Performance Evaluation of Cooperative Medium Access protocols for Vehicular Networks

Abstract

Vehicular Ad hoc Network (VANET) are a type of adhoc network wherein moving vehicles (the nodes) communicate among each other and Road Side Units (RSUs) over a wireless network. Considering the fast topology changes which happen in these networks it becomes necessary to have MAC protocols that can ensure reliable communications. In this paper, the authors have discussed various MAC protocols that have been developed over years to reduce latency and improve QoS. The paper provides an overview of the various cooperative MAC protocols that have been developed to support communication in VANETs. Further, this paper also provides a comparative view of the various MAC protocols. The performance of various MAC protocols is analyzed using MATLAB and it is concluded that cooperative MAC protocols provide a better QoS than traditional IEEE 802.11p protocols.