Channel access for simultaneous voice and data transmissions in a multiple-hop packet radio network

A new programmable radio has been designed by ITT and in a companion paper we describe new channel-access protocols that are specifically designed for this radio. The protocols described in the companion paper support a network organization in which all the radios are within communication range. In this manuscript we suggest some extensions to the waveform and the channel-access protocol that allow the network to support a multiple-hop topology. The waveform extensions allow a radio to transmit or receive voice messages with a group of radios and simultaneously exchange data messages with a radio that is not part of the group. The channel-access protocol enables a radio to set up the interleaved transmissions and allows the radio to relay data packets. The protocols are implemented in OPNET, a computer aided design tool, and the network performance is evaluated using the different waveform and channel-access protocol options.