MacZ - A Quality-of-Service MAC Layer for Ad-hoc Networks

Abstract

In this paper, we present a new MAC layer called MacZ, specifically devised for flexible QoS support in mobile ad- hoc networks. MacZ provides multi-hop tick synchronization, network-wide medium slotting, contention-free transmission with global reservations, contention-based transmission with priorities, and is robust against topology changes. We describe the main functionalities of MacZ, show results of performance simulations that provide evidence for the effectiveness of the QoS mechanisms, and discuss related MAC layers.