Modelling MAC-Layer Communications in Wireless Systems

We present a timed process calculus for modelling wireless networks in which individualstations broadcast and receive messages; moreover the broadcasts are subject to collisions. Based ona reduction semantics for the calculus we define a contextual equivalence to compare the external behaviourof such wireless networks. Further, we construct an extensional LTS (labelled transition system)which models the activities of stations that can be directly observed by the external environment.Standard bisimulations in this LTS provide a sound proof method for proving systems contextuallyequivalence. We illustrate the usefulness of the proof methodology by a series of examples. Finallywe show that this proof method is also complete, for a large class of systems.