A distributed time-slot assignment protocol for a mobile multi-hop broadcast packet radio network, using time division multiple access channel access, virtual circuit switching, and minimum hop path routing, is developed. The protocol eliminates the single point failure mode of centralized network management and the delays of centralized processing. It is applicable to the user-to-user communications functions of such systems as the Army's Enhanced Position Location and Reporting System (EPLRS). The important functions of the distributed protocol, including time-slot assignment, virtual circuit setup, and network synthesis, are identified and implementing algorithms are presented and analyzed.

In this, the second part of a two‐part paper, the required time for establishing a mobile packet radio network using the virtual circuit and time division multiple access protocol developed in Part 1 is analysed. Tools are developed to determine the virtual circuit and network set‐up times in terms of the channel bandwidth allocated to establish and maintain the network. The tools are then extended to include the effects of user mobility. Then these results are combined with the network capacity results of Part 1 to analyse the trade‐off between the data rate and set‐up time of the network. Next a hierarchical architecture is proposed and the network data rate versus set‐up time trade‐off of this architecture is analysed using these tools. This architecture is shown to both provide a higher data rate and establish faster than flat networks of the same number of nodes.

A distributed time‐slot assignment protocol is developed for a mobile multi‐hop broadcast packet radio network, using time division multiple access channel access and virtual circuit switching. The protocol eliminates the single point failure mode of centralized network management and the delays of centralized processing. It is applicable to the user‐to‐user communications functions of such systems as the U. S. Army's enhanced position location and reporting system (EPLRS). The important functions of the distributed protocol, including time‐slot assignment, virtual circuit set‐up, and network synthesis, are identified, and implementing algorithms are presented and verified. The performance analysis of the protocol is divided into two parts. In this paper, Part 1 of the performance analysis, the capacity of a network using this protocol is studied and a tool is developed to design the network capacity by trading off among the network area, the transmission range, and the number of packet radio units. Since these results are not in closed form, numerical results provide insight into these parameters. In Part 2 the network set‐up time and network data rate are analysed and a hierarchical architecture for the distributed protocol is proposed and analysed.