Satellite with regenerative processor

1. A satellite, comprising:

an input demodulator configured to apply an input modulation and coding (modcod) scheme to an input signal received by the satellite to generate decoded data;

an output modulator configured to apply an output modcod scheme to the decoded data to generate an output signal of the satellite; and

an output modcod scheme selector configured to receive an indicator of the input modcod scheme from the input demodulator, select the output modcod scheme for the output modulator based on the indicator of the input modcod scheme from the input demodulator according a predetermined relationship between input modcod schemes and output modcod schemes.

2. The satellite of claim 1 further comprising a lookup table that specifies the predetermined relationship between a plurality of input modcod schemes used by the input demodulator and a plurality of output modcod schemes used by the output modulator, each input modcod scheme linked to a respective output modcod scheme.

3. The satellite of claim 2 wherein the plurality of input modcod schemes and the plurality of output modcod schemes are Digital Video Broadcasting Second generation Extended (DVB-S 2 X) modcod schemes.

4. The satellite of claim 1 further comprising a channel lookup table containing entries allocating an input received by the satellite from a gateway to a plurality of output channels.

5. The satellite of claim 4 wherein the plurality of output channels consists of n output channels, the output modcod scheme selector is configured to select the output modcod scheme for n output modcod units associated with the n output channels based on the input modcod scheme such that the output modcod scheme has an output data rate that is equal to or greater than the data rate of the input modcod scheme in aggregate or as allocated for output n.

6. The satellite of claim 4 further comprising a frame lookup table, the frame lookup table configured to allocate the input received by the satellite from the gateway among the plurality of output channels with different frames allocated to different output channels.

7. The satellite of claim 6 wherein the frame lookup table has entries for modcod blocks, a modcod block being a minimum unit for applying modcod schemes, and wherein the frame lookup table allocates frames of a given modcod block in a pattern indicated by the frame lookup table.

8. The satellite of claim 1 further comprising a return payload connected to the input demodulator to receive an indication of input signal quality for data demodulated by the input demodulator and to return the indication of input signal quality to a sender of input data.

9. The satellite of claim 8 wherein the return payload is further configured to receive an indication of output signal quality, from a device external to the satellite, for data sent using the output modcod scheme and to relay the indication of output signal quality to the sender of input data.

10. The satellite of claim 1 further comprising a switch interposed between an input demodulator and the output modulator, the switch configurable to couple the input demodulator with any output modulator in the satellite.

11. The satellite of claim 1 wherein the output modcod scheme selector is further configured to use the indicator of the input modcod scheme from the input demodulator to find a corresponding entry in a lookup table that is stored in the satellite, the entry including the output modcod scheme for the output modulator.

12. The satellite of claim 11 wherein the input signal includes forward link data from a gateway, the gateway includes a gateway modulator configured to apply the first modcod scheme to the forward link data.

13. The satellite of claim 12 wherein the satellite further comprises:

a first signal quality detector configured to identify a first signal quality indicator for the received forward link data; and

a return payload connected to the first signal quality detector to send the first signal quality indicator for the received forward link data to the gateway.

14. The satellite of claim 13 wherein the output signal of the satellite includes the forward link data for a subscriber terminal, the subscriber terminal includes a second signal quality detector configured to identify a second signal quality indicator for forward link data received by the subscriber terminal from the satellite and transmit the second signal quality indicator to the gateway, and the gateway is configured to select the first modcod scheme according to the first signal quality indicator and the second signal quality indicator.

15. The satellite of claim 11 wherein the lookup table is configured to be updated by the gateway.

16. The satellite of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of processors including at least a first processor and a second processor, each processor having a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output ports;

a data link between the plurality of processors to permit data flow between at least the first processor and the second processor; and

a routing table that indicates connection of input ports and output ports of the plurality of processors, including a connection between an input port of the first processor and an output port of the second processor.

17. A satellite, comprising:

an input demodulator configured to apply an input modulation and coding (modcod) scheme to an input signal received by the satellite from a gateway to generate decoded data, and to generate an indicator of the input modcod scheme applied;

an output modulator configured to apply an output modcod scheme to the decoded data to generate an output signal of the satellite to a subscriber terminal;

a lookup table in the satellite, the lookup table specifying predetermined relationships between a plurality of input modcod schemes used by the input demodulator and a plurality of output modcod schemes used by the output modulator, each input modcod scheme linked to a respective output modcod scheme; and

an output modcod scheme selector in the satellite, the output modcod scheme selector configured to receive the indicator of the input modcod scheme from the input demodulator, find an entry in the lookup table corresponding to the input modcod scheme indicated, read an indicated output modcod scheme from the lookup table, and select the indicated output modcod scheme for use by the output modulator.

18. The satellite of claim 17 further comprising a channel lookup table containing entries allocating an input received by the satellite from a gateway to n output channels, the output modcod scheme selector is configured to select the output modcod scheme for n output modcod units associated with the n output channels based on the input modcod scheme such that the output modcod scheme has an aggregate output data rate for the n output channels that is equal to or greater than the data rate of the input modcod scheme.