| The performance of an ad hoc multihop packet radio network, employing direct-sequence spread-spectrum multiple access signaling, is studied. Building upon the analytical framework of Sousa and Silvester, Wang and O'Leary, and Lou and O'Leary, we examine the critical role that Rayleigh fading plays in determining the performance of such a network. We find that the performance, as determined by the average probability of packet success and the expected forward progress per hop, is greatly influenced by the presence of fading. The analysis presented in this thesis focuses upon developing a quantitative understanding as to how fading influences the network performance.; In this thesis, we begin by developing an expression for the probability of bit error as a function of the effective symbol energy-to-noise ratio. We then average over the distribution of symbol energy-to-noise ratios that are found in a Rayleigh fading environment. The role that fading plays in the determination of the probability of packet success and the expected forward progress per hop is then determined. Finally, a means of optimizing the performance of such a network is proposed. |
