Method of communicating first and second data types

摘要

In a medium access control (MAC) protocol for a wireless communications network, communications between a control point and other nodes are coordinated by a repeated superframe. This superframe contains in sequence a contention-free period (CFP1), a contention-based period, and second contention-free period (CFP2). Prior to CFP1 a node hops from one channel frequency to another. CFP2 in a superframe is used for initial transmission of isochronous data (such as voice signals); CFP1 of the following superframe is used for retransmission of any such data which were not correctly received at the first attempt, after the frequency hop at the start of that following superframe. This arrangement minimises delay before retransmission of data, and improves the robustness of the system.