Simulation of Wireless Networked Control Systems

Abstract

Embedded systems are becoming increasingly networked and are deployed in application areas that require close interaction with their physical environment. Examples include distributed mobile agents and wireless sensor/actuator networks. The complexity of these applications make co-simulation a necessary tool during system development. This paper presents a simulation environment that facilitates simulation of computer nodes and communication networks interacting with the continuous-time dynamics of the real world. Features of the simulator include interrupt handling, task scheduling, wired and wireless communication, local clocks, dynamic voltage scaling, and battery-driven operation. Two simulation case studies are presented: a simple communication scenario and a mobile robot soccer game.