A new way to improve the performance of ad hoc networks consists in using cross layer mechanisms. Currently, several protocols have demonstrated some reachable performance gain. Global integration on each level of the protocol stack has to be ensured. We present some efficient methods that may either produce or update cross-layer models. Those models, developed on different levels, allow an efficient organisation of the wireless systems and could take several forms. A cross-layer conceptual

more »

... l is composed of: cross-layer interaction models and interactions description arrays. In this paper, we propose a method which has been applied to a chosen protocol stack. A Cross-Layer Atomic Action (CLAA) may be the setting or the utilisation of a layer parameter, the utilisation of other layers services, and layer events that have to be exposed to other layers. "Atomic" means that the action can not be divided into actions that do not impact the same protocols.