Distributed MAC protocol for networks with multipacket reception capability and spatially distributed nodes

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2007.Includes bibliographical references (p. 123-127).The physical layer of future wireless networks will be based on novel radio technologies such as Ultra-Wideband (UWB) and Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO). One of the important capabilities of such technologies is the ability to capture a few packets simultaneously. This capability has the potential to improve the performance of the MAC layer. However, we show that in networks with spatially distributed nodes, reusing MAC protocols originally designed for narrow-band systems (e.g., CSMA/CA) is inefficient. It is well known that when networks with spatially distributed nodes operate with such MAC protocols, the channel may be captured by nodes that are near the destination. We show that when the physical layer enables multi-packet reception, the negative implications of reusing the legacy protocols include not only such unfairness but also a significant throughput reduction. We present a number of simple alternative backoff mechanisms that attempt to overcome the throughput reduction phenomenon. We evaluate the performance of these mechanisms via exact analysis, approximations, and simulation, thereby demonstrating that they usually outperform the legacy backoff mechanisms. We then discuss the implications of the results on developing realistic MAC protocols for networks with a multi-packet reception capability and in particular for UWB networks.by Guner Dincer Celik.S.M

Scheduling algorithms for throughput maximization in time-varying networks with reconfiguration delays

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2012.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 247-258).We consider the control of possibly time-varying wireless networks under reconfiguration delays. Reconfiguration delay is the time it takes to switch network resources from one subset of nodes to another and it is a widespread phenomenon observed in many practical systems. Optimal control of networks has been studied to a great extent in the literature, however, the significant effects of reconfiguration delays received limited attention. Moreover, simultaneous presence of time-varying channels and reconfiguration delays has never been considered and we show that it impacts the system fundamentally. We first consider a Delay Tolerant Network model where data messages arriving randomly in time and space are collected by mobile collectors. In this setting reconfiguration delays correspond to travel times of collectors. We utilize a combination of wireless transmission and controlled mobility to improve the system delay scaling with load [rho] from [theta](1/(1-[rho])²) to [theta](1/1-[rho]), where the former is the delay for the corresponding system without wireless transmission. We propose control algorithms that stabilize the system whenever possible and have optimal delay scaling. Next, we consider a general queuing network model under reconfiguration delays and interference constraints which includes wireless, satellite and optical networks as special cases. We characterize the impacts of reconfiguration delays on system stability and delay, and propose scheduling algorithms that persist with service schedules for durations of time based on queue lengths to minimize negative impacts of reconfiguration delays. These algorithms provide throughput-optimality without requiring knowledge of arrival rates since they dynamically adapt inter-switching durations to stochastic arrivals. Finally, we present optimal scheduling under time-varying channels and reconfiguration delays, which is the main contribution of this thesis. We show that under the simultaneous presence of these two phenomenon network stability region shrinks, previously suggested policies are unstable, and new algorithmic approaches are necessary. We propose techniques based on state-action frequencies of Markov Decision Process theory to characterize the network stability region and propose throughput-optimal algorithms. The state-action frequency technique is applicable to a broad class of systems with or without reconfiguration delays, and provides a new framework for characterizing network stability region and developing throughput-optimal scheduling policies.by Güner Dinc̦er C̦elik.Ph.D

Variable frame based Max-Weight algorithms for networks with switchover delay

This paper considers the scheduling problem for networks with interference constraints and switchover delays, where it takes a nonzero time to reconfigure each service schedule. Switchover delay occurs in many telecommunication applications such as satellite, optical or delay tolerant networks (DTNs). Under zero switchover delay it is well known that the Max-Weight algorithm is throughput-optimal without requiring knowledge of the arrival rates. However, we show that this property of Max-Weight no longer holds when there is a nonzero switchover delay. We propose a class of variable frame based Max-Weight (VFMW) algorithms which employ the Max-Weight schedule corresponding to the beginning of the frame during an interval of duration dependent on the queue sizes. The VFMW algorithms dynamically adapt the frame sizes to the stochastic arrivals and provide throughput-optimality without requiring knowledge of the arrival rates. Numerical results regarding the application of the VFMW algorithms to DTN and optical networks demonstrate a good delay performance.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (NSF grant CNS-0626781)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (NSF grant CNS-0915988)United States. Army Research Office (ARO Muri grant number W911NF-08-1-0238

Random access wireless networks with controlled mobility

This paper considers wireless networks where messages arriving randomly (in time and space) are collected by a mobile receiver. The messages are transmitted to the mobile receiver according to a random access scheme and the receiver dynamically adjusts its position in order to receive these messages in minimum time. We investigate the use of wireless transmission and controlled mobility to improve the delay performance in such systems. In particular, we characterize the tradeoff between wireless transmission and physical movement of the mobile receiver. We derive a lower bound for the delay in the system and show how it is affected by different communication parameters. We show that the combination of mobility and wireless transmission results in a significant improvement in delay as compared to a system where wireless transmission is not used.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (ITR Grant CCR-0325401)United States. Army Research Office (Muri grant number W911NF-08-1-0238

Minimizing Transmission Energy in Sensor Networks via Trajectory Control

Energy optimization is a significant component of Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) design. In this paper we consider transmission energy optimization in WSNs where messages are collected by a mobile receiver (collector). The collector is responsible for gathering data messages by choosing the optimal path that minimizes the total transmit energy at the sensors subject to a maximum travel delay constraint. We show, both analytically and through simulation, that letting the mobile collector come closer to sensors with more data to transmit leads to significant reduction in energy consumption. Using this intuition, we propose an algorithm for choosing both the transmission radii and the mobile collector's path that achieves over 50% improvement in energy consumption compared to schemes that use a fixed communication radius for every sensor, and a 95% improvement as compared to the case of a stationary base station. We extend our results to the case of stochastic arrivals to the sensors and propose an Adaptive Algorithm that dynamically adjusts the transmission radii of the sensors based on the sensors' current queue sizes. We show that it can achieve 80% transmission energy improvement with respect to a non-adaptive scheme that uses fixed radii computed using the average arrival rates.MITOR ProjectNational Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant CNS-0915988)Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research. EFFICIENT (Project