Topology transparent scheduling, synchronization, and maximum delay

Summary form only given. Topology transparent scheduling for medium access control is an attractive technique for mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) and sensor networks. The transmission schedule for each node is fixed and guarantees a bounded delay independent of which nodes are its neighbours, as long as the network is not too dense. Constructions of and performance criteria for topology transparent schedules have been extensively studied however, to date, frame synchronization is assumed. Synchronization is a difficult problem for MANETs and sensor networks. We study the relationships among topology transparent schedules, synchronization, and maximum delay. Frame synchronization, slot synchronization, and asynchronous transmission are the three synchronization models for this study. For each synchronization model, the first question is: (1) Do topology transparent schedules exist? If the answer to this question is yes, then two further questions are natural: (2) How to construct topology transparent schedules? (3) What is the least maximum delay? For frame and slot synchronization these three questions are answered in earlier work. We give answers for these three basic questions for asynchronous networks.