A new MAC protocol design based on TDMA/FDD for QoS support in WATM networks

doi:10.1016/j.csi.2005.03.007

Computer Standards & Interfaces

Volume 28, Issue 4, April 2006, Pages 451-466

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csi.2005.03.007 Get rights and content

Abstract

Several wireless networking solutions have been developed to provide different types of services for various end user applications. Currently, wireless networking infrastructures are not suitable for multimedia applications each requiring a different QoS support with various traffic parameters. Due to the success of ATM technology in the wired network, WATM concept and related researches are of importance in the information technology area. Main objective of WATM, which promises seamless transmission of different traffics such as voice, data and video over wireless medium, is to implement high bit rate and QoS guaranteed data transfer, already well achieved by ATM technology over wired medium. To support QoS guaranteed data transfer over error-prone and low bandwidth wireless medium, an effective MAC protocol must be designed and utilized. In this paper, a new TDMA/FDD based MAC protocol, maintaining QoS requirements of real-time wireless multimedia applications, is proposed. The main contribution of this study is the new guarantee-based scheduling algorithm used in the proposed MAC to support required level of QoS guarantee for all multimedia traffic types in wireless medium. Computer modeling and simulation of the new approach providing CBR, VBR, ABR and UBR ATM services are realized using OPNET Modeler. Simulation results are also presented together with comparisons those of a WATM counterpart which uses PRMA/DA MAC protocol.

Introduction

Together with the developments in high performance wireless computers and other mobile devices, the importance of wireless/mobile data communication has been increased. Traditional wireless networks deployed universally cannot provide the necessary QoS (Quality of Service) guarantees for bursty traffics such as real-time multimedia applications.

ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) is a transmission technology considered as a standard for B-ISDN with guaranteed QoS to all possible traffic types in wired medium. The success of ATM technology in the wired network has also initiated many researches about WATM (Wireless ATM) concept [1], [2]. WATM has been proposed to transport different type of traffics such as voice, data and video in wireless environment. Using WATM, it is principally intended to support QoS guaranteed data traffics for high bit rate broadband multimedia applications [3].

To avoid the problems resulting from the wireless medium characteristics (e.g. error-prone with low bandwidth), new layers must be added to standard ATM layers. These are namely a MAC (Medium Access Control) layer providing effective allocation of medium resources shared by many different users, and a DLC (Data Link Control) layer used for flow and error control [2]. They together establish the basis for QoS supported application traffic transfer using WATM.

In this paper, a new MAC protocol model based on TDMA/FDD (Time Division Multiple Access/Frequency Division Duplexing) technique, offering QoS guarantees to multimedia application traffics, is proposed. The new guarantee-based scheduling algorithm employed in the proposed MAC protocol is the main contribution of this work presented. Using this new protocol, it is intended to provide different multimedia applications with QoS support through ATM service categories in wireless medium.

To support multimedia traffics, a wireless MAC protocol must be able to provide bandwidth on demand. Several MAC protocols have been defined for WATM such as; DQRUMA [4], E-PRMA [4], MASCARA [4], MDR-TDMA [4], DSA+ [4], PRMA/DA [5], etc. in literature.

The paper is organized as follows. Section 2 begins with a brief explanation of WATM, its network components and protocol architecture. It also provides an overview of PRMA/DA (Packet Reservation Multiple Access/Dynamic Allocation) MAC protocol which is used for performance comparison. Overall properties and design stages of the proposed MAC protocol together with related algorithms are explained in detail in Section 3. Section 4 includes an example WATM network utilizing the proposed MAC technique, which has been modeled and simulated under different traffic loads using a commercially available program called OPNET Modeler with Radio Module. The simulation results obtained are compared with those of a WATM network utilizes PRMA/DAMAC protocol that are also obtained under the same networking conditions as former WATM network, followed by performance evaluation of both networks. And, the Last Section gives our summary about the proposed TDMA/FDD based MAC protocol with final remarks.

Section snippets

Wireless ATM architecture

Recently, there has been a growing interest in the subject of WATM. The ATM Forum has itself established a WATM study group. ETSI has also a standardization activity ongoing for the physical layer of WATM. Above 300 MHz unlicensed spectrum is made available in the US and Europe for wireless access, mainly for the purpose of accessing the Internet for multimedia applications. Such applications will require some kind of wireless packet networking, and WATM has the potential to fulfill this

Proposed MAC protocol

A MAC protocol in wireless communication should be used to allocate the limited bandwidth to WTs efficiently. Several MAC schemes have been proposed in the literature for managing multimedia traffics in WATM systems [6], [7], [8]. WATM technology promises to provide QoS guarantees for multimedia applications together with traditional services [9]. A demand assignment MAC technique for WATM should be considered to maintain the bursty traffic natures of such applications. In this technique a user

Computer simulation of WATM networks

The WTs in the example scenario implemented using OPNET Modeler (Fig. 11), employ the proposed TDMA/FDD based MAC protocol explained in the Previous Section to communicate with each other in the same wireless environment. Diameter of the cell which constructs the network topology is chosen to be 100 m. Because of the connection-oriented structure of WATM, before actual data transmission takes place, considering QoS requirements of its application, a WT initially sends a connection request to

Conclusions

In this paper, a new TDMA/FDD based MAC protocol for multimedia communications in WATM networks is proposed and its design stages are outlined. WATM differs from its traditional counterparts mainly in that it promises to provide QoS guarantees for real-time multimedia applications. QoS guaranteed data transfer in a wireless environment entails a special MAC protocol allowing efficient allocation and utilization of the scarce and error-prone resources to different end user applications. The

Celal Ceken received the MSc and PhD degrees from Kocaeli University, Turkey in 2001 and 2004, respectively. His active research interests include wireless communications, broadband networks, ATM networks, and high speed communication protocols.

