MAC Protocols for Ad-Hoc Wireless

Networks
Contention Based Protocols
Receiver Initiated
RI-BTMA, MACA-BI, MARCH

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Receiver-Initiated Busy Tone Multiple Access Protocol
(RI-BTMA)

Available BW is divided into two channels

Data channel - Data packet transmissions
Control channel - Transmitting the busy tone signal
A node can transmit on the data channel only if it finds
the busy tone absent on the control channel
Data packet is divided into two portions
Preamble carries identification of intended destination node
Actual data packet
Both the control and data channels are slotted, with each
slot equal to length of the preamble

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 Receiver-Initiated Busy Tone Multiple Access Protocol
(RI-BTMA)
Data transmission steps:
Sender node waits for a free slot (busy tone signal is absent), then it
transmits the preamble
If preamble transmission fails, receiver does not acknowledge, and sender node
waits for the next free slot
Receiver node if receives the preamble intact, acknowledge by
transmitting the busy tone on the control channel
Receiver continues transmission of busy tone as long as it is receiving data
packets
Sender transmits the data packet
When the receiver stops receiving the data packets it discontinue the
busy tone
Busy tone serves two purposes
Acknowledges sender about successful reception of preamble
Informs the nearby hidden nodes about the impending transmission
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Packet Transmission in RI-BTMA

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 Receiver-Initiated Busy Tone Multiple Access Protocol
(RI-BTMA)
Two types (packet transmission is same in both the protocols)
Basic protocol
Controlled protocol
Basic protocol
Nodes do not have backlog buffers to store data packets
Packets that suffers collisions cannot be retransmitted
When network load increases, packet cannot be queued at the nodes
Works only when the network load is light
Control protocol
Backlog buffer is available
The protocol can work for multi-hop radio network as well as for
single-hop fully connected networks
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 MACA-By Invitation (MACA-BI)
Eliminates the need for RTS used in MACA (sender initiated)
MACA use three way hand shake (RTS-CTS-Data) whereas,
MACA-BI eliminated the need for the RTS packets
Receiver initiates data transmission by transmitting a ready
to receive (RTR) control packet to the sender
If sender is ready to transmit, respond by sending data packet
Can also carries control information regarding backlog flows at
transmitter node, number of packets queued, and packet lengths
Helps in maintaining the flow
RTR carries the duration of transmission and helps in
overcoming the hidden node problem
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Packet Transmission in MACA-BI

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 Hidden Node Problem in MACA-BI
Collision of RTR packets with data packets can still occur in certain
cases

Both RTR packets will collides at A, it does not aware of any

communication taking place
So, when node A transmits RTR, it will collide with data packets at
R1 R2
Efficiency is mainly dependent on the ability of the receiver node to
predict accurately the arrival rates of traffic at the sender node
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Media Access with Reduced Handshake (MARCH)

Does not require any traffic prediction mechanisms

Reduce the number of handshake involves in data transmission
RTS packet is used only for the first packet of the stream, from the
second packet onward, only the CTS packet is used
Carries information regarding the duration of next data packet, MAC
address of the sender, route identification number for that flow
A node obtains information about data packet arrivals at its neighboring
nodes by overhearing the CTS packets transmitted by them
It then sends a CTS packet to the concerned neighbor node for relaying
data from that node
CTS packet carries MAC address of the sender and the receiver node,
and route identification number for that flow

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 Handshake Mechanisms
MACA and MARCH

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Example Topology

Advantages
Throughput is significantly higher as
compare to MACA
Control overhead is much less
End-to-end delay is low

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Contention Based Protocols with
Reservation Mechanisms
Synchronous Protocols
D-PRMA, CATA, HRMA, SRMA/PA, FPRP

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 Distributed Packet Reservation Multiple Access
Protocol (D-PRMA)
Extends the centralized PRMA, designed for voice support in
wireless LAN with a base station
D-PRMA extends PRMA protocol for voice support in MANET
TDMA-based scheme
Channel is divided into fixed and equal-sized frames
Each minislot is further divided into two control fields RTS/BI and
CTS/BI (BI busy indication)
Used for slot reservation and overcoming hidden node problems
Any node wants to transmit packets has to first reserve slot, if
they have not been reserved already
Most suited for voice traffic, than that of data traffic
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 Distributed Packet Reservation Multiple Access
Protocol (D-PRMA)
All nodes ready for transmission contend for the first minislot of each slot
Remaining (m-1) minislots are granted to the node that wins the contention
Same slot in each subsequent frame can also be reserved for the winning node
until it completes its packet transmission session
If no node wins the first minislot, then the remaining minislots are continuously
used for contention, until a contending node wins any minislot
Within a reserved slot communication takes place either through TDD or FDD

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Distributed Packet Reservation Multiple Access
Protocol (D-PRMA)
A certain period at the beginning of each minislot is reserved
for carrier sensing
If a sender node detects the channel to be idle at the beginning
of a slot (minislot1), it transmits RTS packet (slot reservation
request) to the intended destination through RTS/B1 part of the
current minislot
On successfully receiving this RTS packet, the receiver node
responds by sending a CTS packet through CTS/B1 of the
same minislot
If the sender node receives this CTS successfully, then it gets
the reservation for the current slot and can use the remaining
minislots (2 to m)
Otherwise, it continues the contention process through the
subsequent minislots of the same slot 16
 Distributed Packet Reservation Multiple Access
Protocol (D-PRMA)
When a node wins the contention in minislot 1, other
terminals must be prevented from using any of the
remaining (m-1) minislots in the same slot for contention
A node wining the contention starts transmitting immediately
from minislot 2
Also, when a slot is reserved in subsequent frames, others
nodes should be prevented from contending for those
reserved slots
By raising the busy indication RTS/BI and CTS/BI of the same
slot in each subsequent frame
Both sender and receiver removes the signal when
transmission is over
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 Distributed Packet Reservation Multiple Access
Protocol (D-PRMA)
Nodes that are located within the radio coverage of the
receiver should not be permitted (has received the CTS) to
transmit simultaneously when the receiver is receiving the
packet
Collision will occur at the receive
Nodes (has received the RTS) located in with in the radio
coverage of the transmitter should allow to transmit
simultaneously
It make the protocol free from hidden/exposed node problem

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