DATA COMMUNICATION

CSE 225/233

WEEK-12, LESSON-1

MULTIPLE ACCESS
 Background
• When nodes or stations are connected and use a common
link, called a multipoint or broadcast link, we need a
multiple-access protocol to coordinate access to the link.
• The problem of controlling the access to the medium is
similar to the rules of speaking in an assembly. The
procedures guarantee that the right to speak is upheld and
ensure that two people do not speak at the same time, do
not interrupt each other, do not monopolize the
discussion, and so on.
• Many protocols have been devised to handle access to a
shared link. All of these protocols belong to a sublayer in
the data-link layer called media access control (MAC)

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Taxonomy of Multiple Access Protocol

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Random Access
In random access or contention methods, no station is superior
to another station and none is assigned the control over
another. No station permits, or does not permit, another
station to send. At each instance, a station that has data to send
uses a procedure defined by the protocol to make a decision on
whether or not to send.

Topics discussed in this lesson:

ALOHA
Carrier Sense Multiple Access
Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection
Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance

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 Background (Random Access)
• In a random-access method, each station has the right to the
medium without being controlled by any other station.
However, if more than one station tries to send, there is an
access conflict—collision—and the frames will be either
destroyed or modified. To avoid access conflict or to resolve it
when it happens, each station follows a procedure that
answers the following questions:

❑ When can the station access the medium?

❑ What can the station do if the medium is busy?
❑ How can the station determine the success or failure of the
transmission?
❑ What can the station do if there is an access conflict?

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ALOHA
ALOHA, the earliest random-access method, was developed at
the University of Hawaii in early 1970. It was designed for a
radio (wireless) LAN, but it can be used on any shared medium.
It is obvious that there are potential collisions in this
arrangement. The medium is shared between the stations.
When a station sends data, another station may attempt to do
so at the same time. The data from the two stations collide and
become garbled.

The original ALOHA protocol is called pure ALOHA. The idea is

that each station sends a frame whenever it has a frame to
send (multiple access). However, since there is only one channel
to share, there is the possibility of collision between frames
from different stations.

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Frames in a pure ALOHA network

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Procedure for pure ALOHA protocol

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Example
The stations on a wireless ALOHA network are a maximum of
600 km apart. If we assume that signals propagate at 3 × 108
m/s, we find
Tp = (600 × 105 ) / (3 × 108 ) = 2 ms.
Now we can find the value of TB for different values of
K.

a. For K = 1, the range is {0, 1}. The station needs to|

generate a random number with a value of 0 or 1. This
means that TB is either 0 ms (0 × 2) or 2 ms (1 × 2),
based on the outcome of the random variable.

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Example (Contd.)
• b. For K = 2, the range is {0, 1, 2, 3}. This means that TB
can be 0, 2, 4, or 6 ms, based on the outcome of the
random variable.

• c. For K = 3, the range is {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}. This

means that TB can be 0, 2, 4, . . . , 14 ms, based on the
outcome of the random variable.

• d. We need to mention that if K > 10, it is normally set to

10.

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Vulnerable time for pure ALOHA protocol

Vulnerable time, the length of time in which there is a

possibility of collision. We assume that the stations send fixed
length frames with each frame taking Tfr seconds to send.
Following figure shows the vulnerable time for station B.

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Example
Problem:
A pure ALOHA network transmits 200-bit frames on a shared
channel of 200 kbps. What is the requirement to make this
frame collision-free?

Solution
Average frame transmission time Tfr is 200 bits/200 kbps or 1
ms. The vulnerable time is 2 × 1 ms = 2 ms. This means no
station should send later than 1 ms before this station starts
transmission and no station should start sending during the one
1-ms period that this station is sending.

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Note

The throughput for pure ALOHA is

S = G × e −2G

The maximum throughput

Smax = 0.184 when G= (1/2).

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Example
Problem:
A pure ALOHA network transmits 200-bit frames on a shared channel
of 200 kbps. What is the throughput if the system (all stations
together) produces
• a. 1000 frames per second b. 500 frames per second
• c. 250 frames per second.

Solution
The frame transmission time is 200/200 kbps or 1 ms.
a. If the system creates 1000 frames per second, this is 1
frame per millisecond. The load is 1. In this case
S = G× e−2 G or S = 0.135 (13.5 percent). This means
that the throughput is 1000 × 0.135 = 135 frames. Only
135 frames out of 1000 will probably survive.

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Example
b. If the system creates 500 frames per second, this is
(1/2) frame per millisecond. The load is (1/2). In this
case S = G × e −2G or S = 0.184 (18.4 percent). This
means that the throughput is 500 × 0.184 = 92 and that
only 92 frames out of 500 will probably survive. Note
that this is the maximum throughput case,
percentagewise.

c. If the system creates 250 frames per second, this is (1/4)

frame per millisecond. The load is (1/4). In this case
S = G × e −2G or S = 0.152 (15.2 percent). This means
that the throughput is 250 × 0.152 = 38. Only 38
frames out of 250 will probably survive.

