This paper investigates the performance of MIMO ad hoc networks that employ transmit diversity, as delivered by the Alamouti scheme, and or spatial multiplexing, according to the Vertical Bell Labs Layered Space-Time system (V-BLAST). Both techniques are implemented in a discrete-event network simulator by focusing on their overall effect on the resulting signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) at the intended receiver. Unlike previous works that have studied fully-connected scenarios or have assumed simple abstractions to represent MIMO behavior, this paper evaluates MIMO ad hoc networks that are not fully connected by taking into account the effects of multiple antennas on the clear channel assessment (CCA) mechanism of CSMA-like medium access control (MAC) protocols. In addition to presenting a performance evaluation of ad hoc networks operating according to each individual MIMO scheme, this paper proposes simple modifications to the IEEE 802.11 DCF MAC to allow the joint operation of both MIMO techniques. Hence, each pair of nodes is allowed to select the best MIMO configuration for the impending data transfer. The joint operation is based on three operation modes that are selected based on the estimated SINR at the intended receiver and its comparision with a set of threshold values. The performance of ad hoc networks operating with the joint MIMO scheme is compared with their operation using each individual MIMO scheme and the standard SISO IEEE 802.11. Performance results are presented based on MAC-level throughput per node, delay, and fairness under saturated traffic conditions.
By employing more than one antenna at the transmitter and by properly coding data across the transmit antennas, physical layers (PHYs) with space-time block codes (STBCs) promise increased data rates with minimal decoding complexity at the receiver. This paper presents a comprehensive study of how the STBC gains at the PHY translate to significant network performance improvement in 802.11a wireless local area networks. We base our study on a detailed, across-all-layers, simulation of an 802.11a system. We have extended the network simulator with an implementation of the 802.11a PHY, which allows us to assess the impact of STBC not only at the PHY layer, but at the higher layers as well. An extensive set of simulations illustrates the merits of transmit diversity (in the form of STBC) and sheds light on how performance can be improved for transmission control protocol (TCP) traffic. Essentially, STBC presents to TCP a "smoother" wireless channel; this is corroborated by a brief theoretical analysis as well. In this paper, we explore the utility of recently discovered multiple-antenna techniques (namely MIMO techniques) for medium access control (MAC) design and routing in mobile ad hoc networks. Specifically, we focus on ad hoc networks where the spatial diversity technique is used to combat fading and achieve robustness in the presence of user mobility. We first examine the impact of spatial diversity on the MAC design, and devise a MIMO MAC protocol accordingly. We then develop analytical methods to characterize the corresponding saturation throughput for MIMO multi-hop networks. Building on the throughout analysis, we study the impact of MIMO MAC on routing. We characterize the optimal hop distance that minimizes the end-to-end delay in a large network. For completeness, we also study MAC design using directional antennas for the case where the channel has a strong line of sight (LOS) component. Our results show that the spatial diversity technique and the directional antenna technique can enhance the performance of mobile ad hoc networks significantly.