Multiple priority distributed round robin MAC protocol for satellite ATM

This paper introduces multiple priority distributed round robin (MPDRR), a new media access control (MAC) or demand assignment multiple access (DAMA) protocol for traffic with more than one priority level. It was designed for, but not limited to, use in geostationary (GEO) broadband communications satellites using ATM or similar fast packet switched transport with multi frequency-time division multiple access (MF-TDMA) uplinks. This protocol provides a robust mechanism for fair, dynamic allocation and assignment of uplink slots to user terminals with multimedia traffic. OPNET/sup TM/ simulation results show that MPDRR provides flexible, efficient access for bursty traffic in a geostationary satellite system with MF-TDMA uplinks.