A method of communicating in a blast system which includes the steps of transmitting timing signals from a master transceiver to a plurality of local transceivers, in response, at each local transceiver, defining a succession of micro-slots and calculating a size of a respective bin which is associated with each micro-slot, transmitting a packet from the master transceiver, at each local transceiver calculating a uniform random value, identifying the bin in which the uniform random value is located and during the micro-slot which is associated with the identified bin, if no transmission of a reply signal from any other local transceiver is detected, in response to the packet transmitting a reply signal from the local transceiver to the master transceiver.

A method of communicating in a blast system which includes the steps of transmitting timing signals from a master transceiver to a plurality of local transceivers, in response, at each local transceiver, defining a succession of micro-slots and calculating a size of a respective bin which is associated with each micro-slot, transmitting a packet from the master transceiver, at each local transceiver calculating a uniform random value, identifying the bin in which the uniform random value is located and during the micro-slot which is associated with the identified bin, if no transmission of a reply signal from any other local transceiver is detected, in response to the packet transmitting a reply signal from the local transceiver to the master transceiver.