Performance Analysis for Random Network Access Delay of Single Hop Ad Hoc Network Under Saturation Conditions

Abstract

For military wireless communications, the MIL-STD-188-220 standard utilizes various Network Access Delay (NAD) mechanisms to efficiently allocate transmission slots within a shared medium. Among these, the random NAD (R-NAD) protocol is widely adopted for dynamic traffic environments. To evaluate the fundamental capacity and performance limits of single-hop ad hoc networks where all nodes operate within a direct radio range, a rigorous analysis under saturation conditions is essential. Despite its critical importance, a comprehensive theoretical framework that analyzes R-NAD performance under saturation and determines the maximum number of retransmissions required to guarantee specific packet delivery targets has been lacking. To address this issue, this paper provides a thorough performance analysis of the R-NAD protocol under saturation conditions, deriving key metrics such as transmission rate, loss probability, and average delay. Based on these analytical results, we propose a practical and simplified formula for determining the minimum value of the maximum retransmission count required to satisfy a specific target loss probability. Extensive simulations demonstrate that our theoretical derivations are exceptionally well-matched with simulation data. Furthermore, we show that selecting the precise maximum number of retransmissions that meets the target loss probability effectively prevents unnecessary average delay while strictly satisfying the network’s loss requirements, thereby providing a practical guideline for effective system configuration.