Medium Access Control

Sub layer
 In broadcast networks, several stations
share a single communication channel. The
major issue in these networks is which
station should transmit data at a given time.
 This process of deciding the turn of different
stations is known as Channel Allocation.

 To coordinate the access to the channel,

multiple access protocols are required.

 All these protocols belong to the MAC sub

layer.
Data Link layer is divided into two sub layers:

 Logical Link Control (LLC)

 Medium Access Control (MAC)

 LCC is responsible for error control & flow

control.
 MAC is responsible for multiple access
resolutions.
Channel Allocation Problem
 In broadcast networks, single channel is
shared by several stations.
This channel can be allocated to only one
transmitting user at a time.
There are two different methods of channel
allocations:
1.Static Channel Allocation
2.Dynamic Channel Allocation
Static Channel Allocations
In this method, a single channel is divided
among various users either on the basis of
frequency or on the basis of time.
 It either uses FDM (Frequency Division
Multiplexing) or TDM (Time Division
Multiplexing).

 In FDM, fixed frequency is assigned to each

user, whereas, in TDM, fixed time slot is
assigned to each user
Dynamic Channel Allocation

 In this method, no user is assigned fixed

frequency or fixed time slot.

 All users are dynamically assigned frequency

or time slot, depending upon the
requirements of the user.
 Multiple Access Protocols
Many protocols have been defined to handle
the access to shared link.

 These protocols are organized in three

different groups:

1)Random Access Protocols

2)Controlled Access Protocols
3)Channelization Protocols
 Random Access Protocols
 In this, all stations have same superiority
that is no station has more priority than
another station.
 Any station can send data depending on
medium’s state( idle or busy). It has two
features:

i. There is no fixed time for sending data

ii. There is no fixed sequence of stations
sending data
 If two stations transmit at the same
time,there is collision and the frames are
lost.
The various random access methods are:
 ALOHA(Advocates of Linux open source
Hawaii Association)
 CSMA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access)
 CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access
with Collision Detection)
 CSMA/CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access
with Collision Avoidance)
ALOHA

 ALOHA was developed at University of Hawaii in

early 1970s by Norman Abramson.
 It was used for ground based radio broadcasting.
 In this method, stations share a common channel.
 When two stations transmit simultaneously,
collision occurs and frames are lost.
 There are two different versions of ALOHA:

1. Pure ALOHA 2. Slotted ALOHA

Pure ALOHA

 In pure ALOHA, stations transmit frames whenever

they have data to send.
 When two stations transmit simultaneously, there
is collision and frames are lost.
 In pure ALOHA, whenever any station transmits a
frame, it expects an acknowledgement from the
receiver.
 If acknowledgement is not received within
specified time, the station assumes that the frame
has been lost.
 If the frame is lost, station waits for a random
amount of time and sends it again.

 This waiting time must be random, otherwise,

same frames will collide again and again.

 Whenever two frames try to occupy the channel at

the same time, there will be collision and both the
frames will be lost.

 If first bit of a new frame overlaps with the last bit

of a frame almost finished, both frames will be lost
and both will have to be re-transmitted.
Slotted ALOHA
 Slotted ALOHA was invented to improve the
efficiency of pure ALOHA.
 In slotted ALOHA, time of the channel is
divided into intervals called slots.
 The station can send a frame only at the
beginning of the slot and only one frame is
sent in each slot.
 If any station is not able to place the frame
onto the channel at the beginning of the
slot, it has to wait until the next time slot.
 Carrier Sense Multiple Access
(CSMA)
CSMA was developed to overcome the
problems of ALOHA i.e. to minimize the
chances of collision.
 CSMA is based on the principle of “carrier
sense”.
 The station sense the carrier or channel
before transmitting a frame.
 It means the station checks whether the
channel is idle or busy.
 The chances of collision reduces to a great
extent if a station checks the channel before trying
to use it.
 The chances of collision still exists because of
propagation delay.

 The frame transmitted by one station takes some

time to reach the other station.

