A directional MAC protocol with long-range communication ability in ad hoc networks

Abstract

To address the problem that long-range communication capability in ad hoc networks using directional antenna is not generally utilized, a directional media access control (DMAC) protocol with long-range communication (LRC) capability in ad hoc networks is proposed. In the LRC-DMAC, the intermediate node uses a long-range orientation (LRO) algorithm to help the transmitter obtain the directional information of the receiver which is two hops away. Consequently, the long-range link between such two hops nodes can be set up. According to whether the received power information is available or not, we propose two types of LRO algorithm: without the received power information, a basic LRO obtains the approximate directional information of the long-range receiver by a geometric relationship; however, the LRO-PI can calculate the accurate directional information of the long-range receiver using the received power. Performance analysis indicates that the LRO algorithm achieves high accuracy when the relevant parameters are properly chosen. Simulation results show that the establishment of long-range links can effectively improve the network throughput and reduce the end-to-end delay.