Packet Reservation Multiple Access Research Articles

PRMA-Based Cognitive Machine-to-Machine Communications in Smart Grid Networks

It is expected that cognitive machine-to-machine (M2M) communications in smart grid networks will be indispensable in the near future. In this paper, after discussing the motivation of cognitive M2M communications in a smart grid network, we design a cognitive medium access control (MAC) protocol, keeping in view the unique features of M2M devices and smart grid communication requirements. We propose the use of packet reservation multiple access (PRMA), carry out its feasibility study, and adapt and significantly enhance it with modifications particularly tailored for M2M environments. The proposed protocol is centralized in nature and utilizes a specialized frame structure for supporting the coexistence of the cognitive M2M network with the primary network. This frame structure is further optimized, considering different tradeoffs pertaining to primary network protection and the utility of a secondary M2M network. Performance evaluation is carried out by analytical modeling and simulation studies. We also present a case study for application of the proposed protocol in advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) networks under the dynamics of power systems.

A Vacation-Based Performance Analysis of an Energy-Efficient Motorway Vehicular Communication System

Due to the unprecedented growth in bandwidth requirement, the increasing number of access points (APs) deployed within a macrocell for services such as video conferencing, video gaming, and data off-loading leads to significantly higher energy consumption. This advancement in mobile networks has forced researchers to explore various methods of energy saving, although with little emphasis on motorway vehicular networks where mobility is also an important aspect. Energy saving in these networks is extremely challenging due to the dynamic nature of the environment in which they operate. To analyze such a network, we first develop a performance model for a medium access control (MAC) protocol, namely, the modified version of packet reservation multiple access (M-PRMA) with wireless channel impairments in a motorway vehicular environment. The M-PRMA protocol provides communication links (time slots) between an AP and the vehicles in range. The time slots of the M-PRMA protocol are modeled as servers where each outage of the channel is represented as a server on queue-length-independent vacation. Then, each AP, in a hierarchical micro-macro topology, is modeled as a single-server queue where the AP takes queue-length-dependent vacations (switches to sleep mode) to save energy during its inactivity period, although at the expense of degraded quality of service (QoS). To address this, a number of sleep strategies for the AP are studied. Finally, both of these proposed models (M-PRMA with channel impairments and AP with sleep cycles) are analyzed and verified through simulations. The performance results reveal that the introduction of sleep strategies at an AP can save up to 80% transmission energy during off-peak hours and 66% on average during the day in a motorway vehicular environment while supporting end-to-end QoS for video and audio conferencing applications.

Performance Analysis of a New Packet Reservation Multiple Access with Adaptive Permission Probability

The performance of wireless systems is greatly influenced by the multiple access protocols used in the radio access system. Packet reservation multiple access (PRMA) protocol is an adaptation of the Reservation ALOHA protocol to the wireless environment. In this paper, a new modified version of the PRMA protocol called PRMA with adaptive permission probability (PRMA-APP) is proposed. Then, the analytical model using a generic Markov chain model has been developed to analyze the PRMA-APP performance. In addition to the Markov model, a simulation program is developed to study the performance of this proposed PRMA-APP protocol at different scenarios. Through simulations and analytical analysis, the performance of proposed PRMA-APP protocol is evaluated and compared against the traditional PRMA and PRMA with random contention protocols. The performance analysis results show quantitative improvements in the performance of PRMA-APP with respect to the performance of traditional PRMA and PRMA with random contention. The results confirm that the PRMA-APP scheme is more robust and provides better balance in terms of channel utilization and low packet delay for all traffic conditions than the other two PRMA protocols.

Cognitive medium access control protocols for secondary users sharing a common channel with time division multiple access primary users

The unused time slots in a primary time division multiple access (TDMA) network are regarded as the potential channel access opportunities for secondary users (SUs) in cognitive radio (CR). In this paper, we investigate the medium access control protocols that enable SUs to access a common TDMA channel with primary users (PUs). The primary traffic is assumed to follow a Bernoulli random process. A two-state Markov chain is used to model the secondary traffic, and two different scenarios are considered. The first scenario assumes that the secondary packet arrivals are independent and follow a Bernoulli random process and a cognitive carrier sensing multiple access (Cog-CSMA) protocol is proposed. A Rayleigh fading channel is considered in evaluating Cog-CSMA, and its throughput expression is derived in this paper. The second scenario assumes that the packet arrivals follow a correlated packet arrival process and a cognitive packet reservation multiple access (Cog-PRMA) protocol is proposed. A Markov chain is used to model the different system states in Cog-PRMA and derive the throughput. Numerical results show that the Cog-CSMA and Cog-PRMA protocols achieve the objective of supporting secondary transmissions in a TDMA network without interfering the PUs' transmissions and improve the network bandwidth utilization. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Performance of Random Contention PRMA: A Protocol for Fixed Wireless Access

