In a wireless ad hoc network (MANET), nodes can form a centerless, self-organizing, multi-hop dynamic network without any centralized control function, while hidden and exposed terminals seriously affect the network performance. Meanwhile, the wireless network node is evolving from single communication function to jointly providing a self precise positioning function, especially in indoor environments where GPS cannot work well. However, the existing medium access control (MAC) protocols only deal with collision control for data transmission without positioning function. In this paper, we propose a MAC protocol based on 802.11 standard to enable a node with self-positioning function, which is further used to solve hidden and exposed terminal problems. The location of a network node is obtained through exchanging of MAC frames jointly using a time of arrival (TOA) algorithm. Then, nodes use the location information to calculate the interference range, and judge whether they can transmit concurrently. Simulation shows that the positioning function of the proposed MAC protocol works well, and the corresponding MAC protocol can achieve higher throughput, lower average end-to-end delay and lower packet loss rate than that without self-localization function.

In this paper, the world's first experimental evaluation of the Wi-SUN Japan Utility Telemetering Association (JUTA) profile-compliant feathery receiver-initiated transmission (JUTA F-RIT) protocol is conducted. Firstly, the transmission success rate in an interference environment is evaluated by theoretical analysis and computer simulations. The analysis is derived from the interference model focusing on the carrier sense. The analysis and simulation results agree as regards the transmission success rate of the JUTA F-RIT protocol. Secondly, we develop the dongle-type prototype that hosts the JUTA F-RIT protocol. Measurement results in a cochannel interference environment show that the transmission success rate at the lower MAC layer is around 94% when the number of terminals is 20. When the waiting time for the establishment of the communication link can be extended to exceed 10 s, the JUTA F-RIT protocol can achieve the transmission success rate of over 90% without the re-establishment of the communication link and re-transmission of data frames. Moreover, the experimental results are examined from two viewpoints of the performance of the frame transmissions and the timeout incident, and the feature of the JUTA F-RIT protocol are discussed.

In this paper, we advocate applying the concept of content-based wake-up to distributed estimation in wireless sensor networks employing wake-up receivers. With distributed estimation, where sensing data of multiple nodes are used for estimating a target observation, the energy consumption can be reduced by ensuring that only a subset of nodes in the network transmit their data, such that the collected data can guarantee the required estimation accuracy. In this case, a sink needs to selectively wake up those sensor nodes whose data can contribute to the improvement of estimation accuracy. In this paper, we propose wake-up signaling called estimative sampling (ES) that can selectively activate the desired nodes by using content-based wake-up control. The ES method includes a mechanism that dynamically searches for the desired nodes over a distribution of sensing data. With numerical results obtained by computer simulations, we show that the distributed estimation with ES method achieves lower energy consumption than conventional identity-based wake-up while satisfying the required accuracy. We also show that the proposed dynamic mechanism finely controls the trade-off between delay and energy consumption to complete the distributed estimation.

Radio frequency energy transfer (RET) technology has been introduced as a promising energy harvesting (EH) method to supply power in both wireless communication (WLC) and power-line communication (PLC) systems. However, current RET modified MAC (medium access control) protocols have been proposed only for WLC systems. Due to the difference in the MAC standard between WLC and PLC systems, these protocols are not suitable for PLC systems. Therefore, how to utilize RET technology to modify the MAC protocol of PLC systems (i.e., IEEE 1901), which can use the radio frequency signal to provide the transmission power and the PLC medium to finish the data transmission, i.e., realizing the ‘cooperative communication’ remains a challenge. To resolve this problem, we propose a RET modified MAC protocol for PLC systems (RET-PLC MAC). Firstly, we improve the standard PLC frame sequence by adding consultation and confirmation frames, so that the station can obtain suitable harvested energy, once it occupied the PLC medium, and the PLC system can be operated in an on-demand and self-sustainable manner. On this basis, we present the working principle of RET-PLC MAC. Then, we establish an analytical model to allow mathematical verification of RET-PLC MAC. A 2-dimension discrete Markov chain model is employed to derive the numerical analysis results of RET-PLC MAC. The impacts of buffer size, traffic rate, deferral counter process of 1901, heterogeneous environment and quality of information (QoI) are comprehensively considered in the modeling process. Moreover, we deduce the optimal results of system throughput and expected QoI. Through extensive simulations, we show the performance of RET-PLC MAC under different system parameters, and verify the corresponding analytical model. Our work provides insights into realizing cooperative communication at PLC's MAC layer.

