Virtual prototyping for mobile distributed wireless terrestrial communications systems and networks

The use of virtual prototyping has become very prevalent in the concept exploration, requirements analysis and design of many complex systems, such as aircraft, ships, and automobiles, however there has been little application to mobile distributed wireless terrestrial communications systems and networks. Motorola Space and Systems Technology Group, Radio Systems Operation is currently exploring techniques to enable the application of virtual prototyping to reduce risks and cost for concept exploration, requirements analysis, design and development of military mobile distributed wireless terrestrial communications systems and networks technologies. Existing "state of the art" commercially available communications systems and network modeling tools do not support representation of mobile distributed wireless terrestrial communications systems and networks using distributed interactive simulation (DIS) protocols which are the current basis for development of virtual battlefield simulations. Also its uncertain when and/or whether the evolving high level architecture (HLA) standards defined by DoD will be supported by commercially available tools. Researchers in the DIS domain have focused primarily upon the communications infrastructure required to support DIS versus how they can use the DIS environment to conceptualize, analyze, design, and prototype future communications systems and networks. This paper describes a virtual prototyping methodology and toolset requirements needed to provide a virtual prototyping environment for mobile distributed wireless communications.