Delay time computation for an active star topology local area network

Abstract

Fiber optic local area networks are nowadays widely available for data transport. Different topologies have been proposed, such as a bus, a ring or a star. A star topology, called Hubnet, has been developed at the University of Toronto. It uses a medium access protocol in which collisions are avoided, i.e. the throughput is an increasing function of the offered load. A model is developed in which the delay is investigated as a function of the throughput. The model is compared with a regenerative stochastic analysis and is validated by means of a simulation model and real-life measurements.