An analytical model for the service delay distribution of IEEE 802.11e enhanced distributed channel access

This thesis presents a new model for analytically determining the cumulative distribution function for service delay of the IEEE 802.11e Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) function under saturation traffic conditions. The model accommodates all service differentiation mechanisms of the EDCA function and is scalable to typical IEEE 802.11e network parameters. A two-dimensional discrete-time Markov chain is used to model the EDCA backoff process and serves as the basis for the signal flow graph which is used to generate the cumulative distribution function for service delay. The model is validated by a comparison with a simulation model developed by a member of the IEEE 802.lle Task Group.