MAC Protocol Data Unit (MPDU) Format

The MAC Protocol Data Unit (MPDU) consists of information that is exchanged between the MAC and the Physical (PHY) layers. When the MAC Layer needs to communicate information with one or more peer-MAC Layers, it generates an MPDU. This chapter provided a description of the structure and operation of the HomePlug AV MAC protocol Data Unit, and explained the formats used for key delimiters (such as SOF and RTS/CTS) as well as the Beacon, Sound, and Data MPDUs. Beacon MPDUs play an important role in network management, controlling channel access and topology discovery. The Start-of-Frame (SOF) MPDU provides the primary means for stations to exchange data and management information. Request to Send (RTS) and Clear to Send (CTS) are primarily intended to handle hidden station within the network. The selective acknowledgment (SACK) Frame Control fields is divided into groups based on the functionality they support. Controlled Vocabulary Terms home networks; media access protocol