A multi-layer collision resolution multiple access protocol for wireless networks

Abstract

In mobile communication networks operating in unreliable physical transmission, random access protocol with the collision resolution (CR) scheme is more attractive than the ALOHA family including carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) [IEEE Networks (September 1994) 50–64], due to likely failure on the channel sensing. Being a member of CR family schemes, a protocol known as non-preemptive priority multiple access (NPMA) is utilized in a new high-speed wireless local area network, HIPERLAN, standardized by European Telecommunication Standard Institute (ETSI). A conceptually three-layer CR multiple access protocol generalized from NPMA, supporting single type of traffic, is thus presented and analyzed in this paper. The CR capability of such a protocol (and hence NPMA) is proved to be significant by numerical substantiation that additional collision detection schemes are dispensable; also its throughput/delay performance is excellent when the proportion of the transmission phase to a channel access cycle is large enough (i.e., the winner of contention should transmit all of its packets successively). On the other hand, the simulated performance of NPMA serving integrated traffic is not fully satisfactory, primarily due to its distributed control mode and distinguishing traffic types only by the prioritization process.