A Self-Organizing Link Layer Protocol for UWB Ad Hoc Networks

Abstract

Ultra Wide Band (UWB) impulse radio is a promising technology for future short-range, low-power, low cost and high data rate ad hoc networks. The technology is being explored in a number of research projects. While most UWB research for this class of networks is concentrating on the physical layer, little research has been published on link layer protocols which exploit the specifics of UWB impulse radio. In this paper, we focus on the self-organization concept and the peculiarities of UWB technology from a physical and a link layer point of view. A novel self-organizing link layer protocol based on time hopping spread spectrum is proposed in this paper. This protocol promises to be an efficient and collision-free mechanism that enables the devices to discover neighbor nodes and arrange the access to communication resources shared among the nodes. The adjustable parameters of the protocol enable the network to adapt to a dynamic environment.