A coordination layer to handle real-time communication in Wi-Fi networks with uncontrolled traffic sources

In this paper we propose the use of a coordination layer to handle real-time communication in infrastructured WiFi networks. This layer combines a TDMA scheme with a traffic separation mechanism (FCR MAC), which enables the prioritization of real-time (RT) traffic over uncontrolled (external) traffic sources. The target of this paper is to assess the behavior of this coordination layer when supporting RT communication and to compare these results with those obtained with IEEE 802.11e EDCA. The simulation assessment considers an open communication environment, where a set of RT and non-RT stations share the same coverage area and frequency band. A realistic error-prone channel was used to measure the impact of interferences against an error-free channel. We show that the proposed solution offers a significant improvement when compared with EDCA, in what concerns average deadline losses and delay.