Implementation of Token Based Distributed DCF for 802.11 MAC

Abstract

A distributed and dynamically adaptive MAC protocol for wireless networks, called Token-DCF. Main focus of this approach is on reducing idle and collision times by introducing an implicit token passing algorithm. In Token-DCF, a transmitting station schedules one of its neighboring stations for the next transmission epoch using a distributed opportunistic algorithm. Furthermore, packet overhearing is employed to exchange scheduling information across the network. IEEE 802.11 DCF is the MAC protocol currently used in wireless LANs. However, due to idle and collision times, 802.11 DCF performs poorly when it comes to channel utilization, system throughput, and channel access time.