Environment-independent virtual wireless testbed

Abstract

Current digital packet-switching communications involves more cross-layer trade-offs than legacy wireless communications. Conventionally, each network layer is studied separately, and then the total system is evaluated in field tests. However, the results are always specific to the particular environmental conditions during the test and are not reproducible. Here we propose an architecture for an environment-independent virtual wireless testbed. We describe the implementation and validation results for a programmable wireless propagation emulator - the key component of the testbed. It was found that the system could emulate wireless propagation over at least 10 wireless nodes in real time using 10 field-programmable gate arrays with programmable parameters consisting of the channel model, path loss model, antenna model, and emulation scenario. Thus, the system is promising as a replacement for conventional field tests. © 2012 ICST Institute for Computer Science, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering.