On the exact expression for single-stage CSMA/CA’s idle period distribution

The presence of CSMA/CA transmissions in a wired or wireless medium, as well as the number of active transmitters may be deducible via profiling energy level measurements in its band of operation. A distinct characteristic that may be useful in this application is its idle period distribution. In this paper, we propose an exact analytical model for this distribution for CSMA/CA with a single backoff stage, and verify its accuracy with simulation results alongside two approximation models.