Modeling and Evaluation of Multiple Access Protocols

The Naval Ocean Systems Center (NOSC) is tasked to design multiple access protocols for the Improved Link-ll program. Link-ll is an existing tactical data network that has been operational in the United States Navy for many years. The objectives of this project are to design and field improved multiple access protocols which will remedy the shortcomings of the present system. The multiple access protocols examined were TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) and an adaptive TDMA scheme, developed at NOSC, known as HAMA (Handoff Assigned Multiple Access). Simulations of these two protocols were conducted using the Network Architecture Simulated Test and Evaluation Environment (NASTEE). Example results of these protocol simulations are presented in this paper.