Performance characterization of wireless devices in controlled environments

Industrial and commercial applications are increasingly migrating from wired to wireless communications, employing the technologies based on the wireless standards, such as Zigbee, WirelessHART, Wireless LAN etc. In order to ensure reliable data transfer and communication performance, wireless devices must be tested in their typical deployment environment. Field tests in a specific environment provide the most accurate performance characterization; however, these tests are time consuming and require large deployment efforts. In order to obtain sufficient data for the characterization of these devices in different configuration modes as well as application environments, we propose a closed-loop methodical approach that involves the performance characterization in three steps: simulation, emulation, and field tests. Each step provides essential inputs not only for improved deployment of the network, but also to the other steps in the proposed methodology. In this paper, we discuss the importance of both simulation and emulation tests. These real-time performance tests are undertaken in a controlled environment and they can easily be repeated for multiple transmission configurations with less time-effort as compared to the field tests. The outcomes of simulation and emulation steps can be treated as a reference for bidding and commissioning tools, before actual deployments and field tests are carried out. As a result, the deployment time and the associated costs can be significantly reduced, especially in case of large-scale networks.