MAC Protocol for Smart-antenna-used Ad hoc Network without RTS/CTS handshake by using Pulse/Tone exchange

摘要

This paper proposes a MAC protocol for ad hoc networks with smart antennas. In the proposed protocol, Pulse/Tone exchange mechanism is applied to the smart-antenna network, which reduces collisions due to the hidden-node problem. Further throughput enhancement is achieved because of the compatibility between the Pulse/Tone exchange and the smart-antenna networks. The directional hid den-node problem is mitigated by the Pulse/Tone exchange. Additionally, the number of exposed nodes due to Pulse/Tone exchanges is limited because of the smart-antenna usage. Therefore, it is unnecessary to use RTS/CTS handshakes after Pulse/Tone exchanges, which is necessary for omni-directional antenna system. This overhead reduction enhances the network throughput. As a result, the network throughput can be effectively improved. Simulation results show the validity and effectiveness of the proposed protocol.