A Novel Self-Forming Virtual Sub-Nets Based Cross-Layer MAC Protocol for Multihop Tactical Network
A tactical network mainly consists of software-defined radios (SDRs) integrated with programmable and reconfigurable features that provide the addition and customization of different waveforms for different scenarios, e.g., situational awareness, video, or voice transmission. The network, which is m...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2470 |
| _version_ | 1827698079182094336 |
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| author | Rukaiya Rukaiya Shoab Ahmed Khan Muhammad Umar Farooq Farhan Hussain |
| author_facet | Rukaiya Rukaiya Shoab Ahmed Khan Muhammad Umar Farooq Farhan Hussain |
| author_sort | Rukaiya Rukaiya |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A tactical network mainly consists of software-defined radios (SDRs) integrated with programmable and reconfigurable features that provide the addition and customization of different waveforms for different scenarios, e.g., situational awareness, video, or voice transmission. The network, which is mission-critical, congested, and delay-sensitive, operates in infrastructure-less terrains with self-forming and self-healing capabilities. It demands reliability and the need to survive by seamlessly maintaining continuous network connectivity during mobility and link failures. SDR platforms transfer large amounts of data that must be processed with low latency transmissions. The state-of-the-art solutions lack the capability to provide high data throughput and incorporate overhead in route discovery and resource distribution that is not appropriate for resource-constrained mission-critical networks. A cross-layer design exploits existing resources to react to environment changes efficiently, enable reliability, and escalate network throughput. A solution that integrates SDR benefits and cross-layer optimization can perform all the mentioned operations efficiently. In tactical networks, SDR’s maximum usable bandwidth can be utilized by exploiting radios’ autonomous behavior. This paper presents a novel virtual sub-nets based cross-layer medium access control (VSCL-MAC) protocol for self-forming multihop tactical radio networks. It is a MAC-centric design with cross-layer optimization that enables dynamic routing and autonomous time-slot scheduling in a multichannel network environment among SDRs. The cross-layer coupling uses link-layer information from the hybrid of time division multiple access and frequency division multiple access (TDMA/FDMA) MAC to proactively enable distributed intelligent routing at the network layer. The virtual sub-nets based distributed algorithm exploits spectrum resources and provides call setup with persistently available <i>k</i>-hop route information and simultaneous collision-free transmission of voice and data. The experimental results over extensive simulations show significant performance improvements in terms of minimum control overhead, processing time in relay nodes, a substantial increase in network throughput, and lower data latency (up to 76.98%) compared to conventional time-slotted MAC protocols. The design is useful for mission-critical, time-sensitive networks and exploits multihop simultaneous communication in a distributed manner. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:22:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ab7a8ab58b134f8e80d7599259c2c257 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:22:34Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-ab7a8ab58b134f8e80d7599259c2c2572023-11-21T09:53:49ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172021-03-01116247010.3390/app11062470A Novel Self-Forming Virtual Sub-Nets Based Cross-Layer MAC Protocol for Multihop Tactical NetworkRukaiya Rukaiya0Shoab Ahmed Khan1Muhammad Umar Farooq2Farhan Hussain3Department of Computer and Software Engineering, College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (CEME), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, PakistanDepartment of Computer and Software Engineering, College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (CEME), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, PakistanDepartment of Computer and Software Engineering, College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (CEME), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, PakistanDepartment of Computer and Software Engineering, College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (CEME), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, PakistanA tactical network mainly consists of software-defined radios (SDRs) integrated with programmable and reconfigurable features that provide the addition and customization of different waveforms for different scenarios, e.g., situational awareness, video, or voice transmission. The network, which is mission-critical, congested, and delay-sensitive, operates in infrastructure-less terrains with self-forming and self-healing capabilities. It demands reliability and the need to survive by seamlessly maintaining continuous network connectivity during mobility and link failures. SDR platforms transfer large amounts of data that must be processed with low latency transmissions. The state-of-the-art solutions lack the capability to provide high data throughput and incorporate overhead in route discovery and resource distribution that is not appropriate for resource-constrained mission-critical networks. A cross-layer design exploits existing resources to react to environment changes efficiently, enable reliability, and escalate network throughput. A solution that integrates SDR benefits and cross-layer optimization can perform all the mentioned operations efficiently. In tactical networks, SDR’s maximum usable bandwidth can be utilized by exploiting radios’ autonomous behavior. This paper presents a novel virtual sub-nets based cross-layer medium access control (VSCL-MAC) protocol for self-forming multihop tactical radio networks. It is a MAC-centric design with cross-layer optimization that enables dynamic routing and autonomous time-slot scheduling in a multichannel network environment among SDRs. The cross-layer coupling uses link-layer information from the hybrid of time division multiple access and frequency division multiple access (TDMA/FDMA) MAC to proactively enable distributed intelligent routing at the network layer. The virtual sub-nets based distributed algorithm exploits spectrum resources and provides call setup with persistently available <i>k</i>-hop route information and simultaneous collision-free transmission of voice and data. The experimental results over extensive simulations show significant performance improvements in terms of minimum control overhead, processing time in relay nodes, a substantial increase in network throughput, and lower data latency (up to 76.98%) compared to conventional time-slotted MAC protocols. The design is useful for mission-critical, time-sensitive networks and exploits multihop simultaneous communication in a distributed manner.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2470cross-layer designmission-critical networksmultihop networkssoftware-defined radiostactical communicationvirtual sub-nets |
| spellingShingle | Rukaiya Rukaiya Shoab Ahmed Khan Muhammad Umar Farooq Farhan Hussain A Novel Self-Forming Virtual Sub-Nets Based Cross-Layer MAC Protocol for Multihop Tactical Network Applied Sciences cross-layer design mission-critical networks multihop networks software-defined radios tactical communication virtual sub-nets |
| title | A Novel Self-Forming Virtual Sub-Nets Based Cross-Layer MAC Protocol for Multihop Tactical Network |
| title_full | A Novel Self-Forming Virtual Sub-Nets Based Cross-Layer MAC Protocol for Multihop Tactical Network |
| title_fullStr | A Novel Self-Forming Virtual Sub-Nets Based Cross-Layer MAC Protocol for Multihop Tactical Network |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Novel Self-Forming Virtual Sub-Nets Based Cross-Layer MAC Protocol for Multihop Tactical Network |
| title_short | A Novel Self-Forming Virtual Sub-Nets Based Cross-Layer MAC Protocol for Multihop Tactical Network |
| title_sort | novel self forming virtual sub nets based cross layer mac protocol for multihop tactical network |
| topic | cross-layer design mission-critical networks multihop networks software-defined radios tactical communication virtual sub-nets |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/6/2470 |
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