Research Article
A Split Architecture for Random Access MAC for SDR Platforms
@INPROCEEDINGS{10.4108/icst.crowncom.2013.252050, author={Paolo Di Francesco and S\^{e}amas McGettrick and Uchenna Anyanwu and Colman O'Sullivan and Allen MacKenzie and Luiz DaSilva}, title={A Split Architecture for Random Access MAC for SDR Platforms}, proceedings={8th International Conference on Cognitive Radio Oriented Wireless Networks}, publisher={ICST}, proceedings_a={CROWNCOM}, year={2013}, month={11}, keywords={split architecture sdr fpga carrier sensing}, doi={10.4108/icst.crowncom.2013.252050} }- Paolo Di Francesco
Séamas McGettrick
Uchenna Anyanwu
Colman O'Sullivan
Allen MacKenzie
Luiz DaSilva
Year: 2013
A Split Architecture for Random Access MAC for SDR Platforms
CROWNCOM
IEEE
DOI: 10.4108/icst.crowncom.2013.252050
Abstract
Implementation of carrier-sensing-based medium access control (MAC) protocols on inexpensive reconfigurable radio platforms has proven challenging due to long and un- predictable delays associated with both signal processing on a general purpose processor (GPP) and the interface between the RF front-end and the GPP. This paper describes the development and implementation of a split-functionality architecture for a contention based carrier-sensing MAC, in which some of the functions reside on an FPGA and others reside in the GPP. We provide an FPGA-based implementation of a carrier sensing block and develop two versions of a CSMA MAC protocol based upon this block. We experimentally test the performance of the resulting protocols in a multihop environment in terms of end-to- end throughput and required frame retransmissions. We cross- validate these results with a network simulator with modules modified to reflect the mean and variance of delays measured in components of the real software-defined radio system.