Analysis of packet loss in a large-scale DSRC field operational test

Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC) intends to improve transportation safety by using wireless technology to allow vehicles to exchange safety-awareness message between them. Using a large empirical dataset collected from a field operational test of nearly 3000 vehicles operating around Ann Arbor, Michigan, we characterize the packet-level performance of safety messages exchanged among vehicular encounters. Specifically, to better understand the real-world operating conditions of the vehicular wireless channel, the characteristics of Packet Reception Ratio (PRR) and Inter-Packet Gap (IPG) behaviors and temporal and spatial correlations are examined. Analysis of vehicle-pair encounters shows DSRC packet losses differing from other, static-node wireless beaconing networks, due mainly to the vehicles' high mobility and the possibilities of signal scatterers and/or obstructers that may come between them. As long bursts of consecutively lost packets could jeopardize vehicle safety awareness, IPG is explored further, with short-gapped consecutive losses commonly uncorrelated and longer gaps exhibiting temporal correlation tendencies. The findings of this paper can be used to inform channel models for DSRC systems, which in turn can produce meaningful simulation results.