A real-time communication protocol

A protocol based on an extension of the CSMA/CD (carrier sense multiple access with collision detection) access control technique, which provides guaranteed message transport time, is presented. Measured performance data and analytical studies based on a maximum traffic load model of the network were used to demonstrate the bounded message transport time features of the protocol. An analytical model based on average values was also developed. The first model allows a designer to know the worst-case response time of the communication system, while the second model allows one to know its behavior during normal operation. In this way, it is possible to verify if the communication system meets the real-time requirements of a given application. Details of the medium access control protocol and the average case performance model are presented