A time division multiplexer with dependent packet arrival processes

A time division multiplexer (TDM) is analyzed under a general model for the per station packet arrival process. This model can be used for the description of the packet generation process of a variety of packet sources. The expected packet delay of each station is exactly derived. The results obtained show that the mean packet delay may vary significantly for different stations, as long as the statistical characteristics of the packet traffic are different, even if the intensity of the packet traffic and the assigned capacities are the same. The latter implies that oversimplifications in the description of the packet traffic may result in very inaccurate results.<>