Virtual Sieve: A Distributed Channel Assignment Algorithm Resolving the Hidden Node Problem

In wireless ad hoc networks, hidden nodes has been an important topic of recent research. This paper proposes a novel and efficient distributed multi-channel assignment algorithm, Virtual Sieve Distributed Channel Assignment Algorithm (VSDCA), for wireless ad hoc networks to avoid hidden node problem. The main purpose of this algorithm is to guarantee all links with hidden node problems to be assigned to different channels. In this paper, it shows that our VSDCA algorithm can completely avoid hidden node problem, and the performance of the network can be dramatically improved compared to previous Carrier Sensing (CS) algorithm.