Simulation of Communication Systems

Simulation plays an important role in the design, analysis, and implementation of communication systems. During the design of complex communication systems it is often infeasible to conduct performance analysis and design tradeoff studies using closed-form mathematical formula techniques. Quite frequently, simulation is the only tool available for addressing important issues in the design, analysis, and implementation of communication systems. Simulation can be used to verify the functionality of communication systems, evaluate the performance of proposed systems, and generate specifications to guide their design. Since the early 1980s a variety of modeling and simulation techniques and tools have been developed and used to support the design and implementation of a broad range of communication systems and products ranging from multi-million-dollar communication satellites to handsets for the next generation of personal communication systems. This article presents an overview of the fundamental principles behind modeling and simulation of communication systems. Keywords: communication systems; discrete time representation; signals; systems; modeling of functional blocks; simulation of functional blocks; Monte Carlo simulation; random-number generation; performance estimation