RCFD: A Novel Channel Access Scheme for Full-Duplex Wireless Networks Based on Contention in Time and Frequency Domains

TL;DR

This paper introduces RCFD, a novel MAC protocol for full-duplex wireless networks that uses time-frequency contention to improve transmission efficiency and reduce collisions, demonstrated through analysis and simulations.

Contribution

It presents the first MAC protocol based on time-frequency contention for full-duplex wireless, enhancing network performance over existing protocols.

Findings

Significant performance improvements over standard MAC protocols.

Efficient collision avoidance and full-duplex exploitation.

Theoretical and simulation validation of the scheme.

Abstract

In the last years, the advancements in signal processing and integrated circuits technology allowed several research groups to develop working prototypes of in-band full-duplex wireless systems. The introduction of such a revolutionary concept is promising in terms of increasing network performance, but at the same time poses several new challenges, especially at the MAC layer. Consequently, innovative channel access strategies are needed to exploit the opportunities provided by full-duplex while dealing with the increased complexity derived from its adoption. In this direction, this paper proposes RTS/CTS in the Frequency Domain (RCFD), a MAC layer scheme for full-duplex ad hoc wireless networks, based on the idea of time-frequency channel contention. According to this approach, different OFDM subcarriers are used to coordinate how nodes access the shared medium. The proposed scheme leads to efficient transmission scheduling with the result of avoiding collisions and exploiting full-duplex opportunities. The considerable performance improvements with respect to standard and state-of-the-art MAC protocols for wireless networks are highlighted through both theoretical analysis and network simulations.