High Frequency Design From March 2007 High Frequency Electronics
Copyright © 2007 Summit Technical Media, LLC
AD HOC NETWORKS
Wireless Ad Hoc Networks:
Basic Concepts
By Gary Breed
Editorial Director
A
d hoc networks,
(Active)
This fundamental tutorial which are also (Active)
introduces the concept of called mesh net- User
User Node
ad hoc, or mesh, network- works, are defined by the Node
ing, which uses whatever manner in which the net-
resources are available to work nodes are organized
create communication to provide pathways for User
Node
paths from a user to his or data to be routed from
her desired destination. the user to and from the
desired destination.
User
Actually, the two names ascribed to these Node
networks provide considerable insight. Ad hoc User
Node
has two definitions—the first can be either
“impromptu” or “using what is on hand,” while User
the other is “for one specific purpose.” For Node
example, members of an ad hoc committee
(studying a specific issue) might discover that
they are attending the same event and decide Internet connection
to have an ad hoc (impromptu) meeting. Router
Ad hoc networks follow both definitions, as
well. They are formed as they are needed Figure 1 · Basic structure of an ad hoc, or
(impromptu), using resources on hand, and mesh, network. The path from the user’s
are configured to handle exactly what is need- node to the destination node is provided by
ed by each user—a series of “one specific pur- other users’ devices acting as routers.
pose” tasks.
The term mesh network accurately
describes the structure of the network: All If one of the intermediate nodes were to
available nodes are aware of all other nodes fail (e.g. that user leaves the area), the net-
within range. The entire collection of nodes is work will automatically reconfigure itself,
interconnected in many different ways, just as locating an alternate path from the user to the
a physical mesh is made of many small con- router. Typically, all available nodes are also
nections to create a larger fabric. network users, each sharing the total data
Figure 1 provides a simple diagram illus- transfer capacity of the particular hardware
trating these concepts. This diagram is mod- and operating protocol being used.
eled after a wireless “hot spot,” where an ad The network could also connect users to
hoc network links users to a router with other users directly, as would be done in an
access to the Internet. In this example, two industrial control and monitoring network.
users are highlighted, showing two paths Since there is no need for central administra-
through several nodes to the router. tion of the network configuration, it is most
44 High Frequency Electronics
High Frequency Design
AD HOC NETWORKS
efficient to design the system for autonomous operation of change. Users may come and go, nodes may be in motion,
each node. In an industrial environment, a situation such or changes in the electromagnetic environment may alter
as an alarm would be propagated through the network the propagation between nodes. As these changes take
and received directly by each node. Each node would be place, the network will update its configuration and iden-
programmed to respond according to its particular func- tify new paths from users to destinations, as illustrated in
tion—machine control, process monitoring, supervisory Fig. 2c. This type of reconfiguration will be repeated over
personnel or central office. and over as the network changes. Note that this is the
same process used in the Internet, where system loading
Self-Configuring and Self-Healing Processes and hardware issues require redirection of a user’s data
Figure 2 shows how ad hoc networks determine their through different routers.
configuration. In Fig. 2a each node identifies the nodes
that are available for communications, based on signal Advantages of Ad Hoc Networks
strength, which is mainly related to distance, but is also The principal advantages of an ad hoc network include
affected by obstructions or interference. Some nodes may the following:
be beyond range, others may be detectable but have insuf-
ficient signal strength for reliable communications. • Independence from central network administration
Once the available nodes are identified, this informa- • Self-configuring, nodes are also routers
tion is communicated to other nodes, along with informa- • Self-healing through continuous re-configuration
tion about the desired destination (Fig. 2b). Using the • Scalable—accommodates the addition of more nodes
lists of available connections, the network configuration • Flexible—similar to being able to access the
algorithm selects a particular routing for each user to its Internet from many different locations
destination. This process requires system operating soft-
ware to have good decision-making algorithms, based on Limitations of Ad Hoc Networks
practical criteria for signal strength, path reliability over While ad hoc networks are typically used where they
time, and network configuration patterns. have the greatest emphasis on its advantages, there are
Over time, or even near-continuously, the network will some limitations:
• Each node must have full performance
• Throughput is affected by system loading
• Reliability requires a sufficient number of available
nodes. Sparse networks can have problems
• Large networks can have excessive latency (time
delay), which affects some applications
Some of these limitations also apply to conventional
hub-and-spoke based networks, or cannot be addressed by
alternate configurations. For example, all networks are
affected by system loading, and networks with few nodes
are difficult to justify in hard-wired solutions.
Key Applications
WLAN is the initial application that received a con-
certed development effort. Peer-to-peer networks of com-
puter/PDA users have become common. Commercial wire-
less Internet service providers (WISP) use repeater nodes
to extend coverage to a large area, while user nodes can
extend service in their locality.
Control systems (e.g. environmental controls) and
industrial process monitoring and control are becoming
major applications for mesh networking. These environ-
ments are difficult to serve with dedicated wiring, being
spread over a large area, often with difficult access.
Sensor networks from small-scale (e.g. household securi-
ty monitoring) to large scale (e.g. wildlife tracking) are
Active Node Active Node Active Node
N
N N
N N
N N N
N N N
N N
(a) Destination
(b) Destination
(c) Destination
Figure 2 · Creation and adaptation of an ad hoc network: (a) Determination of available nodes, (b) Selection of
the optimal routing, and (c) Reconfiguration when the network makeup changes.
also being developed with ad hoc networking as the oper- maintain system-wide communications. Hopefully, this
ational structure. brief tutorial will help you appreciate the value of this
Developers of these and other applications have deter- important networking technique for establishing and
mined that ad hoc networks are the most efficient way to maintaining wireless communications.