Physical Channel Access (PCA): Time and Frequency Access Methods Simulation in NS-2

We present an NS-2 module, Physical Channel Access (PCA), to simulate different access methods on a link shared with Multi-Frequency Time Division Multiple Access (MF-TDMA). This technique is widely used in various network technologies, such as satellite communication. In this context, different access methods at the gateway induce different queuing delays and available capacities, which strongly impact transport layer performance. Depending on QoS requirements, design of new congestion and flow control mechanisms and/or access methods requires evaluation through simulations.