This paper introduces a packet reservation multiple access (PRMA) with random contention for fixed wireless access communications. The performance of PRMA scheme with random contention is compared with the performances of traditional PRMA under permission contention scheme. The proposed scheme is a simpler contention mechanism that does not depend on a pre-determined permission probability as PRMA under permission contention scheme. In this new method, terminals select the contention slot uniformly from the pool of remaining free slots in the current frame. We evaluate the performance of the new contention mechanism in terms of various metrics including maximum number of carried voice calls and packet delays for a given acceptable drop rate of voice packets. We show that the new mechanism is superior to that of PRMA under permission contention scheme for loaded systems and is expected to be insensitive for traffic source burstiness.

Analysis and Design of a MAC Protocol and Vehicular Traffic Simulator for Multimedia Communication on Motorways

This paper aims to guarantee the quality of service (QoS) to motorway drivers with regard to multimedia (triple play-video, voice, and data) communications, which requires substantial analysis of the characteristics of vehicular traffic profiles on motorways. We therefore perform an analysis of real vehicular traffic data taken from inductive loops on a motorway and then develop our own simulator to study real-time vehicular traffic scenarios on the medium access control (MAC) layer, where a wireless local area network (WLAN) base station (BS) is responsible for multimedia communication between vehicles and the backbone network. Access to this BS is managed by a modified version of the packet-reservation multiple access (M-PRMA) protocol, which we have integrated into the simulator. Finally, we use our developed simulator, which is built upon extensive analysis of vehicular traffic data, to evaluate the multimedia services offered to motorway drivers.

M-PRMA protocol for vehicular multimedia communication

Medium access control (MAC) protocols, responsible for sharing the channel among users, are receiving more attention especially in vehicular networks due to the highly dynamic nature of the environment in which they operate. Typically MAC protocols were designed for one traffic class such as voice, video or data as all of them have different characteristics. In this paper, we introduce a modified version of packet reservation multiple access namely M-PRMA MAC protocol for vehicular networks responsible for multimedia communication while maintaining quality of service (QoS) for each traffic class. We evaluate the performance of the MAC protocol in terms of packet dropping probability, average delay and throughput under a 3 × 3 km Manhattan grid representing a typical modern city.

A collision-free MAC scheme for multimedia wireless mesh backbone

Wireless mesh networking is a promising wireless technology for future broadband Internet access. In this paper, a novel collision-free medium access control (MAC) scheme supporting multimedia applications is proposed for wireless mesh backbone. The proposed scheme is distributed, simple, and scalable. Benefiting from the fixed locations of wireless routers, the proposed MAC scheme reduces the control overhead greatly as compared with conventional contention-based MAC schemes (e.g., IEEE 802.11). In addition, the proposed scheme can provide guaranteed priority access to real-time traffic and, at the same time, ensure fair channel access to the routers with data traffic. Unlike most of the existing MAC schemes which focus on single-hop transmissions, the proposed MAC scheme takes the intra-flow correlations between up-stream and downstream hops of a multi-hop flow into consideration. To avoid buffer overflow at bottleneck routers, a simple but effective congestion control mechanism is proposed. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme significantly improves the delay performance of real-time traffic and the end-to-end data throughput, as compared with IEEE 802.11 and distributed packet reservation multiple access (DPRMA). The performance analysis of the proposed scheme is also presented. The accuracy of the analytical results is verified by computer simulations.

A medium access control scheme for TDD-CDMA cellular networks with two-hop relay architecture

In this paper, we propose a multihop medium access control (mMAC) scheme for time division duplexing-code division multiple access (TDD-CDMA) cellular networks with two-hop relay architecture to support packet data transmission. The proposed mMAC is based on joint CDMA/PRMA (packet reservation multiple access) protocol and it includes BCH code selection, power control and multihop relaying. Simulation results reveal that cellular networks with two-hop relay architecture with the proposed mMAC scheme can substantially provide a good performance as well as larger cell coverage as compared to conventional TDD-CDMA single-hop cellular networks.

RESEARCH ON THE ACCESS NETWORK AND MAC TECHNIQUE FOR BEYOND 3G SYSTEMS

Based on the requirements of beyond 3G mobile communication systems, the access network architecture and media access control technique for B3G systems are studied. The proposed novel access network architecture, which can reduce network complexity and improve system performance, is introduced. Centralized mini-slot packet reservation multiple access (CMPRMA), based on OFDMA, is proposed, which not only can inherit the advantages of MPRMA and support real-time traffic well, but can also supply the resource reservation scheme for data traffic and support transmission for data traffic efficiently

Simulation study of some PRMA-based protocols with channel reservation for data traffic

Medium Access Control (MAC) and resource allocation are two challenging issues in mobile network. Packet reservation multiple access (PRMA) is considered as a promising MAC protocol for future application. In this paper, we first propose a PRMA-based scheme with dynamic channel assignment (DCA) in mobile cellular network. Through computer simulation we show that our proposed scheme outperforms the PRMA schemes with fixed channel assignment (FCA). Then, we propose another technique, namely location-based power transmission, to further improve the performance. This scheme can be extended and optimised for other mobile networks, such as mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs).

