bandwidth requirements with less bandwidth sharing.

Terminals with a steady traffic demand will operate like a SCPC link, with slowly varying transmission parameters depending on link conditions, but will seamlessly share capacity with highly overbooked terminals carrying bursty traffic. Terminals not passing traffic will log off and restart transmission with an unsolicited logon mechanism when needed. This means that there is no idle capacity consumption.

An investment in Mx-DMA MRC infrastructure is future-safe, knowing that any future service plans will be supported in shared capacity, and sharing the infrastructure.

Mx-DMA MRC scales in MHz independent of the number of terminals so customers may be served with a single return link for the majority of their use cases, minimizing operational complexity and maximizing statistic multiplexing. Designing an Mx-DMA MRC link does not require precise knowledge of the traffic and terminal mix as the link self-optimizes in real time. Moreover, the high efficiency enables bandwidth savings, higher throughput, better network availability.