A quorum-based multi-channel MAC protocol for wireless ad hoc networks

Rendezvous and Multi-channel Hidden Terminal problems are the two well-known challenges in developing a multi-channel MAC protocol. In literature, the Control Period Based (CPB) approach is proposed to cope with the rendezvous problem. Each channel is partitioned into several beacon intervals and each of which consists of ATIM window and data window. All hosts are asked to stay in every ATIM window of the predefined channel so that the sender can rendezvous with its receiver. However, the CPB approach raises the low channel utilization and contention problems. This paper proposes the multi-channel MAC protocol based on the Quorum system, called QM-MAC. The proposed QM-MAC not only fully utilizes the bandwidth resource of control windows but also provides rendezvous opportunities for any sender and receiver. Simulation results show that the proposed QM-MAC outperforms the compared mechanisms in terms of the channel utilization and the network throughput. Keywords—Multi-channel MAC Protocol; Quorum System; Rendezvous Problem.