Dynamic non-collision packet reservation MAP for time division duplex-based wireless networks

The non-collision packet reservation multiple access (NC-PRMA) protocol was proposed by Wen and Wang to eliminate the unstable phenomenon in the PRMA protocol under heavy load conditions by allocating dedicated control mini-slots to mobile terminals (MTs). However, this does not utilise the channel resource efficiently. A dynamic non-collision PRMA (DNC-PRMA) protocol has been proposed to dynamically allocate control mini-slots to MTs such that the channel resource can be utilised efficiently. Using simulation, the proposed DNC-PRMA protocol is shown to yield significantly higher channel utilisation, lower packet dropping probability and lower channel access delay than a protocol that allocates a dedicated mini-slot to each MT.

Theoretical Analysis and Performance of NC-PRMA Protocol for Multichannel Wireless Networks

In this paper, we analyze the effect of duplexing schemes on the throughput and the average packet dropping probability of a new multichannel wireless access protocol which allows for non-collision packet reservation multiple access with multiple channel (NC-PRMA/MC). N C equal-capacity, orthogonal, traffic channels are shared by M mobile users on the uplink. Transmission attempts on the uplink are made by using time-frequency signaling in every frame, which enables transmission attempts of mobile users to be conveyed to the base station without collisions. Two kinds of duplexing schemes, frequency division duplexing and shared time division duplexing, are considered in the performance analysis. Using a discrete-time Markov chain analysis, we derive the analytic expressions for the average per channel throughput and the average packet dropping probability. Computer simulation results verify the analysis. Analytical evaluation and computer simulation show that NC-PRMA/MC with shared time division duplexing improves the channel capacity, which approaches the theoretical upper bound.

Terminal-Assisted Hybrid MAC Protocol for Differentiated QoS Guarantee in TDMA-based Broadband Access Networks

This paper presents a terminal-assisted frame-based packet reservation multiple access (TAF-PRMA) protocol, which optimizes random access control between heterogeneous traffic aiming at more efficient voice/data integrated services in dynamic reservation TDMA-based broadband access networks. In order to achieve a differentiated quality-of-service (QoS) guarantee for individual service plus maximal system resource utilization, TAF-PRMA independently controls the random access parameters such as the lengths of the access regions dedicated to respective service traffic and the corresponding permission probabilities, on a frame-by-frame basis. In addition, we have adopted a terminal-assisted random access mechanism where the voice terminal readjusts a global permission probability from the central controller in order to handle the ‘fair access’ issue resulting from distributed queuing problems inherent in the access network. Our extensive simulation results indicate that TAF-PRMA achieves significant improvements in terms of voice capacity, delay, and fairness over most of the existing medium access control (MAC) schemes for integrated services.

A Low-Complexity Source Encoding Assisted Multiple Access Protocol for Voice/Data Integrated Networks

We present and evaluate the performance of a reduced complexity variation to the source encoding assisted multiple access (SEAMA) protocol for integrating voice and data over a wireless network. This protocol, denoted as slow movable-boundary SEAMA (SMB-SEAMA), uses the same embedded and multistate voice encoder used in the original SEAMA protocol. However, in SMB-SEAMA, the movable voice/data boundary is not set based on the frame-by-frame bandwidth demand of the voice sub-system, but on the number of ongoing voice calls and the acceptable average distortion level. This results in a protocol that, at the network layer, is packet switched for both voice and data; however, from the data traffic point of view, the voice looks like circuit switched. Analytical results show that SMB-SEAMA is a very efficient MAC protocol and presents a model for analyzing the performance of queuing systems with a variable number of servers, each with a constant service time. Consequently, while reducing the refreshing rate of the movable boundary by three orders of magnitude, simulation results demonstrate that SMB-SEAMA does not significantly degrade the system performance (less than 8% reduction in throughput) and it still performs better than packet reservation multiple access (PRMA), the other known packet-switched scheme, which updates the boundary during every transmit frame.

