A new architecture and protocol for high performance integrated local area networks

A novel LAN (local-area-network) architecture and a high-efficiency bit-mapped protocol (HEBMP) are presented. The proposed LAN architecture uses a bidirectional broadcast bus with predefined terminal connection points (TCPs). Using predefined TCPs enables the scheduling of poll responses and transmission of packets at precise instants. This in turn makes it possible to limit the overhead due to signal propagation delay to a maximum of four times the end-to-end propagation delay per frame, irrespective of the number of terminals on the network. Although the connection points are predefined, it is not necessary for a TCP to have a terminal connected to it. The analysis of HEBMP and computer simulation of HEBMP, conventional BMP, and CSMA/CD (carrier-sense multiple access with collision detection) show that HEBMP provides much better throughput and mean packet delay performances compared with conventional BMP and CSMA/CD. Its high performance under low, as well as high, traffic conditions makes it well suited for integrated local-area networks (ILANs) based on the proposed LAN architecture