Throughput maximization of ad-hoc wireless networks using adaptive cooperative diversity and truncated ARQ

We propose a cross-layer design which combines truncated ARQ at the link layer and cooperative diversity at the physical layer. In this scheme, both the source node and the relay nodes utilize an orthogonal space-time block code for packet retransmission. In contrast to previous cooperative diversity protocols, here cooperative diversity is invoked only if the destination node receives an erroneous packet from the source node. In addition, the relay nodes are not fixed and are selected according to the channel conditions using CRC. It will be shown that this combination of adaptive cooperative diversity and truncated ARQ can greatly improve the system throughput compared to the conventional truncated ARQ scheme and fixed cooperative diversity protocols. We further maximize the throughput by optimizing the packet length and modulation level and will show that substantial gains can be achieved by this joint optimization. Since both the packet length and modulation level are usually discrete in practice, a computationally efficient algorithm is further proposed to obtain the discrete optimal packet length and modulation level.