On decoding delay of intra-session random linear network coding for line networks

Random linear network coding (RLNC) can improve the reliability of end-to-end communication in the presence of erasure channels. In RLNC with intra-session coding, an intermediate node creates coded packets by combining the packets of various sources destined for a destination. Each transmitted packet contains information of multiple sources. In this paper, we study the decoding delay of RLNC with intra-session coding for a line network with S sources and a destination. Given the generation size K, we show that the expected decoding delay is upper-bounded by √(η₂K log(S)) + K_η1 + η, where η, η₁, η₂ are constants. The analytical results are validated via simulations. We also compare the results with the case where intra-session coding is not used.