Dale R. Buchholz

Wireless in-building network architecture and protocols

The authors highlight the topology, architecture, and protocols developed for a wireless in-building network based on 18-GHz radio technology. They introduce the requirements of an in-building office environment that involves desktop computing applications and describe a microcellular topology with store-and-forward radio modules that uses time division duplex techniques to organize transmitting and receiving. Unique to the architecture and protocols are methods for coordinating devices with sectorized antennas, for providing high performance in terms of high throughput and low delay, and for compatibility with networking standards.<<ETX>>The topology, protocols and architecture for an 18-GHz wireless in-building network (WIN) aimed at office environments are described. The problems of controlling an array of directional antennas, using half-duplex radios and compensating for channel errors are addressed. The protocols provide robustness in the face of changing radio environment that requires no user intervention and provides low user delay and high system throughput.<<ETX>>