- Divide the channel into pieces
- In time or frequency
- Take turns
- Pass a token for the right to transmit
- Defer action
- Let collisions happen
- Then detect and recover from them
Types:
- Time Division Multiple Access
- Frequency Division Multiple Access
- Code Division Multiple Access
- Carrier Sense Multiple Access
Comparison
| FDMA (and CDMA?) | TDMA | CSMA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Efficient at high load | Eliminates empty slots without collisions | Efficient at low load |
| Bad | Inefficient at low load | Vulnerable to failures (e.g. lost token) | Collision overhead at high load |