DMDL: A hierarchical approach to design, visualize, and implement MAC protocols
Peng Wang, Marina Petrova, Petri Mähönen · 2018
This paper describes a new tool aimed for rapid development and modeling of MAC protocols that is based on hierarchical finite state machines with concurrency models. The developed tool is named Decomposite MAC Description Language (DMDL) and we are going to provide it open source in order to support MAC protocol design, implementation, and exchange of ideas among researchers. Following the modular design philosophy, the atomic elements of DMDL are the elementary MAC function components selected from a large-scale survey on different types of MAC that we have conducted. In DMDL, a MAC protocols is modeled as a directed graph with the MAC function components at the vertices. A token-like controlling unit is defined to pass control signals and data elements among MAC function components via the directed connections. The high decomposability and modularity enables DMDL to be used as a pure graphical language, and the concurrency nature of the synchronous data flow inherently ensures concurrency as a fundamental feature of DMDL. However, the tool supports also low level direct programmability and mixing of different programming languages through a common GNU Radio approach. In order to expands its usability, DMDL is developed on GNU Radio with a number of classic MAC protocols. The performance of the protocols implemented with DMDL is in accordance with the theoretical expectations, which demonstrates that DMDL is an efficient MAC designing and implementing tool with high flexibility and reusability.