FEC
Pronunciation: F-E-C
Also written as: FEC — Forward Error Correction
Forward Error Correction; a channel coding technique in which redundant data is added to a transmitted signal to allow the receiver to detect and correct errors without retransmission.
Full Definition
FEC is applied at the modulator to add structured redundancy to the data stream, enabling the demodulator to correct bit errors introduced by noise, interference, or fading. Common FEC schemes used in satellite communications include Turbo codes, LDPC (Low-Density Parity-Check), and convolutional codes with Viterbi decoding. The coding rate (e.g., 3/4, 7/8) expresses the ratio of information bits to total transmitted bits and directly affects the effective throughput of the link. Editors must render coding rates as fractions, not decimals, unless a style guide specifies otherwise. FEC is a key parameter in modulation and coding (ModCod) specifications such as DVB-S2.
Usage
Usage note: All caps. Coding rate expressed as a fraction (e.g., 3/4), not a decimal (0.75). Do not confuse with ARQ, which requires a return channel for retransmission requests.
In Context
- "The DVB-S2 carrier used a ModCod of 8PSK with FEC rate 2/3, providing a net throughput of 28.8 Mbps." — Modulation and coding plan
- "Increasing the FEC overhead from 1/2 to 3/4 improved link availability by 1.8 percentage points under rain-fade conditions." — Link-budget analysis