Homework #4

5 Points Each

Problem 4.2
A group of N stations share a 56 kbps pure ALOHA channel. Each station outputs a
1000 bit frame on average of once every 100 sec, even if the previous one has not yet
been sent (e.g., the stations can buffer outgoing frames). What is the maximum value of
N?

With pure ALOHA the usable bandwidth is 0.184 ⋅ 56 kbps = 10.3 kbps.
Each station requires 10 bps, so N = 10300/10 = 1030 stations.

Problem 4.5
A large population of ALOHA users manages to generate 50 requests/sec, including both
originals and retransmissions. Time is slotted in units of 40 msec.
(a) What is the chance of success on the first attempt?
(b) What is the probability of exactly k collisions and then a success?
(c) What is the expected number of transmission attempts needed?

(a) With G = 2 the Poisson law gives a probability of e −2.

(b) (1 − e −G)ke −G = 0.135 ⋅ 0.865k .
(c) The expected number of transmissions is eG = 7.4.

Problem 4.6
Measurements of a slotted ALOHA channel with an infinite number of users show that
10 percent of the slots are idle.
(a) What is the channel load, G?
(b) What is the throughput?
(c) Is the channel underloaded or overloaded?

(a) From the Poisson law again, P0 = e −G, so G = −lnP0 = −ln 0.1 = 2.3.
(b) Using S = Ge−G with G = 2.3 and e −G = 0.1, S = 0.23.
(c) Whenever G > 1 the channel is overloaded, so it is overloaded.
Problem 4.9
A LAN uses Mok and Ward’s version of binary countdown. At a certain instant, the ten
stations have the virtual station numbers 8, 2, 4, 5, 1, 7, 3, 6, 9, and 0. The next three
stations to send are 4, 3, and 9, in that order. What are the new virtual station numbers
after all three have finished their transmissions?

When station 4 sends, it becomes 0, and 1, 2, and 3 are increased by 1. When

station 3 sends, it becomes 0, and 0, 1, and 2 are increased by 1. Finally,
when station 9 sends, it becomes 0 and all the other stations are incremented
by 1. The result is 9, 1, 2, 6, 4, 8, 5, 7, 0, and 3.

Problem 4.10
Sixteen stations, numbered 1 through 16, are contending for the use of a shared channel
by using the adaptive tree walk protocol. If all of the stations whose addresses are prime
numbers suddenly become ready at once, how many bit slots are needed to resolve the
contention?

Stations 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, and 13 want to send. Eleven slots are needed, with the
contents of each slot being as follows:
slot 1: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13
slot 2: 2, 3, 5, 7
slot 3: 2, 3
slot 4: 2
slot 5: 3
slot 6: 5, 7
slot 7: 5
slot 8: 7
slot 9: 11, 13
slot 10: 11
slot 11: 13

Problem #6
Sketch the Manchester encoding for the bit stream: 0001110101
Sketch the differential Manchester encoding for the same bit stream.
Assume that the line is initially in the low state.

Manchester encoding:
The signal is a square wave with two values, high (H) and low (L). The pattern
is LHLHLHHLHLHLLHHLLHHL

Differential Manchester encoding:

The pattern this time is HLHLHLLHHLLHLHHLHLLH
This pattern assumes that the bit stream prior to the pattern begins with HL.