SCHC over DtS-IoT: Performance of SCHC Confirmation Modes in Satellite IoT

Static Context Header Compression and Fragmentation (SCHC) is a standard defined as an adaptation layer for supporting IPv6, UDP, and CoAP protocols in low power wide area network (LPWAN) technologies. SCHC has fragmentation modes that use confirmation mechanisms to deliver reliable communications. Direct-to-satellite Internet of Things (DtS-IoT) directly communicates between end devices and the satellite in an IoT environment. If SCHC is implemented in a DtSIoT environment, applications using IPv6 could have global coverage through the Internet of Things (IoT). Unfortunately, it is not known whether SCHC can operate with the current acknowledgement mechanisms in a DtS-IoT environment, and if so, it is not known which one performs better. This work evaluates SCHC acknowledgement modes for ACK-on-Error fragmentation mode, including the new SCHC Compound ACK mode. It determines which mode has the lowest transfer delay for different LoRa data rates and frame error rates in a DtS-IoT environment with LEO satellites.