Top 10 Simulation Environments Commonly Used for Communication AI/Network Intelligence

What are the commonly used simulation environments or simulation platforms in communication simulation or network simulation?

After a preliminary survey of the industry, it was found that the following types of NS2/NS3, OPNET, JSIM, OMNET++, Matlab, SWAN, GloMoSiM, NETSIM, TOSSIM, REAL, Jist, QualNet, GNS3, DRMSim, TraNS, NTCUns, etc. are commonly used in China The main ones are NS2/NS3, OMNET++, and Matlab. The first two are open source and free. Matlab is also used in student or educational editions in colleges and universities. Other OPNET, QualNet, and NETSIM are mainly commercial software, which are used by a few domestic companies. Here I will introduce these software one by one. Although there are not only 10 of them, they are still named as the top ten simulation software. The order is arranged according to the market or reputation that I understand. If you have other suggestions, please discuss them together.

First of all, judging the pros and cons of a simulation tool involves many aspects, including functionality, performance, user-friendliness, community support, and applicability. Each tool has its own characteristics and use cases, so the best tool depends on specific research needs and preferences. Here is a brief description of some of the tools mentioned:

1. NS-2 (Network Simulator 2): NS-2 is a classic network simulator for network protocol research and performance evaluation. It has a wide range of network models and tools, but may have some limitations in handling complex networks and large-scale simulations. NS-2 uses C++ and OTcl programming languages, suitable for research on network protocols and algorithms.

2. NS-3 (Network Simulator 3): NS-3 is the successor version of NS-2, which is an open source simulator based on modularization and componentization. It provides powerful modeling and simulation capabilities to support the development and evaluation of custom algorithms. NS-3 has certain advantages in terms of flexibility and performance. NS-3 uses the C++ programming language and provides Python bindings, making algorithm prototype development and experimentation more convenient.

3. OMNeT++: OMNeT++ is an open source, modular simulation framework for modeling and simulating network communications and distributed systems. It has powerful modeling capabilities and customization. OMNeT++ stands out in terms of modular design and customization capabilities. OMNeT++ uses the C++ programming language, and researchers can directly write their own algorithms and models.

4. MATLAB: MATLAB is a widely used numerical computing and simulation tool for various fields of science and engineering. It provides a rich toolbox and function library for developing and evaluating various algorithms and models. MATLAB has advantages in numerical calculation and data analysis.

   1. MATLAB 5G Toolbox：

      • Advantages: MATLAB 5G Toolbox is a toolbox of MATLAB that focuses on modeling and simulation of 5G communication systems. It provides a wide range of functions and tools for designing, analyzing and verifying 5G systems and algorithms. MATLAB provides powerful numerical computing capabilities and an easy-to-use programming environment, making it convenient for researchers to develop and simulate algorithms related to 5G communications.

5. OPNET (now Riverbed Modeler): OPNET is a commercial network simulation platform, mainly used for network performance evaluation and optimization. It provides visual modeling tools and an extensive network model library, suitable for the simulation of various network and communication systems. OPNET is strong in ease of use and interaction, which is convenient for performance evaluation and optimization research. .

6. QualNet：

   • Advantages: QualNet is a widely used commercial network simulator, mainly used for modeling and simulation of wireless networks. It provides a rich set of wireless network models and tools for performance evaluation and optimization. QualNet has powerful modeling capabilities, it supports a wide range of network technologies and protocols, and provides visual modeling and analysis tools.

7. NETSIM: NETSIM is a network protocol-based simulator for network performance evaluation and analysis. It supports various network technologies and protocols, including wired and wireless networks.

8. SWAN: SWAN (Smart Wireless Ad hoc Network) is a simulation tool for Ad hoc networks, suitable for research on wireless sensor networks and mobile ad hoc networks. SWAN is mainly used to evaluate network performance and energy efficiency.

9. GloMoSiM: GloMoSiM (Global Mobile Information System Simulator) is a tool for wireless communication network simulation, especially suitable for research on mobile ad hoc networks and Ad hoc networks. GloMoSiM provides an extensive library of network models and algorithms.

10. TOSSIM: TOSSIM is a simulator for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN), especially designed to simulate and evaluate protocols and applications on the TinyOS platform. TOSSIM provides support and simulation environment for TinyOS.

11. REAL: REAL (Radio Environment Assessment and Localization) is a simulation tool for wireless network environment assessment and localization. It is mainly used to analyze wireless channel characteristics, interference and positioning algorithms.

12. Jist: Jist is a Java-based network simulator for the research of wireless ad hoc networks and mobile Ad hoc networks. It provides the ability to simulate various network protocols and algorithms.

13. DRMSim: DRMSim (Datacenter and Cloud Computing Simulator) is a simulator for data centers and cloud computing environments. It is mainly used to simulate and evaluate algorithms and strategies related to cloud computing and data centers.

14. TraNS: TraNS (Traffic Network Simulator) is a tool for network traffic simulation and analysis. It provides various traffic models and tools for evaluating network performance and congestion control algorithms.

15. NTCUns: NTCUns is an open source network simulation tool for the research of communication networks and mobile Ad hoc networks. It provides support for a wide range of network models and protocols.