Unified simulation and implementation software framework for underwater MAC protocol development
Unified simulation and implementation software framework for underwater MAC protocol development
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水下MAC协议开发的统一仿真和实现软件框架
作者：
S. Shahabudeen;M. Chitre;M. Motani;Alan Low Yong Siah
多年来，水声调制解调器的 MAC 协议开发一直是一个活跃的研究领域。调查的主要模式是通过网络模拟。用于海上试验测试的调制解调器的后续实施通常涉及将模拟代码移植到调制解调器中适当的编程语言和软件环境中。正确的移植至关重要，因为如果调制解调器实现与仿真代码不同，海上试验结果与仿真结果的比较就会产生误导，并且仿真中观察到的性能可能会受到影响。与上述移植过程相关的挑战之一是在调制解调器实现和模拟代码中保持精确的算法匹配，因为在许多协议中，逻辑中的微小变化可能会对协议行为产生重大影响。除了移植中的编程错误之外，如果调制解调器硬件具有额外的复杂性，导致一对一转换变得困难，那么这项任务就会变得困难。我们开发了一个软件框架来解决这个问题。在这个结构化框架中，MAC 协议的相同 C 代码在模拟器和调制解调器中运行。模拟器捕获调制解调器的基本行为并使用与调制解调器相同的软件接口。由于使用相同的代码而没有进行任何更改，因此模拟和海上试验之间的性能比较变得有意义。我们提出了一个使用在 31.25 kHz 中心频率运行的 ARL OFDM 调制解调器的案例研究，其中模拟了一个 MAC 协议，并且在调制解调器中没有代码更改的情况下运行。作者的目标是公开该框架，以便其他研究人员可以开发无需修改即可在水下调制解调器中运行的 MAC 协议。该框架使模拟研究后的调制解调器试验变得简单。本文的目的是概述该框架的关键方面。
MAC protocol development for underwater acoustic modem has been an active research area for many years. The primary mode of investigation is through network simulations. Subsequent implementation in modems for testing in sea trials typically involves porting of simulation code into the appropriate programming language and software environment in a modem. Correct porting is critical since, if the modem implementation differs from the simulation code, comparison of sea trial results with simulation results become misleading and the performance observed in simulations might be compromised. One of the challenges associated with the above porting process is to maintain exact algorithmic match in the modem implementation and the simulation code as in many protocols, minor variations in the logic can have significant effects on the protocol behavior. Apart from programming errors in porting, this task can be made difficult if the modem hardware have additional complexities which make one-to-one translation difficult. We have developed a software framework to address this. In this structured framework, identical C code for the MAC protocol runs in both the simulator and the modem. The simulator captures the essential behavior of the modem and uses the same software interfaces as the modem. Since the same code is used with no change, performance comparisons between simulations and sea trials become meaningful. We present a case study using the ARL OFDM modem operating in the 31.25 kHz centre frequency, where one MAC protocol is simulated and also operated with no code changes in the modem. The authors aim to make this framework publically available, whereby other researchers can develop MAC protocols that will run in an underwater modem with no modifications. This framework makes a modem trial an easy step after simulation study. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the key aspects of this framework.