Project IEEE 802 15 Working Group for Wireless

Project: IEEE 802. 15 Working Group for Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs) May 2004 doc. : 15 -04 -0521 -00 -004 b Submission Title: [TG 4 b MAC backward compatibility] Date Submitted: [14 Sep 2004] Source: [Phil Beecher] Company [Comp. Xs Ltd] Address [Robert Denholm House, Bletchingley Road, Nutfield, RH 1 4 HW, UK] Voice: [+44 1737 822509], E-Mail: [pbeecher@compxs. com] Re: [15 -04 -521 -nn-4 b] Abstract: [Requirements for backward compatibility] Purpose: [To focus resolutions for 802. 15. 4 MAC Issues. ] Notice: This document has been prepared to assist the IEEE 802. 15. It is offered as a basis for discussion and is not binding on the contributing individual(s) or organization(s). The material in this document is subject to change in form and content after further study. The contributor(s) reserve(s) the right to add, amend or withdraw material contained herein. Release: The contributor acknowledges and accepts that this contribution becomes the property of IEEE and may be made publicly available by 802. 15. Submission 1 Phil Beecher, Comp. Xs Ltd

May 2004 doc. : 15 -04 -0521 -00 -004 b MAC Backward Compatibility • Compatibility requirements: – Over air compatibility – MAC layer primitive compatibility Submission 2 Phil Beecher, Comp. Xs Ltd

May 2004 doc. : 15 -04 -0521 -00 -004 b Over air compatibility • Requirements – At a minimum, a 802. 15. 4 b network must coexist with a 802. 15. 42003 network – This must include the following: • The. 4 b specification shall ensure that. 4 devices are able to correctly interpret or ignore frames from. 4 b network. • . 4 b devices shall be capable of correctly interpreting frames from. 4 networks for supported modes of operation. – This implies frames over air must be "compatible” • Current header field assignments must be the same. • New uses of previously unused fields must not break. 4 definitions/restrictions. • Changes to Frame header fields must not break. 4 definitions/restrictions • MAC commands must retain the same values. • The order of MAC command parameter fields must stay the same. Submission 3 Phil Beecher, Comp. Xs Ltd

May 2004 doc. : 15 -04 -0521 -00 -004 b MAC Layer Primitive Compatibility • Requirement: – to minimise change to existing NHL designs and implementations. • Implication: – The functionality of primitives must either remain the same or be enhanced; it cannot be changed in a way which will necessitate structural design change in the NHL. – Therefore we cannot remove parameters that will adversely affect the flow of the next higher layer. – Cannot remove or reduce functionality of MAC primitives - any new parameter in. 4 b primitive must have a default value which retains the behaviour of. 4 primitive. Submission 4 Phil Beecher, Comp. Xs Ltd