Wireless full duplex (FD) communication can double the point-to-point throughput. To fully realize the benefits of the FD technique in wireless local area networks (WLANs), it is important to design the medium access control (MAC) protocols for FD communications. In FD MAC protocols, when a node wins the channel contention and transmits a primary transmission, its destination node can start a secondary transmission triggered by the primary transmission. Each secondary transmitter transmits a data frame even if its backoff timer is not zero. However, the backoff scheme in the FD MAC protocols follows the conventional scheme based on the distributed coordination function (DCF). Therefore, the nodes with FD MAC initialize the contention window (CW) size to minimum CW (CWmin) after their successful secondary transmissions. Therefore, CW initialization in the FD MAC causes further collisions at stations (STAs), which degrades network throughput. This paper proposes a novel backoff scheme for FD MAC protocols. In the proposed scheme, the CW size and backoff timer are not initialized but kept the current value after secondary transmissions. The proposed scheme can mitigate frame collisions at STAs and increase FD-transmission opportunity in the network, and then enhance the throughput significantly. This paper presents comprehensive performance evaluation in simulations, including non-saturation and saturation conditions, and co-existence conditions with legacy half duplex (HD) STAs. For performance analysis, this paper establishes Markov-chain models for the proposed scheme. The analytical results show theoretically that the operation of the proposed scheme enhances network throughput. The simulation results and analytical results show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.

In this paper, an enhanced feathery receiver initiated transmission (eF-RIT) protocol is proposed for wireless smart utility network (Wi-SUN) systems with high traffic bi-directional communications such as emergency gas automatic meter infrastructure (AMI) cases. Firstly, we evaluate the conventional F-RIT protocol by simulation and experiment. The measurement results show that the IEEE 802.15.4e compliant conventional F-RIT protocol can achieve over 90% transmission success rates under the practical AMI specified conditions. However, the transmission success rates decline in high traffic environments. Detailed analyses indicate the degradation of the performance is caused by the timeout problem which occurs when the destination terminal is in the wait duration of the data transmission, and so does not transmit an RIT data request frame. To overcome this problem, we propose the eF-RIT protocol that suppresses the frequency of timeout occurrence. The proposed eF-RIT protocol is also evaluated by simulation and experiment. The evaluation results indicate that the proposed eF-RIT protocol reduces the incident of timeout by up to 31%, and achieves transmission success rates as high as 90% when the data generation rate is 1.0×10-2s-1.

Long-distance wireless local area networks (WLANs) are the key enablers of wide-area and low-cost access networks in rural areas. In a WLAN, the long propagation delay between an access point (AP) and stations (STAs) significantly degrades the throughput and creates a throughput imbalance because the delay causes unexpected frame collisions. This paper summarizes the problems caused in the medium access control (MAC) mechanism of the WLAN by a long propagation delay. We propose a MAC protocol for solving the delay-induced throughput degradation and the throughput imbalance between the uplink and the downlink in WLANs to address these problems. In the protocol, the AP extends NAV duration of CTS frame to protect an ACK frame and transmits its data frame to avoid delay induced frame collisions by piggybacking on the ACK frame transmission. We also provide a throughput model for the proposed protocol based on the Bianchi model. A numerical analysis using the proposed throughput model and simulation evaluation demonstrate that the proposed protocol increases the system throughput by 150% compared with that obtained using the conventional method, and the uplink throughput can be increased to the same level as the downlink throughput.

Channel state estimation-based backoff algorithms for channel access are being widely studied to solve wireless channel accessing and sharing problem especially in super dense wireless networks. In such algorithms, the precision of the channel state estimation determines the performance. How to make the estimation accurate in an efficient way to meet the system requirements is essential in designing the new channel access algorithms. In this paper, we first study the distribution and properties of inaccurate estimations using a novel biased estimation analysis model. We then propose an efficient backoff algorithm based on the theory of confidence interval estimation (BA-CIE), in which the minimum sample size is deduced to improve the contention window tuning efficiency, while a fault-tolerance interval structure is applied to reduce the inaccurate estimations so as to improve the contention window tuning accuracy. Our simulation results show that the throughput of our proposed BA-CIE algorithm can achieve 99% the theoretical maximum throughput of IEEE 802.11 networks, thanks to the improved contention window tuning performance.

Directional communications have been considered as a feasible alternative to improve spatial division and throughput in mobile communication environments. In general, directional MAC protocols proposed in the literature rely on channel reservation based on control frames, such as RTS/CTS. Notwithstanding, channel reservation based on control frames increases latency and has an impact on the network throughput. The main contribution of this paper is to propose a channel reservation technique based on pulse/tone signals. The proposed scheme, termed directional pulse/tone channel reservation (DPTCR), allows for efficient channel reservation without resorting to control frames such as RTS and CTS. Theoretical and empirical results show that the proposed scheme has a low probability of failure while providing significant throughput gains. The results show that DPTCR is able to provide throughput improvement up to 158% higher as compared to traditional channel reservation employing RTS/CTS frames.

Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission is attracting interest for increasing the transmission rates of wireless systems. This paper surveys MIMO transmission technology from the viewpoints of transmission methods, access control schemes, and total transmission efficiency. We consider wireless local area networks (WLAN) systems that use MIMO technology; moreover, we focus on multiuser MIMO (MU-MIMO) technology, which will be introduced in next-generation WLAN systems such as IEEE802.11ac. This paper explains the differences in the detailed access control procedures for MIMO and MU-MIMO transmission, including channel state information (CSI) acquisition. Furthermore, the issues related to CSI feedback and solutions are also discussed. Related works on the medium access control (MAC) protocol in MIMO/MU-MIMO transmission are introduced. In addition, the throughput performance using MIMO/MU-MIMO transmission is evaluated considering an IEEE802.11ac-based WLAN system. From the numerical evaluation, it is shown that the overhead due to CSI feedback from the user terminals to the base station causes a decrease in the throughput. We verified that implicit beamforming, which eliminates CSI feedback, is effective for solving this issue.

In wireless networks, interference from adjacent nodes that are concurrently transmitting can cause packet reception failures and thus a significant throughput degradation. The interference can be simply avoided by assigning different orthogonal channels to each interfering node. However, if the number of orthogonal channels is smaller than that of interfering nodes, some adjacent nodes have to share the same channel and may interfere with each other. This interference can be mitigated by reducing the transmit power of the interfering nodes. In this paper, we propose to jointly coordinate the transmit power and the multi-channel allocation to maximize the network throughput performance by fully exploiting multi-channel availability. This coordination enables each node to use high transmission power as long as different orthogonal channels can be assigned to its adjacent nodes. Then, we propose a simple multi-channel media access control (MAC) protocol that allows the nodes on different channels to perform efficient data exchanges without interference in multi-channel networks. We show that the proposed scheme improves the network throughput performance in comparison with other existing schemes.

Landslides during heavy rainfall cause a great amount of damage in terms of both property and human life. To predict landslide disasters, we designed and implemented a wireless sensor network using our existing highly fault tolerant ad-hoc network. Since many sensors must be used, we propose a new MAC protocol that allows the network to support more sensor terminals. Our protocol is a hybrid CSMA/Psuedo-TDMA scheme which allows the terminals to decide their transmission timing independently in a random fashion. A timing beacon is not required, so power consumption can be reduced. Simulation results show that the number of terminals supported by the network can be greatly increased.

Designing a medium access control (MAC) protocol is a key for implementing any practical wireless network. In general, a MAC protocol is responsible for coordinating users in accessing spectrum resources. Given that a user in cognitive radio(CR) networks do not have priority in accessing spectrum resources, MAC protocols have to perform dynamic spectrum access (DSA) functions, including spectrum sensing, spectrum access, spectrum allocation, spectrum sharing and spectrum mobility, beside conventional control procedure. As a result, designing MAC protocols for CR networks requires more complicated consideration than that needed for conventional/primary wireless network. In this paper, we focus on two major perspectives related to the design of a CR-MAC protocol: dynamic spectrum access functions and network infrastructure. Five DSA functions are reviewed from the point of view of MAC protocol design. In addition, some important factors related to the infrastructure of a CR network including network architecture, control channel management, the number of radios in the CR device and the number of transmission data channels are also discussed. The remaining challenges and open research issues are addressed for future research to aim at obtaining practical CR-MAC protocols.

In general, the sensor network has a many-to-one communication architecture wherein each node transmits its data to a sink. This leads the congested nodes to die early and nodes nears the sink suffer from significant traffic concentrations. In this paper, we propose a cross-layer based routing and MAC protocol which is compatible with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard without additional overhead. The key mechanism is to provide dynamic route discovery and route maintenance operations to avoid and mitigate the most congested nodes by monitoring link status such as link delay, buffer occupancy and residential energy. In addition, the proposed protocol also provides a dynamic tuning of BE (Binary Exponent) and frame retransmission opportunities according to the hop distance to the sink node to mitigate funnel effects. We conducted simulations, verifying the performance over existing protocols.

