Link fragility and longevity in directional networks

Author

Dwivedi, Anurag ; Tebben, Dan

Author_Institution

Appl. Phys. Lab., Johns Hopkins Univ., Laurel, MD, USA

fYear

2009

fDate

18-21 Oct. 2009

Firstpage

1

Lastpage

7

Abstract

Mobile free space optical (FSO) and directional RF communications links suffer from frequent link blockages due to opaque obstructions that can result in degraded or failed networks. In this paper, a methodology is presented for assuring connectivity in networks with fragile links. The frequency and duration of link blockages are characterized using modeling and emulation tools developed for realistic terrain. Link fragility results for various types of terrain suggest that the network connectivity can be greatly improved by using a dynamic topology control methodology and optimization of physical network parameters such as antenna elevation.

Keywords

mobile communication; optical communication; optical links; radio links; telecommunication network reliability; antenna elevation; directional RF communication links; directional networks; link longetivity; mobile free space optical communications; network connectivity; network link fragility; Adaptive systems; Centralized control; Disruption tolerant networking; Network topology; Optical control; Optimization methods; Protocols; RF signals; Radio frequency; Telecommunication traffic;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Military Communications Conference, 2009. MILCOM 2009. IEEE

Conference_Location

Boston, MA

Print_ISBN

978-1-4244-5238-5

Electronic_ISBN

978-1-4244-5239-2

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/MILCOM.2009.5379971

Filename

5379971