Performance of CDMA/PRMA as an Access Technique for Integrated Services in a UMTS High Altitude Platform System

High Altitude Platforms (HAPs) have gained a great interest in recent years. HAP systems will be global in nature but national in service provision. They will deliver IMT-2000 mobile and fixed wireless access using the proposed IMT-2000 terrestrial component radio transmission technologies and protocols. Under the above consideration, in this paper the performance of a MAC protocol based on the combination of the well-known Packet Reservation Multiple Access (PRMA) scheme with Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technologies in a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) mode is studied, for a HAP operating at the 2 GHz frequency band at an altitude of 22 km. The impact of acknowledgement delay has been examined through computer simulations, along with the selection of suitable channel access functions (CAFs) to control the access of mobile users. Moreover the protocol performance is investigated in a cellular HAP environment and compared to that of a ground-based system. Finally, different traffic scenarios have been considered in order to investigate the access delay for non-real time traffic and the packet dropping performance for real time traffic.

Proposal and Performance Evaluation of an Efficient Multiple-Access Protocol for LEO Satellite Packet Networks

This paper deals with a modified version of the packet reservation multiple-access (PRMA) protocol suitable for integration of real-time (voice) and best effort (data) traffic in low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communication systems. The proposed scheme differs from previous alternatives on the method adopted to handle access requests for voice and data terminals, and to transmit data messages. An analytical approach is proposed and validated in the case of voice and classical (i.e., geometric distributed) data traffic in order to derive system performance in terms of mean data message delay and voice packet dropping probability. However, in order to better highlight the advantages of the proposed approach typical interactive and background traffics types have been also considered. Performance comparisons with previous proposed PRMA protocols for voice and data transmission in LEO satellite communication systems are also shown in order to highlight the better behavior of the proposed scheme. Finally, a brief discussion concerning the extension of the proposed S-PRMA protocol to the case of different satellite communication systems is also provided.

A Packet Reservation Multiple Access (PRMA)-Based Algorithm for Multimedia Wireless System

The major issue in the wireless multimedia system design is the selection of a suitable channel sharing media access control (MAC) protocol. The design challenge is to identify a wireless "multimedia capable" MAC protocol that provides a sufficient degree of transparency for many different kinds of services. This protocol should guarantee different quality of service (QoS) parameters for different types of traffic while in the same time achieving high throughput. In this paper a MAC protocol to serve different kinds of traffic, namely voice, data, and, real time variable bit rate (rt-VBR) video is proposed. The transmission time scale is divided into frames. Each frame is subdivided into N time slots. In this protocol, a fixed number of slots M out of 150 time slots are reserved at the beginning of every frame to transmit some of the video packets arriving during the frame interval. The rest of the video packets contend with the voice and data packets for the remaining time slots of this frame as in normal packet reservation multiple access (PRMA). One objective of this paper is to find the optimum value of M allowing the maximum number of voice and data users to share the RF channel with one video user. Another objective is to find the optimum permission probabilities of sending contending voice, data, and video packets allowing the maximum number of users sharing the RF channel. The dropping probability requirement for video is examined.

Control of the Interworking Between Packet Reservation Multiple Access and Dynamic Carrier Allocation

This work deals with an enhanced frequency division multiplex/packet reservation multiple access (FDM/PRMA) technique for cellular systems also suitable for wireless local area networks (WLANs); such enhancements consist of an efficient control of the interworking between dynamic carrier allocation (DCA) strategies, which guarantee a real-time rearrangement of the carriers-to-cells assignment and PRMA techniques. This allows a higher carrier exploitation. In this respect, the novelties introduced in this paper are: (i) the definition of a short-term packet dropping probability which permits the real-time assessment of the link quality of a PRMA carrier; (ii) the determination of a procedure the base station (BS) can follow in order to perform a real-time estimation of the above-mentioned short-term parameter; (iii) an efficient carrier management and interworking between the DCA mechanism and the PRMA technique realized by means of such parameter. The paper also shows simulation results highlighting a remarkable improvement of the carrier utilization, obtained by the proposed interworking of the DCA and PRMA techniques.

Handoff effect on packet reservation multiple access (PRMA) in microcellular system

Packet reservation multiple access (PRMA) has been proposed for third-generation wireless information networks by D.J. Goodman and S.X. Wei (see ibid., vol.40, p.170-6, 1991). The mobile-initiated handoff has been proposed to disperse the base station (BS) burden, which is increased by the small microcell radius. However, increased contentions, due to handoff, affect the overall performance of PRMA, even though these frequent handoffs do not burden the BS. We analyze the handoff effect on PRMA performance under a microcellular system, both voice-only and combined voice-and-data systems. A steady state voice-terminal model with handoff is proposed. System-equilibrium equations are derived using the proposed model. The system performance is evaluated, using a Markov analysis method, in terms of packet-dropping probability, data-packet delay, and throughput. The change of performance under handoff show the impact of handoff on PRMA.