NDIS-Based Four-Layer Architecture for IEEE 802.11b with a Virtual Scheduling Algorithm

This paper examines the feasibility of using the IEEE 802.11b protocol for wireless networked control systems (NCSs). The IEEE 802.11b protocol is not suitable for industrial networking because the medium access control method is contention-based CSMA/CA, which exhibits unstable performance with an unbounded delay distribution under heavy traffic. To avoid these limitations,we present a four-layer architecture for IEEE 802.11b based on the network driver interface specification (NDIS) combined with a virtual scheduling algorithm. We compared the performance of the NDIS-based wireless NCS to that of a conventional wireless NCS. Experimental results showed that the NDIS-based four-layer architecture for IEEE 802.11b is a very promising alternative for wireless industrial networking.