Emulator

What is emulation?

  • NetSim Emulator enables users to connect NetSim simulator to real hardware and interact with live applications
  • Users can test the performance of real applications over a virtual network. If you are designing a new network or expanding an existing network then NetSim emulator will enable you to run your live application over an equivalent virtual network and see how the application is performing in real time.

How does it work?

(Watch this Video)

  • Create the desired network in the Emulation server using NetSim GUI
  • Run emulation client in the PC's/VM's where your live application run
  • Each live PC/VM corresponds to a node in the simulated network. In the simulated network set the device IP addresses per the real PC/VM
  • Run your application
  • Measure various parameters such as throughput, delay, loss etc. for your live application using Wireshark

Where can it be used?

  • Military radio networks
  • Radio telemetry for SCADA systems for water utilities (Application Note)
  • Satellite link analysis
  • Metro rail networks
  • R&D in new protocol design

Use Case

  • Scenario of soldiers communicating as a Mobile Adhoc Network (MANET) using UHF/VHF radios created in NetSim emulation server
  • Each soldier is emulated by a virtual machine created inside physical server The MANET scenario in NetSim covers parameters for mobility, RF propagation losses, L3 / MAC / PHY protocol attributes etc.
  • Real-time traffic such as data, voice or video can be sent between the VM's i.e. from one soldier to another
  • Output metrics such as loss, delay, error, throughput, quality of service etc. can be measured Different "What-if" scenarios can be played

What are the benefits?

  • Can be used to emulate a wide range of technologies
  • Switching, Routing, MANETs, Cognitive Radio networks, 4G-LTE networks, ZigBee networks
  • NetSim Emulator is a cost effective alternative to hardware emulators that have high costs, complicated configuration requirements and limited scale