Transitioning to PC-Based Simulation-One Perspective

Abstract : Doing "more for less" is a recurring theme facing researchers in many simulation facilities. In the area of simulation, one way to reduce operational costs is to invest in and operate inexpensive simulation computer systems. Traditionally, this has not been possible because very specialized computer systems were required to build simulation architectures that provided a deterministic timing mechanism and also assured that simulation processes executed in a predetermined order throughout the entire execution period of the simulation. However, with the advent of 2.0 OHz processors, powerful graphics cards, and the wide availability of software, the personal computer (PC) is now becoming a realistic option for developing real-time simulation architectures. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) researchers at the Aerospace Vehicle Technology Assessment and Simulation (AVTAS) Laboratory have integrated and tested a simple, PC-based, real-time simulation framework that executes under the Linux operating system. Using various hardware- and software-based timing mechanisms, along with nonspecialized software tools, the AVTAS Laboratory has developed a real-time simulation architecture that will enable the execution of simulation experiments on dual-CPU and quad-CPU PCs.