What transmission protocol allows up to 450 AIS stations to operate without interference?

What transmission protocol allows up to 450 AIS stations to operate without interference?

• A. TDMA
• B. SOTDMA
• C. CSTDMA
• D. FDMA

Answer: (B)

The correct choice, which is SOTDMA, stands for Self-Organized Time Division Multiple Access. This transmission protocol is particularly designed to manage multiple AIS (Automatic Identification System) stations, enabling them to operate simultaneously without interference. SOTDMA allocates specific time slots for each AIS station to transmit its data. This organized time division allows AIS units to share the same frequency effectively. The self-organizing aspect means that the stations can dynamically adjust their transmission times, accommodating for traffic changes and ensuring that all stations have a chance to transmit their information without overlapping. This capability is critical in busy maritime environments where many vessels might be transmitting their positions and other data at the same time. By allowing up to 450 stations to operate simultaneously on the same channel without interference, SOTDMA ensures reliable and efficient communication among vessels, which is essential for safety and navigation. In contrast, the other protocols, such as TDMA, CSTDMA, and FDMA, serve different purposes and may not provide the same efficient management for a high number of stations in the way SOTDMA does. Therefore, SOTDMA is recognized for its robustness in supporting a large number of AIS stations while minimizing the risk of data loss or transmission conflicts.

The correct choice, which is SOTDMA, stands for Self-Organized Time Division Multiple Access. This transmission protocol is particularly designed to manage multiple AIS (Automatic Identification System) stations, enabling them to operate simultaneously without interference.

SOTDMA allocates specific time slots for each AIS station to transmit its data. This organized time division allows AIS units to share the same frequency effectively. The self-organizing aspect means that the stations can dynamically adjust their transmission times, accommodating for traffic changes and ensuring that all stations have a chance to transmit their information without overlapping.

This capability is critical in busy maritime environments where many vessels might be transmitting their positions and other data at the same time. By allowing up to 450 stations to operate simultaneously on the same channel without interference, SOTDMA ensures reliable and efficient communication among vessels, which is essential for safety and navigation.

In contrast, the other protocols, such as TDMA, CSTDMA, and FDMA, serve different purposes and may not provide the same efficient management for a high number of stations in the way SOTDMA does. Therefore, SOTDMA is recognized for its robustness in supporting a large number of AIS stations while minimizing the risk of data loss or transmission conflicts.