A multicasting protocol using transmitter-directed frequency-hop signaling for multi-hop wireless networks

This paper presents a new multicasting protocol for distributed wireless networks that employ frequency-hop spread-spectrum signaling. It is assumed that the underlying protocols use receiver-directed signaling for the transmission of data packets and a common hopping code for the transmission of broadcast control information. During a multicast transmission, however, this protocol switches to transmitter-directed signaling so that a single transmission can reach multiple receivers simultaneously. Prior to the transmission a set-up phase occurs that exploits the underlying protocols for data packets and control packets. The set-up phase repeats periodically during the multicast transmission. Numerical results show that the protocol uses channel resources more efficiently than a protocol based on flooding