In a shared medium communication system, mobile users contend for channel access according to a given set of rules to avoid collisions and achieve efficient use of the medium. If one or more users do not comply with the agree rules either due to selfish or malicious behaviours, they will cause some impacts on the system performance, especially to the well-behaved users. In this paper, we consider the problem of user misbehaviours on the performance of a wireless infrastructure-based network using reservation-based MAC protocols. Key misbehaving strategies possible in such a network are identified and explained. To quantify the impact of these misbehaviours upon the network performance, three different misbehaving scenarios are developed to allow a systematic investigation of each misbehaving strategy. For each scenario, we have derived mathematical formulations for evaluating and analyzing the key performance metrics, i.e., probabilities of success of well-behaved and misbehaved users and the fairness index. Numerical results show that the presence of misbehaviours can cause different levels of damage depending on the misbehavior strategy used. The combined multi-token and increasing permission probability strategies where the misbehaved user selfishly accesses the channel more times and with higher probabilities than allowed is shown to cause the most severe impairment of performance and fairness.

It is known that wireless ad hoc networks employing omnidirectional communications suffer from poor network throughput due to inefficient spatial reuse. Although the use of directional communications is expected to provide significant improvements in this regard, the lack of efficient mechanisms to deal with deafness and hidden terminal problems makes it difficult to fully explore its benefits. The main contribution of this work is to propose a Medium Access Control (MAC) scheme which aims to lessen the effects of deafness and hidden terminal problems in directional communications without precluding spatial reuse. The simulation results have shown that the proposed directional MAC provides significant throughput improvement over both the IEEE802.11DCF MAC protocol and other prominent directional MAC protocols in both linear and grid topologies.

A channel-hopping medium access control (MAC) protocol is proposed for cognitive operation of the 802.16d Mesh networks. The proposal mainly includes a channel-hopping algorithm of channel accessing for control messages transmission and reception, an algorithm of bandwidth allocation in cognitive operation, a cognition-enhanced frame structure, a method of spectrum sensing results reporting, and a method of incumbent detection. Compared to other studies, the channel-hopping algorithm for control messages transmission and reception requires no extra common control channels and operation of mesh clusters, thus it is more cost-effective and simpler in operation. Analysis shows that with this algorithm a Mesh node with any available channels has fair opportunities to receive beacon and network configuration information. Numerical results show that, compared to the mesh cluster method, the proposed channel-hopping algorithm has gain, e.g., as high as 3 times, in getting the data scheduling control messages received by one-hop neighbors, thus it has advantages in minimizing bandwidth allocation collisions. The algorithm of bandwidth allocation details the three-way handshake framework for bandwidth application and grant that is defined in 802.16d Mesh standard, and it enables dynamical resource allocations in cognitive operations. The feasibility of the channel-hopping MAC protocol is confirmed by simulations. And simulation results show that with the parameters set, a normalized aggregate saturation throughput of about 70% is achievable.

DOCSIS is the defacto industry standard for cable internet to the home. In this letter, we examine the delay characteristics of commercially deployed DOCSIS networks. We focus on four mechanisms of the DOCSIS MAC operation and develop a computationally simple simulator to reproduce the phenomena produced by these mechanisms. In reproducing these phenomena using our simulator, we demonstrate that the simulator properly encapsulates the core mechanisms of DOCSIS and effectively simulates the delay of packets.

This paper presents an ultra-low-power single-chip sensor-node VLSI for wireless-sensor-network applications. A communication centric design approach has been introduced to reduce the power consumption of the RF circuits and the entire sensor network system, through a vertical cooperative design among circuits, architecture, and communication protocols. The sensor-node LSI features a synchronous media access control (MAC) protocol and integrates a transceiver, i8051 microcontroller, and dedicated MAC processor. The test chip occupies 33 mm2 in a 180-nm CMOS process, including 1.38 M transistors. It dissipates 58.0 µW under a network environment.

In this paper, a novel decentralised dynamic sub-carrier assignment (DSA) algorithm for orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA)-based adhoc and cellular networks operating in time division duplexing (TDD) mode is proposed to solve the hidden and exposed node problem in media access control (MAC). This method reduces the co-channel interference (CCI), and thus increases the overall throughput of the network. Reduced CCI and increased throughput can be achieved, if time and frequency selectivity of the multi-path fading channel and the channel reciprocity offered by the TDD are fully exploited. The time and frequency selectivity of the channel are usually the main problem in mobile communication. However, in the context of channel assignment for OFDMA-based networks in TDD mode, the time and frequency selectivity of the channel are the key to reduce the interference. In the proposed channel assignment mechanism, several clusters of sub-carriers are assigned for data transmission between a transmitter and a receiver only if the corresponding channels of those sub-carriers linking this transmitter to potential victim receivers are deeply faded. In addition, the proposed algorithm works in a fully decentralised fashion and, therefore, it is able to effectively support ad hoc and multihop communication as well as network self-organisation. Numerical results show that the throughput obtained by the proposed approach for a given quality of service is higher than those of the conventional methods in any precondition of adhoc geographic scenario.