An efficient distributed ad hoc MAC protocol for UWB time-hopping code impulse radio

In this paper, we propose the design of a medium access control protocol adapted the single-bandwidth ultra wideband time-hopping code impulse radio system for ad hoc networks. We use two features that enable throughput optimization by taking into account the specific nature of the physical layer, which suffers from the need for long synchronization headers but enables code division multiple access capabilities. The first feature is the use of a multiple access collision avoidance protocol in its dual polling version, which allows to reducing the signaling by using one single control message for two data packets. The second one is the use of the multiple-access capability offered by the time-hopping codes by assigning different codes for each user in order to mitigating the hidden node problem that is inherent to MACA protocols. We performed throughput analysis through realistic simulations including propagation effects as well as multi-user interference.