Abstract
The /spl mu/ITRON bus is a real-time control LAN standard, which is based on the bitwise arbitration CSMA protocol, for connecting low-cost network nodes. This paper presents the three novel mechanisms that are adopted to the /spl mu/ITRON bus for solving the deficiencies of the original bitwise arbitration CSMA protocol: the dual-rate bitwise arbitration CSMA protocol, the priority-reservation bit, and piggy backing. Their effectiveness is demonstrated through analytical and simulation studies.