Performance Analysis of CSMA and BTMA Protocols in Multihop Networks (II), Multiple Channel Case

Busy tone multiple access protocols have been used in multihop networks to reduce the effect of the hidden terminal problem. This paper demonstrates another approach to reduce the effect of the hidden terminal problem namely the use of multiple channel schemes. A protocol that uses both the busy tone and the multiple channel techniques achieves the best performance. Using a Markov chain model and an approximation, the throughput performance of the multiple channel nonpersistent CSMA protocol and the multiple channel conservative BTMA protocol in a large network is evaluated and compared. The results show that the multichannel CSMA and BTMA schemes exhibit a better performance over their single channel counterparts in a multihop network.