Aqua-Net Mate: A real-time virtual channel/modem simulator for Aqua-Net

As the theory behind underwater acoustic networks (UANs) becomes more mature, there is an increasing interest in testing it in reality. Because real field tests are costly, a protocol is usually simulated before it is tested. At present, a simulation program is generally separated from its real companion, which doubles the effort to develop a protocol and possibly makes a significant difference between the simulation and reality results because of the ways they are implemented. In order to address these issues, we introduce Aqua-Net Mate, a real-time virtual channel/modem simulator specifically designed for Aqua-Net, a well-developed UAN networking framework. Aqua-Net Mate is yet transparent to Aqua-Net, allowing Aqua-Net to run in simulation mode without any modification. Aqua-Net Mate is highly extensible and configurable. It also unified parameter configuration and real-time schedule. More importantly, Aqua-Net Mate emulates real acoustic modems by employing a new state machine design. Comparison between simulations with Aqua-Net Mate and past lake tests shows that Aqua-Net Mate can effectively evaluate field test results and the state machine design can accurately capture the behaviors of real modems.