 In the meantime, other station may sense the

channel to be idle and transmit its frames. This
results in the collision.
 There are three different types of CSMA
protocols:
1.1-Persistent CSMA
2.Non-Persistent CSMA
3.P-Persistent CSMA
1-Persistent CSMA
 In this method, station that wants to
transmit data, continuously senses the
channel to check whether the channel is
idle or busy.
 If the channel is busy, station waits until it
becomes idle.
When the station detects an idle channel, it
immediately transmits the frame.
 This method has the highest chance of
collision because two or more stations may
find channel to be idle at the same time and
transmit their frames.
Non-Persistent CSMA
 A station that has a frame to send, senses
the channel. If the channel is idle, it sends
immediately.
 If the channel is busy, it waits a random
amount of time and then senses the channel
again.
It reduces the chance of collision because the
stations wait for a random amount of time .
 it is unlikely that two or more stations will wait for
the same amount of time and will retransmit at the
same time.

P-Persistent CSMA
 In this method, the channel has time slots such
that the time slot duration is equal to or greater
than the maximum propagation delay time.
 When a station is ready to send, it senses the
channel.

 If the channel is busy, station waits until next

slot.

 If the channel is idle, it transmits the frame.

 It reduces the chance of collision and improves

the efficiency of the network.
 CSMA with Collision Detection
(CSMA/CD)
 In this protocol, the station senses the channel
before transmitting the frame. If the channel is
busy, the station waits.
 Additional feature in CSMA/CD is that the stations
can detect collisions.
 The stations abort their transmission as soon as
they detect collision.
 This feature is not present in CSMA, the stations
continue to transmit even though they find that
collision has occurred.
 In CSMA/CD, the station that sends its data on
the channel, continues to sense the channel even
after data transmission.

 If collision is detected, the station aborts its

transmission and waits for a random amount of
time & sends its data again.

 As soon as a collision is detected, the transmitting

station release a jam signal.

 Jam signal alerts other stations. Stations are not

supposed to transmit immediately after the
collision has occurred.
CSMA with Collision Avoidance
(CSMA/CA):

 This protocol is used in wireless networks because

they cannot detect the collision. So, the only
solution is collision avoidance.
 It avoids the collision by using three basic
techniques:
1. Interframe Space
2. Contention Window
3. Acknowledgements
1.Interframe Space:

 Whenever the channel is found idle, the station

does not transmit immediately.
 It waits for a period of time called Interframe
Space (IFS).
 When channel is sensed idle, it may be possible
that some distant station may have already started
transmitting.
 Therefore, the purpose of IFS time is to allow this
transmitted signal to reach its destination.
 If after this IFS time, channel is still idle, the
station can send the frames.
2.Contention Window:

 Contention window is the amount of time divided

into slots.
 Station that is ready to send chooses a random
number of slots as its waiting time.
 The number of slots in the window changes with
time.
 It means that it is set of one slot for the first time,
and then doubles each time the station cannot
detect an idle channel after the IFS time.
 In contention window, the station needs to sense
the channel after each time slot.

3.Acknowledgment:

 Despite all the precautions, collisions may occur and

destroy the data.

 Positive acknowledgement and the time-out timer

helps guarantee that the receiver has received the
frame.
 Controlled Access Protocol
 In this method, the stations consult each
other to find which station has a right to
send.
 A station cannot send unless it has been
authorized by other station.
The different controlled access methods are:
1.Reservation
2.Polling
3.Token Passing
Reservation:
 In this method, a station needs to make a
reservation before sending data.
 The time is divided into intervals. In each interval,
a reservation frame precedes the data frames sent
in that interval.
 If there are N stations, then there are exactly N
reservation slots in the reservation frame. Each slot
belongs to a station.
 When a station needs to send a frame, it makes a
reservation in its own slot.
Polling:

 Polling method works in those networks where

primary and secondary stations exist.

 All data exchanges are made through primary

device even when the final destination is a
secondary device.

 Primary device controls the link and secondary

device follow the instructions.
Token Passing:

 Token passing method is used in those

networks where the stations are organized in
a logical ring.

 In such networks, a special packet called

token is circulated through the ring.

 Station that possesses the token has the right

to access the channel.
 Whenever any station has some data to send, it
waits for the token. It transmits data only after it
gets the possession of token.

 After transmitting the data, the station releases

the token and passes it to the next station in the
ring.

 If any station that receives the token has no data

to send, it simply passes the token to the next
station in the ring.