An Integrated Cluster-Based Multi-Channel MAC Protocol for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

This paper proposes a novel joint clustering and multi-channel medium access control (MAC) protocol for mobile ad hoc networks, based on a scalable two-phase coding scheme. It employs the first-phase codes for differentiating the clusters and the second-phase codes for distinguishing the nodes in a specific cluster. The proposed protocol effectively integrates the procedure of code assignment with dynamic clustering and henceforth substantially reduces the control overhead of code assignment in a code division multiple access (CDMA) based multi-channel MAC protocol while simultaneously combating the hidden terminal problem. Furthermore, the confliction detection and resolution mechanism for the allocation of the first-phase codes as well as the collision avoidance mechanism for the allocation of the second-phase codes in the control channel are also introduced. Analytical framework and extensive simulation results, in terms of control overhead and delay, are provided and compared to the traditional distributed CDMA based multichannel MAC algorithms with or without clustering.