Validating New and Existing MAC Algorithms for VANET

Abstract

A vehicular ad-hoc network (VANET) is an autonomous and self-configuring network of mobile hosts connected by wireless links. Most of the existing Medium Access Control (MAC) algorithms that are used in VANETs are designed for stationary settings. In nonstationary setting when mobility is introduced, the nodes that are sensing the channel are not stable and changing rapidly. These rapid changes cause to collisions and packet drops in the channel which decreases the throughput of the network. This project investigates a modification for the existing MAC algorithms for vehicular ad hoc networks. P-persistent CSMA and distributed TDMA slot assignment algorithm are tested in this project. The modified algorithm divides the radio time into periods. Nodes that are traveling in opposite directions use different time periods. By this method the channel conditions do not change rapidly. The goal of the project is to validate that the modified algorithm indeed improves the throughput. We also studied the performances of our designs and implementations in a network simulator. The results show that the modification mentality used in this project is working but not for all algorithms.