A peer-to-peer communication protocol for underwater acoustic communication

The Advanced Marine Systems (AMS) group at Florida Atlantic University has developed a peer-to-peer communication protocol for use with acoustic communication systems interfaced with the Ocean Explorer (OEX) autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The protocol does not require a master-slave control structure between telemetry units and is applicable to arbitrary signaling formats. This architecture allows the communication channel to remain open such that any telemetry unit in the network can have channel access, and therefore insures the opportunity to transmit important data that may become available. The protocol has been implemented in an acoustic modem (AM) capable of transmitting binary data through the shallow-water acoustic waveguide. Data transmitted from an OEX AUV to a surface ship using this protocol in the ocean are presented.