A Cross-Layer Multiple-Access Protocol with Adaptive Transmission for Direct-Sequence Spread-Spectrum Ad Hoc Networks

We introduce a protocol for direct-sequence spread-spectrum ad hoc networks that enables simultaneous transmissions while limiting multiple-access interference. Our protocol establishes channel-access restrictions to prevent excessive levels of multiple-access interference and enables efficient operation of adaptive transmission. Each radio uses cross-layer metrics to identify neighboring radios which could cause detrimental levels of multiple-access interference. We implement and evaluate the distributed protocol in a simulation that models the multiple-access interference for each packet transmission. We show that our cross-layer protocol significantly increases network throughput compared to protocols that do not jointly control channel access and adaptive transmission.