Radio Communication Systems simulation: from the pioneers to the present

Simulation plays an important role in computer-aided analysis and design of communication systems. This paper is related with an historical perspective of the Radio Communication Systems (RCS) simulation from the early history in the 50's of 20
^th
century to the present. In describing the history of simulation five distinct periods may be identified: early history, pioneering, innovation, revolution and evolution. Digital signal processing and programming languages were decisive in the simulation technical advance in each period. Time intervals roughly equate to a single decade, starting from the late 1950s to 2015.