A fair medium access control protocol for ad-hoc networks with MIMO links

We present a new medium access control (MAC) protocol for ad-hoc networks with multiple input multiple output (MIMO) links. Links that use multiple element arrays (MEAs) at both ends are referred to as MIMO links. MIMO links are known to provide extremely high spectral efficiencies in multipath channels by simultaneously transmitting multiple independent data streams in the same channel. MAC protocols have been proposed in related work for ad-hoc networks with other classes of smart antennas such as switched beam antennas. However, as we substantiate in the paper, the unique characteristics of MIMO links necessitate an entirely new MAC protocol. We identify several advantages of MIMO links, and discuss key optimization considerations that can help in realizing an effective MAC protocol for such an environment. We present a centralized algorithm that has the optimization considerations incorporated in its design. Finally, we present a distributed protocol that approximates the centralized algorithm, and compare its performance against that of baseline protocols that are variants of the CSMA/CA protocol.

[1]  M. J. Gans,et al.  The range increase of adaptive versus phased arrays in mobile radio systems , 1999 .

[2]  Nitin H. Vaidya,et al.  Medium access control protocols using directional antennas in ad hoc networks , 2000, Proceedings IEEE INFOCOM 2000. Conference on Computer Communications. Nineteenth Annual Joint Conference of the IEEE Computer and Communications Societies (Cat. No.00CH37064).

[3]  Terence D. Todd,et al.  Indoor SDMA capacity using a smart antenna base station , 1997, Proceedings of ICUPC 97 - 6th International Conference on Universal Personal Communications.

[4]  Mary Ann Ingram,et al.  Control using capacity constraints for interfering MIMO links , 2002, PIMRC.

[5]  Srikanth V. Krishnamurthy,et al.  Polling-based media access protocols for use with smart adaptive array antennas , 2001, TNET.

[6]  Mary Ann Ingram,et al.  Stream control in networks with interfering MIMO links , 2003, WCNC.

[7]  Mary Ann Ingram,et al.  Measured capacities at 5.8 GHz of indoor MIMO systems with MIMO interference , 2003 .

[8]  Jack M. Winters,et al.  Optimum Combining in Digital Mobile Radio with Cochannel Interference , 1984, IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications.

[9]  Gerard J. Foschini,et al.  Layered space-time architecture for wireless communication in a fading environment when using multi-element antennas , 1996, Bell Labs Technical Journal.

[10]  Kai Li,et al.  Power consumption and throughput in mobile ad hoc networks using directional antennas , 2002, Proceedings. Eleventh International Conference on Computer Communications and Networks.

[12]  D. R. Fulkerson,et al.  Incidence matrices and interval graphs , 1965 .

[13]  Robert J. Mailloux,et al.  Phased Array Antenna Handbook , 1993 .

[14]  Robert E. Hiromoto,et al.  A MAC protocol for mobile ad hoc networks using directional antennas , 2000, 2000 IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking Conference. Conference Record (Cat. No.00TH8540).

[15]  Robert E. Tarjan,et al.  Algorithmic Aspects of Vertex Elimination on Graphs , 1976, SIAM J. Comput..

[16]  Nitin H. Vaidya,et al.  Using directional antennas for medium access control in ad hoc networks , 2002, MobiCom '02.

[17]  Joseph M. Kahn,et al.  Fading correlation and its effect on the capacity of multielement antenna systems , 2000, IEEE Trans. Commun..

[18]  J. Bach Andersen,et al.  Antenna arrays in mobile communications: gain, diversity, and channel capacity , 2000 .

[19]  Ram Ramanathan,et al.  On the performance of ad hoc networks with beamforming antennas , 2001, MobiHoc '01.

[20]  Lizhong Zheng,et al.  Diversity and multiplexing: a fundamental tradeoff in multiple-antenna channels , 2003, IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory.

[21]  M. J. Gans,et al.  On Limits of Wireless Communications in a Fading Environment when Using Multiple Antennas , 1998, Wirel. Pers. Commun..

[22]  Jens Zander,et al.  CSMA/CA with Beam Forming Antennas in Multi-hop Packet Radio , 2001 .

[23]  David Gesbert,et al.  From theory to practice: an overview of MIMO space-time coded wireless systems , 2003, IEEE J. Sel. Areas Commun..

[24]  Richard D. Gitlin,et al.  The impact of antenna diversity on the capacity of wireless communication systems , 1994, IEEE Trans. Commun..

[25]  Theodore S. Rappaport,et al.  Smart Antennas for Wireless Communications: Is-95 and Third Generation Cdma Applications , 1999 .

[26]  Vaduvur Bharghavan,et al.  Achieving MAC layer fairness in wireless packet networks , 2000, MobiCom '00.