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Cited by (5)

Dynamic slot assignment protocol for QoS support on TDMA-based mobile networks
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Citation Excerpt :
Therefore, some network components constituting a WATM can be different likewise. A WATM system with mobile users and fixed APs consists of three major network components [1]. These are a mobile terminal with radio and mobility enhanced software and mobility enhanced ATM switch.
An efficient bandwidth allocation scheme in wireless networks should not only guarantee successful data transmission without collisions but also enhance the channel spatial reuse to maximize the system throughput. The design of high-performance wireless Local Area Network (LAN) technologies making use of TDMA/FDD MAC (Time Division Multiple Access/Frequency Division Duplex – Medium Access Control) is a very active area of research and development. Several protocols have been proposed in the literature as TDMA-based bandwidth allocation schemes. However, they do not have a convenient generic parameters or suitable frame repartition for dynamic adjustment. In this work, we undertake the design and performance evaluation of a QoS (Quality of Service)-aware scheme built on top of the underlying signaling and bandwidth allocation mechanisms provided by most wireless LANs standards. The main contribution of this study is the new guarantee-based dynamic adjustment algorithm used in MAC level to provide the required QoS for all traffic types in wireless medium especially Wireless ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode). Performance evaluation of this approach consists of improving the bandwidth utilization, supporting different QoS requirements and reducing call reject probability and packet latency.
A new QoS-aware TDMA/FDD MAC protocol with multi-beam directional antennas
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The need for utilizing wireless system resources efficiently has led many researchers to work on resource allocation algorithms as well as QoS management mechanisms required for real-time multimedia applications. Several scheduling algorithms providing QoS supported communications have been actively researched, mainly focusing on the traffic at the MAC layer [4–6]. However, the exploitation of the “space” is not capably considered in these works, resulting in not only worse call-blocking ratios but also not allowing the system to achieve higher throughputs.
With the ever-increasing demand for wireless real-time services and continuing emergence of new multimedia applications especially for mobile users, it is necessary for the network to support various levels of quality of service (QoS) while maximizing the utilization of scarce and expensive wireless channel resources. Considering this fact, a new TDMA/FDD MAC protocol integrating a novel QoS management algorithm and multi-beam Directional Antennas (DAs) to efficiently exploit wireless resources has been developed and presented in this paper. It supports all ATM CBR, VBR, ABR and UBR service classes by adopting a well-managed dynamic guarantee-based QoS scheduling algorithm. The work mainly aims at increasing the wireless system throughput as well as improving the call-blocking ratios and end-to-end delays for real-time applications. This seamless communication enables both handling real-time multimedia traffics in a fair manner and granting call requests on the basis of the connection types. The system has been developed, modeled and simulated using OPNET Modeler. The simulation results show that the QoS-aware TDMA/FDD MAC with multi-beam DAs has substantially increased the system throughput and that the call-blocking ratio has been reduced from 86% to 18%, when the proposed MAC with 8-Beam antennas is employed instead of the regular MAC.
A new MAC protocol for broadband wireless communications and its performance evaluation
2014, Telecommunication Systems
Communication networks: Novel DLC model for QoS enhancement of bursty VBR traffic in wireless ATM networks
2008, European Transactions on Telecommunications
Design and implementation of WATM interface card based on SOPC technology
2008, Proceedings of the 2008 IEEE International Conference on Information and Automation, ICIA 2008

Ismail Erturk received the MSc and PhD degrees from Sussex University, UK in 1996 and 2000, respectively. His research interests are ATM, wireless data communications, CAN, LANs/WANs, IP and QoS, MPLS and real-time multimedia applications.

Cuneyt Bayilmis received the MSc degree from Sakarya University, Turkey, in 2001 and he is currently working toward a PhD degree in Kocaeli University, Turkey. His active research interests are CAN, WLAN and Bluetooth.

^☆: A preliminary version of this work was presented in Third Biennial International Conference on Advances in Information Systems, Turkey, 20–22 October, 2004.

¹: Tel.: +90 262 3394031/1005; fax: +90 262 3058010.

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A new MAC protocol design based on TDMA/FDD for QoS support in WATM networks☆

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Wireless ATM architecture

Proposed MAC protocol

Computer simulation of WATM networks

Conclusions

Computer Networks

Computer Communications

Performance analysis of a MAC protocol for broadband wireless networks with QoS provisioning

Journal of Interconnection Networks

Wireless ATM networks technology status and future directions

In Proceedings of IEEE

A survey of MAC protocols proposed for wireless ATM

IEEE Network