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Slotted Aloha
In pure ALOHA there is no rule that defines when the
station can send. A station may send soon after another
station has started or just before another station has
finished. Slotted ALOHA was invented to improve the
efficiency of pure ALOHA.

In slotted ALOHA time is divided into slots of Tfr seconds

and force the station to send only at the beginning of the
time slot.

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Frames in a slotted ALOHA network

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Note

The throughput for pure ALOHA is

S = G × e −G

The maximum throughput

Smax = 0.368 when G= 1

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Vulnerable time for slotted ALOHA protocol

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Example
Problem:
A slotted ALOHA network transmits 200-bit frames on a shared
channel of 200 kbps. What is the throughput if the system (all
stations together) produces
• a. 1000 frames per second b. 500 frames per second
• c. 250 frames per second.

Solution
The frame transmission time is 200/200 kbps or 1 ms.
a. If the system creates 1000 frames per second, this is 1
frame per millisecond. The load is 1. In this case
S = G× e−G or S = 0.368 (36.8 percent). This means
that the throughput is 1000 × 0.0368 = 368 frames.
Only 386 frames out of 1000 will probably survive.

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Example (Contd.)
b. If the system creates 500 frames per second, this is
(1/2) frame per millisecond. The load is (1/2). In this
case S = G × e−G or S = 0.303 (30.3 percent). This
means that the throughput is 500 × 0.0303 = 151.
Only 151 frames out of 500 will probably survive.

c. If the system creates 250 frames per second, this is (1/4)

frame per millisecond. The load is (1/4). In this case
S = G × e −G or S = 0.195 (19.5 percent). This means
that the throughput is 250 × 0.195 = 49. Only 49
frames out of 250 will probably survive.

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CSMA
To minimize the chance of collision and, therefore, increase
the performance, the CSMA method was developed. The
chance of collision can be reduced if a station senses the
medium before trying to use it. Carrier sense multiple
access (CSMA) requires that each station first listen to the
medium (or check the state of the medium) before
sending. In other words, CSMA is based on the principle
“sense before transmit” or “listen before talk.”

CSMA can reduce the possibility of collision, but it cannot

eliminate it. Figure in the next slide will explain the reason.

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Space/time model of the collision in CSMA

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Vulnerable time in CSMA

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Persistence Methods
❖What should a station do if the channel is busy?
❖What should a station do if the channel is idle?

To answer these questions three methods have been

devised :
the 1 persistent method,
the nonpersistent method, and
the p persistent method.

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Behavior of Persistence Methods
1-Persistent
The 1-persistent method is simple and straightforward. In
this method, after the station finds the line idle, it sends
its frame immediately (with probability 1). This method
has the highest chance of collision because two or more
stations may find the line idle and send their frames
immediately.

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Behavior of Persistence Methods
Nonpersistent
In the nonpersistent method, a station that has a frame to
send senses the line. If the line is idle, it sends
immediately. If the line is not idle, it waits a random
amount of time and then senses the line again. This
method reduces the efficiency of the network because
the medium remains idle when there may be stations with
frames to send.

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Behavior of Persistence Methods
p-Persistent
The p-persistent method is used if the channel has time slots
with a slot duration equal to or greater than the maximum
propagation time. The p-persistent approach combines the
advantages of the other two strategies. It reduces the chance
of collision and improves efficiency. In this method, after the
station finds the line idle it follows these steps:
1. With probability p, the station sends its frame.
2. With probability q = 1 - p, the station waits for the
beginning of the next time slot and checks the line again.
a. If the line is idle, it goes to step 1.
b. If the line is busy, it acts as though a collision has occurred
and uses the backoff procedure.

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p-Persistent

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CSMA/CD

The CSMA method does not specify the procedure

following a collision. Carrier sense multiple access with
collision detection (CSMA/CD) augments the algorithm to
handle the collision. In this method, a station monitors
the medium after it sends a frame to see if the
transmission was successful. If so, the station is finished.
If, however, there is a collision, the frame is sent again.

Procedure of CSMA/CD is explained in the next slide by a

flowchart.

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CSMA/CD (Procedure)

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CSMA/CA

Carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance

(CSMA/CA) was invented for wireless networks. Collisions
are avoided through the use of CSMA/CA’s three
strategies: the interframe space, the contention window,
and acknowledgments.

Procedure of CSMA/CA is explained in the next slide by a

flowchart.

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CSMA/CA (Procedure)

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