A technique for determining radio-signal propagation in an emulated wireless environment

The Mobile Ad hoc Network Emulator (MANE) test bed relies on accurate determination of radio signal propagation to emulate realistic mobile ad hoc network (MANET) connectivity. The determination of radio wave propagation is a very complex process that depends on numerous factors such as the transmitting medium (e.g., vacuum, air, or water), antenna properties of transmitters and receivers, and the geometrical environment (i.e. terrain). The Terrain-Integrated Rough-Earth Model (TIREM) software is an Army standard for computing the path loss of radio wave propagation, but it cannot currently be used directly by the MANE system software to determine network connectivity. This paper describes the implementation of an efficient preprocessing technique for using and integrating TIREM into the MANE software system to improve the precision of the calculated radio propagation path loss. The implemented technique has expedited the determination of connectivity and the decision to forward network packets in the MANE test bed.