Hop-Reservation Multiple Access (HRMA) for Ad-Hoc Networks

Abstract

A new multichannel MAC protocol called Hop-Reservation Multiple Access (HRMA) for wireless ad-hoc networks (multi-hop packet radio networks) is introduced, specified and analyzed. HRMA is based on simple half-duplex, very-slow frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) radios and takes advantage of the time synchronization necessary for frequency hopping. HRMA allows a pair of communicating nodes to reserve a frequency hop using a reservation and handshake mechanism that guarantee collision-free data transmission in the presence of hidden terminals. We analyze the throughput achieved in HRMA for the case of a hypercube network topology assuming variable-length packets, and compare it against the multichannel slotted ALOHA protocol, which represents the current practice of MAC protocols in commercial ad-hoc networks based on spread spectrum radios, such as Metricom's Ricochet system. The numerical results show that HRMA can achieve much higher throughput than multichannel slotted ALOHA within the traffic-load ranges of interest, especially when the average packet length is large compared to the duration of a dwell time in the frequency hopping sequence, in which case the maximum throughput of HRMA is close to the maximum possible value.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1999
Accession Number
ADA461711

Entities

People

  • J.J. Garcia-Luna-Aceves
  • Zhenyu Tang

Organizations

  • University of California, Santa Cruz

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Ad Hoc Networks
  • Code Division Multiple Access
  • Computer Communications
  • Data Transmission
  • Dwell Time
  • Frequency
  • Frequency Agility
  • Information Operations
  • Markov Chains
  • Markov Processes
  • Mesh Networks
  • Multiple Access
  • Network Topology
  • Networks
  • Probability
  • Random Variables
  • Wireless Networks

Fields of Study

  • Computer science

Readers

  • Computer Networking
  • Radio communications and signal processing.