Self-Forming Multiple Sub-Nets Based Protocol for Tactical Networks Consisting of SDRs

Abstract

The paper presents a novel approach for tactical networks in which radios form self-regulatory virtual sub-nets on the basis of control messages. The design uses hybrid of frequency division multiple access (FDMA) and time division multiple access (TDMA) approaches with less call setup delays and increases in network throughput. This multiple sub-nets based distributed algorithm exploits available spectrum resources, provides collision-free simultaneous transmissions and autonomous selection of time slots over different frequency sub-bands with self-organizing and self-forming network capabilities. We propose two schemes which provide multi-channel medium access control with autonomous scheduling of time slots for software-defined radios (SDRs). The schemes use request and acknowledgment frames as control messages to devise a distributed solution. These control messages alone help to form virtual sub-nets, preserve frequency channels and schedule transmissions over multiple time slot intervals, depend on the type of data messages. In order to demonstrate the behavior of sub-nets for tactical networks, theoretical findings are exploited with experimental analysis to provide practical implementation of schemes using contention-free time slotted common control channel for nodes coordination and time slotted collision-free multi-channel environment for data transmissions. The results show the effective coexistence of multiple transmissions in a network with increase in network throughput and lower the data latency up-to 76.8%, when compare to conventional MAC protocols. The design is workable for time sensitive, mission critical networks and expected to support multi-hop transmissions in similar manner.