Switching and Routing for All Wireless Multi-Beam Ad-Hoc Networks

Arizona State University, Scottsdale AZ

Investigators

Abstract

The use of multi-beam antenna arrays for transmission and reception allows wireless units to send and receive tens of beams in different directions and using multiple frequency bands. If we deploy a large number of such multi-beam wireless units over a large area, we obtain a highly connected and high capacity wireless network. We call this the All Wireless Network (AWN). Analogous to Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) in All Optical Networks (AON), we propose an analogous Frequency Division (FD) and Space Division (SD) technique for All Wireless Networks (AWN). Unlike point-to-point connectivity of an AON, we argue that massively parallel number of beams with flexibly assigned direction and frequency from wireless multi-beam units can provide unlimited connectivity and bandwidth. We rely on spatial parallelism to achieve an extremely high network throughput. An AWN can be arranged as a spatially distributed multi-stage circuit switch or a fully connected ring, allowing multi-rate and multi-cast capability of a parallel and spatially distributed switch fabric. A single multi-beam wireless unit can receive from multiple beams to achieve a Gigabit per second throughput for an application. The wireless unit can also serve as relay nodes to switch incoming beams of given direction and frequency through a switch fabric onto outgoing beams of different direction and frequency. This is analogous to all optical switching for DWDM in an AON, except we have an added dimension of free and continuous spatial connectivity, rather than fiber-to-fiber connectivity. We shall devise switching and routing theory and techniques for SD/FD circuit switching over AWN, taking into account co-channel and adjacent channel interference and various fading factors. We formulate metric for routing that accounts for power consumption, distance covered, and externality induced to other routes. We study social optimality versus individual optimality for such routing techniques. Using the OPNET software package, we shall implement a simulation of the AWN. The transmitted radiation pattern is modeled for each wireless multi-beam unit. We distribute many such units over an area, either randomly or using various wireless interconnection network topologies. Propagation barriers are also modeled. The graphical simulation provides estimation of power and interference level. Various power control and routing protocols will be tested using the simulation software. Theoretical and simulation results will be used to design an Internet Circuit (IC) Router. Routing and switching algorithms will be made distributed with a multiple -path connection set-up using a link state routing table, or using source initiated connection requests. We plan to implement a simple IC Router for the internetworking of wireless multi-beam units for concept demonstration. We believe that the proposed AWN architecture shall be low cost, high performance, and highly flexible for traffic pattern and link/node impairments. The high throughput of the AWN will allow high quality multimedia applications to be delivered on-demand entirely by wireless communications.