ARQ stands for Automatic Repeat reQuest, which is a communication protocol used to improve the reliability of data transmission over unreliable or error-prone communication channels. It's a type of error control protocol that allows the sender and receiver to detect and correct errors that occur during data transmission.
Here's how ARQ typically works:
1. Data Transmission: The sender transmits data packets to the receiver over the communication channel.
2. Acknowledgment: Upon receiving a data packet, the receiver sends an acknowledgment (ACK) back to the sender to indicate successful reception. If the receiver detects errors in the received packet, it sends a negative acknowledgment (NACK) or remains silent, depending on the specific ARQ protocol being used.
3. Error Detection: The sender uses timers to keep track of transmitted packets and waits for acknowledgments from the receiver. If the sender does not receive an acknowledgment within a specified time frame, it assumes that the packet was lost or corrupted during transmission.
4. Negative Acknowledgment (NACK): If the receiver detects errors in a packet, it sends a negative acknowledgment (NACK) to the sender, indicating that the packet was corrupted and needs to be retransmitted.
5. Retransmission: Upon receiving a NACK or timing out without receiving an acknowledgment, the sender retransmits the data packet. The receiver then processes the retransmitted packet and sends an acknowledgment if it is successfully received without errors.
6. Flow Control: ARQ protocols often incorporate flow control mechanisms to regulate the rate of data transmission based on the receiver's ability to process incoming data. This helps prevent the sender from overwhelming the receiver with data and causing buffer overflows or congestion.
ARQ protocols can be categorized into several types based on their specific strategies for handling retransmissions and acknowledgments.
ARQ can be implemented in different variations, including:
- Stop-and-Wait ARQ: In this simplest form of ARQ, the sender waits for an acknowledgment (ACK or NACK) before sending the next packet.
- Go-Back-N ARQ: The sender can send multiple packets before receiving acknowledgments. If the receiver detects an error in any packet, it discards the corrupted packet and all subsequent packets until the error is resolved.
- Selective Repeat ARQ: Similar to Go-Back-N ARQ, but the receiver selectively acknowledges correctly received packets, allowing the sender to retransmit only the corrupted packets.
ARQ protocols are widely used in various communication systems, including wireless networks, Ethernet, and the Internet, to ensure reliable data transmission in the presence of errors and packet loss.
ARQ is effective for correcting errors in real-time communication systems such as streaming media, voice calls, and interactive applications like online gaming. However, it introduces additional latency and overhead due to the need for acknowledgment messages and potential retransmissions. The choice between FEC and ARQ often depends on factors such as the characteristics of the communication channel, the required reliability, and the acceptable latency.