Wireless Pers Commun DOI 10.1007/s11277-011-0380-x A Clean Slate Architecture Design for VANETs Mari Carmen Domingo · Angélica Reyes © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC. 2011 Abstract In this paper, VANET applications have been classified according to their pur- pose. Furthermore, a clean-slate architecture specifically designed for VANETs has been introduced. The proposed non-layered context-aware ubiquitous architecture adapts dynam- ically to changes, is oriented to services (VANET applications) and has a flexible structure. The vehicle and environmental context-aware information as well as the VANET communi- cation characteristics are designed for the proper operation of the applications. In addition, the performance of Automatic Repeat Request and Forward Error Correction (FEC) block codes with respect to the throughput efficiency has also been analyzed for a VANET fol- lowing the proposed clean-slate architecture. The numerical results show that the proposed clean-slate architecture outperforms the traditional layered architecture with respect to the throughput efficiency for both error control schemes. FEC block codes are able to maintain high throughput efficiency over longer distances because the hop length extension technique is applied. Keywords VANETs · Clean-slate architecture · Applications · Context-aware information 1 Introduction Ad Hoc Networks are formed by mobile devices that are able to transmit without hav- ing to resort to a pre-existing network infrastructure. In an ad-hoc network, terminals can M. C. Domingo (B ) Electrical Engineering Department, UPC-Barcelona Tech University, Esteve Terrades, 7, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain e-mail: cdomingo@entel.upc.edu A. Reyes Computer Architecture Department, UPC-Barcelona Tech University, Esteve Terrades, 7, 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain e-mail: mreyes@ac.upc.edu 123