Simulation of a communications system-a designer´s perspective

Simulation is an important tool used in telecommunication systems design. Techniques used must give simulation results as close as possible to reality. However this scenario might slip into deep credibility crisis if appropriate caution is not taken by designers who practice it. This paper uses Monte Carlo simulation of a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) communication system to investigate simulation inaccuracies. It provides a study of the methodology, credibility, limitations of simulation and formulates guidelines for communications design engineers and researchers in this field. Performance Evaluation of the communication system through Bit Error Rate (BER) measurements and the impact simulation practices have on them is examined.