A Survey of Dynamic Bandwidth Assignment Schemes for TDM-Based Passive Optical Network

Abstract

In time division, multiple access (TDMA)-based passive optical network (PONs), a dynamic bandwidth assignment (DBA) is necessary for efficient utilization of the available bandwidth of the upstream link. An efficient DBA scheme can improve the upstream performance of a traffic class of an ONU in two ways. First, it can increase the bandwidth assignment to it by efficiently utilizing the available bandwidth. Secondly, it can reduce the channel and frame idle time by increasing the polling frequency and by assigning extra surplus bandwidth not used by the other ONUs. Many DBA schemes have been reported for both ITU PONs (GPON and XGPON) and IEEE PONs (EPON and 10G EPON). In this study, we explain the impact of DBA scheme on the upstream performance of PON and then do a thorough survey of both PON standards, categorize the DBA schemes and review them critically. Based on the literature review we also give our opinion on the most suitable DBA scheme for both type PONs on the basis of upstream delays, frame loss and bandwidth utilization efficiency. © 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston 2020.