Experimental investigations are important in the development of wireless network protocols. While the widely used simulation approach for experimental investigations is good for studying large-scale network-level performance, simulators cannot represent the real physical environment and hardware implementation precisely. On the other hand, the testbed approach can address the realism drawback of the simulation approach, but faces serious repeatability and control issues. A recent trend on evaluating wireless network protocols is to use wireless emulators. Emulators can achieve both a high degree of realism and fine-grained repeatability.
This project develops a versatile hardware-based emulator supporting controllable, repeatable, and scalable experiments over a wide range of ISM-band wireless networks (2-6GHz), including IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n, IEEE 802.15.4, and Bluetooth networks. The hardware emulator is a particularly convenient research tool for investigating the unique interference issue in ISM bands by providing a controllable interference environment. It enables experimental investigations in a number of research projects, including wireless network protocol development, interference mitigation techniques, and resource management.
This project impacts the implementation, evaluation, and development of next-generation wireless networks. The designed emulator from this project has general applicability to many commercial and civilian applications. The emulator also provides a natural tool for instructional use, assisting effective classroom teaching and inductive learning.
This project develops and validates the methodology of using an innovative hardware emulator for experimental investigations of industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM)-band wireless network research. It also supports a number of compelling research projects on ISM-band wireless networks using the developed hardware emulator in order to address the unique interference issue in ISM bands. Wireless network emulators have become promising tools for evaluating wireless network protocols and testing wireless radio devices. As compared with software simulations, emulators are more realistic because real hardware is used to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals. In addition, emulators are also more flexible and less cost consuming than wireless testbed because various communication scenarios can be easily replicated by the emulation hardware. The key outcomes of this project include an RF hardware-based wireless network emulator that is designed and tested. The designed wireless network emulator combines the advantages of both software simulations and hardware emulations. It is easy to implement, flexible to configure different communication scenarios, and fast to provide real-time wireless channel modeling. In addition, the methodology of designing and implementing the hardware emulator is used for building platforms that provide controllable interference environments to support a number of wireless networking research projects. Intellectual merits include specific design knowledge and software tools for setting up scalable experimental facility; a convenient research tool for investigating the unique interference issue in ISM bands; and research results from the research activities of a number of wireless networking projects made possible by this research infrastructure. Broader impacts include a significant impact on the implementation, evaluation, and development of next-generation wireless networks; the education and training opportunities for graduate and undergraduate research students for providing them with hands-on experience on hardware/software implementations and testing; and a natural tool for instructional use incorporated in wireless system related graduate and undergraduate courses. Three undergraduate students, supported by the REU Supplement fund, have participated in the development and testing of the designed hardware emulator and get motivated in advanced research work. The infrastructure remains operational. Additional research projects as well as training and outreach activities will continue to be supported by it.
