Grouping Decision Algorithm for Dynamic Terminals in Random Access Networks

This paper proposes a grouping decision algorithm for random access networks with the carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) mechanism, which can balance the traffic load and solve the hidden terminal issue. Considering the arrival characteristics of terminals and quality of service (QoS) requirements, the traffic load is evaluated based on the effective bandwidth theory. Additionally, a probability matrix of hidden terminals is constructed to take into account the dynamic nature of hidden terminal relations. In the grouping process, an income function is established with a view to the benefits of decreasing the probability of hidden terminal collisions and load balancing. Then, we introduce the grey wolf optimization (GWO) algorithm to implement the grouping decision. Simulation results demonstrate that the grouping algorithm can effectively alleviate the performance degradation and facilitate the management of network resources.