Device and method for programmable wideband network emulation

• US 20060209866A1
• Filed: 11/15/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carnegie Mellon University
• Original Assignee: Carnegie Mellon University
• Inventors: Judd, Glenn, Steenkiste, Peter A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,698,121 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/22 Traffic simulation tools or models

Abstract

An emulator for emulating a wireless network comprised of a plurality of RF nodes is comprised of a programmable controller for emulating the movements of the plurality of RF nodes within an emulated space. The controller provides both information and control signals based on the emulated movements. A programmable logic core receives a plurality of signals from the plurality of RF nodes and emulates signal propagation based on the information from the controller. A plurality of signal generation and conversion cards are interposed between the programmable logic core and the RF nodes. The signal generation and conversion cards are responsive to the control signals. Because of the rules governing abstracts, this abstract should not be used to construe the claims.

Claims

1. An emulator for emulating a wireless network comprised of a plurality of RF nodes, said emulator comprising:

a controller for providing information; and

a field programmable gate array (FPGA) for receiving said information and for receiving a plurality of signals from a plurality of RF nodes, said FPGA for processing said signals according to said information from said controller so as to emulate signal propagation within an emulated physical space.

2. The emulator of claim 1 wherein said processing comprises modeling one of large-scale path loss and small-scale fading, and wherein said information comprises generated parameters.

3. The emulator of claim 1 wherein said processing comprises ray tracing and said information comprises pre-computed parameters.

4. The emulator of claim 1 wherein said information comprises captured and replayed signal behavior.

5. The emulator of claim 1 in combination with a plurality of host devices each having an RF node, said emulator comprising one of an analog to digital or digital to analog converter connected between said RF nodes and said FPGA.

6. An emulator for emulating a wireless network comprised of a plurality of RF nodes, said emulator comprising:

a controller for emulating the movements of a plurality of RF nodes within an emulated space in real time, said controller for providing information based on said emulated movements; and

an emulation engine for receiving said information and for receiving a plurality of signals from the plurality of RF nodes, said emulation engine for processing said signals in real time according to said information from said controller so as to emulate signal propagation among the plurality of nodes in real time.

7. The emulator of claim 6 in combination with a plurality of host devices each having an RF node, said emulation engine comprising a plurality of signal generation and conversion cards each responsive to one of said RF nodes and a programmable logic core responsive to said plurality of signal generation and conversion cards.

8. The emulator of claim 7 wherein said controller contains code for controlling the operation of said programmable logic core and said plurality of signal generation and conversion cards.

9. The emulator of claim 8 wherein said controller contains code for modifying the operation of one of said host devices and said RF nodes.

10. The emulator of claim 7 wherein said signal generation and conversion cards each contain an analog to digital and a digital to analog converter.

11. An emulator for emulating a wireless network comprised of a plurality of RF nodes, said emulator comprising:

a controller for emulating the movements of a plurality of RF nodes within an emulated space, said controller providing information based on said emulated movements and control signals;

a programmable logic core for receiving said information and for receiving a plurality of signals from the plurality of RF nodes, said programmable logic core for processing said received signals according to said information from said controller so as to emulate signal propagation according to one of large-scale path loss, small-scale fading, ray tracing or replaying captured signal behavior; and

a plurality of signal generation and conversion cards interposed between said programmable logic core and said RF nodes, said signal generation and conversion cards being responsive to said control signals.

12. The emulator of claim 11 wherein said information is one of generated, pre-computed or captured and replayed.

13. The emulator of claim 11 in combination with a plurality of host devices each having one of said RF nodes, said signal generation and conversion cards having an analog to digital and a digital to analog converter.

14. The emulator of claim 13 wherein said controller contains code for modifying the operation of at least one of said programmable logic core, said signal generation and conversion cards, said host devices and said RF nodes.

15. A method of emulating a wireless network comprised of a plurality of RF nodes, said method comprising:

inputting information about signal propagation from a controller to a field programmable gate array (FPGA);

receiving in said FPGA a plurality of signals from a plurality of RF nodes; and

processing in said FPGA said received signals according to said information from said controller so as to emulate signal propagation within an emulated physical space.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said processing comprises modeling one of large-scale path loss and small-scale fading, and wherein said information comprises generated parameters.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said processing comprises ray tracing and said information comprises pre-computed parameters.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein said information comprises captured and replayed signal behavior.

19. The method of claim 15 additionally comprising one of converting an analog signal from each RF node to a digital signal or converting a digital signal from the FPGA to an analog signal.

20. A method of emulating a wireless network comprised of a plurality of RF nodes, said method comprising:

emulating the movements of a plurality of RF nodes within an emulated space in real time;

providing information based on said emulated movements;

receiving said information and receiving a plurality of signals from the plurality of RF nodes in an emulation engine;

processing said signals in said emulation engine in real time according to said information so as to emulate signal propagation among the plurality of nodes in real time.

21. The method of claim 20 additionally comprising executing code for controlling the operation of said emulation engine.

22. The method of claim 20 additionally comprising one of executing code for modifying the operation of said RF nodes and executing code for modifying the operation of a device hosting said RF node.

23. The method of claim 20 additionally comprising converting an analog signal from each RF node to a digital signal and converting a digital signal from the emulation engine to an analog signal.

24. A method of emulating a wireless network comprised of a plurality of RF nodes, said method comprising:

emulating the movements of a plurality of RF nodes within an emulated space with a controller;

providing information based on said emulated movements;

receiving said information and receiving a plurality of signals from the plurality of RF nodes in a programmable logic core; and

processing in said programmable logic core said received signals according to said information so as to emulate signal propagation according to one of large-scale path loss, small-scale fading, ray tracing or replaying captured signal behavior.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said providing information comprises one of generating parameters, pre-computing parameters or capturing and replaying signals.

26. The method of claim 24 additionally comprising converting an analog signal from each RF node to a digital signal and converting a digital signal from the programmable logic core to an analog signal.

27. The method of claim 24 additionally comprising executing code to modify the operation of one of said RF nodes, a device hosting said RF nodes, and said programmable logic core.