"The [homeRF] SWAP [Shared Wireless Access Protocol] system can operate either as an ad-hoc network or as a managed network under the control of a Connection Point. In an ad-hoc network, where only data communication is supported, all stations are equal and control of the network is distributed between the stations. For time critical communications such as interactive voice, a Connection Point is required to coordinate the system. The Connection Point, which provides the gateway to the PSTN, can be connected to a PC via a standard interface such as USB that will enable enhanced voice and data services. The SWAP system also can use the Connection Point to support power management for prolonged battery life by scheduling device wakeup and polling.
The network can accommodate a maximum of 127 nodes. These nodes can be a mixture of these 4 basic types:
·
Connection Point that supports voice and data services.·
Voice Terminal that only uses the TDMA service to communicate with a base station.·
Data Node that uses the CSMA/CA service to communicate with a base station and other data nodes.·
Voice and Data Node which can use both types of services" --excerpted from "Technical Summary of the SWAP Specification", Webpage http://www.homerf.org/tech