Performance of the timed token scheme in MAP

Two new analytic approximations are given for the mean delay in the timed token bus network specified in MAP (manufacturing automation protocol). Each station on the network has two kinds of timer for controlling the maximum amount of time for data transfer before giving up the token. High-priority stations would set large values in the token holding timer (THT) and transmit until the timer expires. Low-priority stations compare the elapsed time since the last token arrival (measured cycle time) to the token rotation timer (TRT) setting, and transmit only for the time left in the timer. The first approximation, based on Fuhrmann's bound for the limited-k service discipline, is for the symmetric case where all the stations have the same traffic load and the identical THT or TRT settings. The approximation has been compared to simulation results, and found to be quite accurate for a representation factory network, with THT or TRT set at two and five times the average total walk time. The second approximation is for the asymmetric case where there is one saturated low-priority (limited-TRT) station, and the rest of the stations in the network have high priority with limited-THT service. These two formulas will be useful in the planning and operation of MAP networks by providing guidance in the choice of timer settings for meeting different priority service requirements. >