Study the transposition of the mechanism of station insertion on a logical ring composed of infrared links

This article presents the first results of a study concerning the transposition of a mechanism for token management in the case of a local wireless network characterized by low range links. We have applied the concepts developed in these conditions to a configuration composed of nomadic stations using diffused infrared to communicate. The access right to the infrared channel remains via the token but the token's path is exploited in such a way as to manage the multiple jumps that are required to reach a hidden terminal. The main point presented concerns the strategy used to insert stations on the network. The insertion process forecast by IEEE 802.4 standard cannot be directly applied because the logical ring is not organised by address. We have chosen to quantify the quality of the infrared links in order to sequence the stations that wish to join the ring. The inserted station is the one which negotiates best the call for candidates from a quality point of view. The main advantage of this strategy is that we achieve a more reliable circulation of the token.