Validation of Replay-Based Underwater Acoustic Communication Channel Simulation

This paper discusses validation methods for underwater acoustic communication channel simulators, and validates direct and stochastic replay of underwater acoustic communication channels as implemented in a channel simulator called Mime. Direct replay filters an input signal directly with a measured time-varying impulse response, whereas stochastic replay filters an input signal with a synthetic impulse response consistent with the scattering function of the measured channel. The validation uses data from two sea experiments and a diverse selection of communication schemes. Good agreement is found between bit error rates and packet error rates of in situ transmissions and simulated transmissions. Long-term error statistics of in situ signaling are also reproduced in simulation when a single channel measurement is used to configure the simulator. In all except one comparison, the packet error rate in simulation is within 20% of the packet error rate measured on location. The implication is that this type of channel simulator can be employed to test new modulation schemes in a realistic fashion without going to sea, except for the initial data collection.