Contributions to Scalable Wireless ad hoc Networks Supporting Quality-of-Service

Mobile ad hoc networks, also known as multihop or mesh networks, are gaining more and more attention these days. Originally designed for military applications, the idea of spontaneous communication using direct links to immediate neighbors has rapidly spread over to the civilian sector. This book focuses on the design of large-scale wireless multihop networks supporting quality-of-service.

Based on an in-depth analysis of state-of-the-art architectures, the novel idea of cut-through/cell-switching is pointed out. Enhancements to the standard IEEE 802.11 DCF are presented as basic elements of diversified management protocols. An innovative approach to distributed dynamic channel assignment is introduced and benchmarked against one of the most powerful centralized algorithms known to date. Moreover, wireless sensor networks are identified as a new field of application for the classic Kalman filter.

Finally, a new integrated R&D platform has been developed and is also part of the presentation. It consists of a simulation environment written in C++ and a software defined radio transceiver. The latter is based on an architecture employing the latest in digital signal processing: a general purpose DSP accompanied by FPGAs, dedicated digital up-/down converter ASICs, high-performance ADCs and DACs.