Approximate analysis of timer-controlled priority scheme in the single-service token-passing systems

This paper presents an approximate analysis of delay performance in the timer-controlled priority scheme of single-service token passing systems, where each priority queue is allowed to transmit one message at a time. This is the practical case of real-time networks such as those used in aircraft and spacecraft control, process control and factory communications. The token passing systems consist of N stations, each of which has (K+1) priority queues. The highest priority queues can transmit a message whenever the token arrives. A lower priority queue can transmit a message if the token rotation time (which was reset and restarted at the previous token arrival instant) is not expired when the token arrives. An analytical model is developed based on the independent and identically distributed random variables of conditional effective service times (time interval between two consecutive instants at which a priority queue has an opportunity to transmit a message) of each priority queue. The condition is assigned on the basis of the contribution of message transmission time to the effective service time. The approximate mean waiting time for each priority queue is determined using the well-known results from Kuehn (1979), who first introduced the conditional cycle time. The approximate analytical model is validated by comparison with the simulation results