Analysis of packet errors in Gilbert-Elliott channels

Abstract

50 years ago, Gilbert and Elliott introduced 2-state Markov channels to characterize bursty error processes in data transmission. The focus of this work is on the analysis of the effect of bit errors on higher layer blocks or packets. Starting from 2-state bit error channels in an extended Gilbert-Elliott format, packet errors again result in a 2-state process of the same type. The parameters of the packet error process are explicitly derived from those of the underlying bit error process. The solution for main performance measures is based on a superposition of two geometrical functions for the distributions of packet error bursts and gaps and the second order statistics.