System and method for setting a data rate in TDMA communications

1. A communications system, comprising:

a plurality of mobile nodes comprising an N number of nodes forming a mobile ad-hoc network;

a plurality of wireless communications links connecting the plurality of mobile nodes together;

each of said N number of nodes comprising a communications device for transmitting and routing data packets wirelessly to other mobile nodes forming said N number of nodes via the wireless communications links in accordance with a time division multiple access (TDMA) data transmission protocol using a TDMA epoch that is divided into a beacon interval, digital voice interval and digital data interval, wherein each of said N number of nodes are operative for monitoring channel conditions using beacon, digital voice and digital data interval receptions and providing from each of said N number of nodes a network connectivity performance as valid receptions occur within said N number of nodes, wherein a selected one of said N number of nodes is operative for setting a data rate for said plurality of mobile nodes using said monitored channel conditions for the beacon, digital voice and digital data interval receptions, wherein said selected one of said N number of nodes is configured to determine received signal characteristics based on said beacon, digital voice and digital data interval receptions and select a TDMA waveform based on the received signal characteristics.

2. The communications system according to claim 1 , wherein said selected one of said N number of nodes is operative for determining the received signal characteristics as a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), received signal strength indication (RSSI) and packet error rate (PER) for said plurality of mobile nodes based on the beacon, digital voice and digital data interval receptions.

3. The communications system according to claim 2 , wherein said selected one of said N number of nodes that determines the received SNR, RSSI and PER is operative for maintaining a history of the received SNR, RSSI and PER over an interval corresponding to X seconds for said plurality of mobile nodes.

4. The communications system according to claim 3 , wherein said interval corresponds to X seconds comprises about a one to about a two second interval.

5. The communications system according to claim 3 , wherein said selected one of said N number of nodes is operative for enhancing the history of the received SNR, RSSI and PER using receptions of said digital data intervals.

6. The communications system according to claim 2 , and further comprising a database containing TDMA waveform selections, wherein said selected one of said N number of nodes is operative for selecting the TDMA waveform from the database based on the received signal characteristics as the SNR, RSSI and a SNR variance.

7. The communications system according to claim 6 , wherein said selected one of said N number of nodes is operative for transmitting data at a lower data rate based on said selected TDMA waveform when a transmit slot duration allows a lower rate TDMA waveform to transmit data more robustly.

8. The communications system according to claim 1 , wherein the beacon interval comprises a preamble and convolutional coded and Walsh modulated Gaussian Minimum Shift Keyed (GMSK) data.

9. The communications system according to claim 1 , wherein said digital data interval comprises a preamble and convolutional coded and Walsh modulated Gaussian Minimum Shift Keyed (GMSK) data, wherein said GMSK data is Mixed Excitation Linear Prediction (MELP) encoded.

10. The communications system according to claim 1 , wherein the digital data interval reception comprises a preamble and at least one of a convolutional coded Gaussian Minimum Shift Keyed (GMSK) data, turbo coded Binary Phase Shift Keyed (BPSK) data, Quadrature Phase Shift Keyed (QPSK) data, and 16-ary Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) data.

11. A mobile ad-hoc network (MANET), comprising:

a plurality of mobile nodes comprising an N number of nodes operating together and communicating with each other via wireless communications links in a time division multiple access (TDMA) data transmission protocol using a TDMA epoch that is divided into a beacon interval, digital voice interval and digital data interval; and

each of said N number of mobile nodes comprising a wireless communications device configured to monitor channel conditions using beacon, digital voice and digital data interval receptions, provide a network connectivity performance as valid receptions occur within each of said N number of nodes and set a data rate for said plurality of mobile nodes using said monitored channel conditions for the beacon, digital voice and digital data interval receptions, wherein a selected one of said N number of nodes is configured to determine received signal characteristics based on the beacon, digital voice and digital data interval receptions and select a TDMA waveform based on the received signal characteristics.

12. The MANET according to claim 11 , wherein said selected one of said N number of nodes is operative for determining the received signal characteristics as a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), received signal strength indication (RSSI) and packet error rate (PER) for said plurality of mobile nodes based on the received signal characteristics as the beacon, digital voice and digital data receptions.

13. The MANET according to claim 12 , wherein said selected one of said N number of nodes is operative for maintaining a history of the received SNR, RSSI and PER over an interval corresponding to X seconds for said plurality of mobile nodes.

14. The MANET according to claim 12 , and further comprising a database containing TDMA waveform selections, wherein said selected one of said N number of nodes is operative for selecting said TDMA waveform from the database based on the received SNR, RSSI and a SNR variance.

15. The MANET according to claim 11 , wherein said selected one of said N number of nodes is operative for transmitting data at a lower data rate based on said selected TDMA waveform when a transmit slot duration allows a lower rate TDMA waveform to transmit data more robustly.

16. A method for communicating, comprising:

forming a mobile ad-hoc network from a plurality of mobile nodes comprising an N number of nodes using a plurality of wireless communications links connecting the plurality of mobile nodes together;

transmitting and routing data packets wirelessly to other mobile nodes forming the N number of nodes via the wireless communications links in a time division multiple access (TDMA) data transmission protocol using a TDMA epoch that is divided into a beacon interval, digital voice interval and digital data interval;

monitoring channel conditions at each of said N number of mobile nodes using beacon, digital voice and digital data interval receptions;

providing from each of said N number of nodes a network connectivity performance as the beacon, digital voice and digital data receptions occur within the N number of mobile nodes;

setting a data rate at a selected one of said N number of nodes for said plurality of mobile nodes using said monitored channel conditions from the beacon, digital voice and digital data intervals; and

determining received signal characteristics based on the beacon, digital voice and digital data interval receptions; and

selecting a TDMA waveform based on the received signal characteristics.

17. The method according to claim 16 , which further comprises determining the received signal characteristics as a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), received signal strength indication (RSSI) and packet error rate (PER) for said plurality of mobile nodes based on the received signal characteristics of the beacon, digital voice and digital data interval receptions.

18. The method according to claim 17 , which further comprises maintaining a history of the received SNR, RSSI and PER over an interval corresponding to X seconds for said plurality of mobile nodes.

19. The method according to claim 18 , which further comprises maintaining the interval corresponding to X seconds for about a one to about a two second interval.

20. The method according to claim 18 , which further comprises improving the history of the received SNR, RSSI and PER using receptions of said digital data intervals.

21. The method according to claim 17 , which further comprises forming a database containing TDMA waveform selections and selecting said TDMA waveform from the database based on the received SNR, RSSI and a SNR variance.

22. The method according to claim 16 , which further comprises transmitting data at a lower data rate based on said selected TDMA waveform when a transmit slot duration allows a lower rate TDMA waveform to transmit data more robustly.

23. The method according to claim 16 , which further comprises forming said beacon interval as a preamble and convolutional coded and Walsh modulated Gaussian Minimum Shift Keyed (GMSK) data.

24. The method according to claim 16 , which further comprises forming the digital data interval as a preamble and convolutional coded and Walsh modulated Gaussian Minimum Shift Keyed (GMSK) data wherein said data is Mixed Excitation Linear Prediction (MELP) encoded.

25. The method according to claim 16 , which further comprises forming the digital data interval as a preamble and at least one of a convolutional coded Gaussian Minimum Shift Keyed (GMSK) data, turbo coded Binary Phase Shift Keyed (BPSK) data, Quadrature Phase Shift Keyed (QPSK) data, and 16-ary Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) data.