[[Include(wiki:802.11/beta-note)]] [[TracNav(802.11/TOC)]] = 802.11 Reference Design: MAC = == Overview == The MAC implementation is based on the DCF (distributed coordination function) protocol specified in section 9.3 of the 802.11-2012 standard. This design does not implement the PCF (point coordination function) in section 9.4 of the standard. '''Frames:''' The MAC specification defines many frame formats in section 8 of the 802.11-2012 standard. Our implementation supports a sub-set of these frames. '''Data/ACK:''' Data and ACK frames are of course supported. '''Management Frames:''' The following management frames are supported: * Beacon * Probe Request * Probe Response * Authentication * Deauthentication * Association Request * Association Response * Reassociation Request * Reassociation Response * Disassociation '''Handshakes:''' The standard defines many inter-node handshakes for many combinations of ad-hoc and infrastructure networks. Our current MAC implementation supports the common association handshake required for a STA (node) to join the network of an AP. This handshake consists of: ||= STA =||= Direction =||= AP =|| || Probe Request || → || ↓ || || ↓ || ← || Probe Response || || Authentication || → || ↓ || || ↓ || ← || Authentication || || Association Request || → || ↓ || || • || ← || Association Response || '''RTS/CTS:''' Support for the RTS/CTS handshake is not currently implemented (we may add this in a future release) == Architecture == The MAC implementation is split into two pieces: * The [wiki:./Upper Upper-level MAC] is responsible for inter-packet behaviors that are not time critical * The [wiki:./Lower Lower-level MAC] is responsible for intra-packet behaviors that are time critical