Congestion Control using Pacing in a Packet Radio Network

Abstract

Protocol design is a critical factor in achieving throughput and reliability goals in a packet radio network. Here we examine the details of a hop transport protocol algorithm, called "pacing", which operates in a CSMA packet radio network. The pacing algorithm provides adaptive flow control in order to accommodate changing traffic flow patterns and rates. In addition, pacing seeks to time packet transmissions to ameliorate the classical "hidden terminal" problem encountered in multi-hop CSMA networks. We found that the pacing algorithm considerably improves throughput and packet delivery reliability, compared to an earlier algorithm using a fixed-parameter flow control mechanism.