How to Implement mmWave in NS2

To implement the mmWave (Millimeter Wave) communication, which performs in the frequency range of 30-300 GHz is a vital element of 5G Networks. It provides high bandwidth yet faces threats like short transmission range, high attenuation and susceptibility to congestion. Since the NS2 can’t directly support mmWave communication, you can approximate it by altering particular parameters to mirror the aspects of mmWave communication. On the other hand, we can explore dedicated simulation frameworks like NS2 with mmWave extensions, which are better appropriate for this purpose. Contact us for tailored implementation guidance and project ideas.  The offered demonstration has covered the implementation process of mmWave using ns2:

Though, for simplified mmWave communication simulation in NS2, you can fine-tine parameters include:

  1. Channel model: Use a high-frequency channel with restricted range.
  2. Propagation model: Reflect high attenuation and susceptibility to blockage.
  3. Antenna model: Use directional antennas to reflect beamforming aspects.
  4. Routing protocols: Manage frequent handovers because of the limited range.

Steps to Approximate mmWave Communication in NS2

  1. Set Up NS2 Environment

Make sure that NS2 is installed and properly configured on your computer. As mmWave simulation is not directly supported, we will alter the wireless network parameters to approximate mmWave aspects.

  1. Create a TCL Script to Simulate mmWave Communication

Here is an example of TCL script that replicates a small-scale mmWave communication network by adjusting the wireless channel, antenna, and transmission range.

Example TCL Script for mmWave Communication in NS2:

# Create a new NS2 simulator instance

set ns [new Simulator]

# Open trace and NAM output files

set tracefile [open mmwave.tr w]

$ns trace-all $tracefile

set namfile [open mmwave.nam w]

$ns namtrace-all $namfile

# Define mmWave communication parameters

set val(chan)   Channel/WirelessChannel  ;# High-frequency wireless channel (approximating mmWave)

set val(prop)   Propagation/TwoRayGround ;# Propagation model (can be customized further)

set val(ant)    Antenna/DirectionalAntenna ;# Use directional antennas for beamforming

set val(netif)  Phy/WirelessPhy          ;# Physical layer for wireless communication

set val(mac)    Mac/802_11               ;# 802.11 MAC layer

set val(ifq)    Queue/DropTail/PriQueue

set val(ifqlen) 50                       ;# Interface queue length

set val(ll)     LL

set val(rp)     AODV                     ;# Use AODV for ad-hoc multi-hop routing

set val(x)      1000                     ;# X-dimension for network area

set val(y)      1000                     ;# Y-dimension for network area

# Topography for mmWave network

set topo [new Topography]

$topo load_flatgrid $val(x) $val(y)

# mmWave channel-specific parameters

set val(txPower) 0.05        ;# Low transmission power (in W) to simulate short mmWave range

set val(rxPower) 0.02        ;# Reception power (in W)

set val(range) 200           ;# Short range due to high attenuation in mmWave frequencies (in meters)

set val(initialEnergy) 100.0 ;# Initial energy in Joules

# Configure node parameters for mmWave nodes

$ns node-config -adhocRouting $val(rp) \

-llType $val(ll) \

-macType $val(mac) \

-ifqType $val(ifq) \

-ifqLen $val(ifqlen) \

-antType $val(ant) \

-propType $val(prop) \

-phyType $val(netif) \

-channelType $val(chan) \

-topoInstance $topo \

-energyModel EnergyModel \

-initialEnergy $val(initialEnergy) \

-txPower $val(txPower) \

-rxPower $val(rxPower) \

-agentTrace OFF \

-routerTrace OFF \

-macTrace OFF

# Create mmWave nodes and set initial positions

set node0 [$ns node]

set node1 [$ns node]

set node2 [$ns node]

$node0 set X_ 100

$node0 set Y_ 200

$node0 set Z_ 0

$node1 set X_ 300

$node1 set Y_ 300

$node1 set Z_ 0

$node2 set X_ 500

$node2 set Y_ 500

$node2 set Z_ 0

# Set up UDP communication between nodes using CBR traffic

set udp0 [new Agent/UDP]

$ns attach-agent $node0 $udp0

set null0 [new Agent/Null]

$ns attach-agent $node2 $null0

$ns connect $udp0 $null0

# Configure CBR traffic for mmWave communication

set cbr0 [new Application/Traffic/CBR]

$cbr0 set packetSize_ 1000           ;# Packet size of 1000 bytes

$cbr0 set rate_ 10Mb                 ;# High transmission rate to simulate mmWave bandwidth

$cbr0 attach-agent $udp0

# Start and stop traffic at specific times

$ns at 1.0 “$cbr0 start”

$ns at 9.0 “$cbr0 stop”

# Schedule simulation end at 10 seconds

$ns at 10.0 “finish”

# Finish procedure to close the trace and NAM files

proc finish {} {

global ns tracefile namfile

$ns flush-trace

close $tracefile

close $namfile

exec nam mmwave.nam &

exit 0

}

# Run the simulation

$ns run

  1. Explanation of Key Components
  • Directional Antennas: The script uses DirectionalAntenna to replicate the directional nature of mmWave communication, which usually uses beamforming to aims the signal toward certain directions.
  • Short Transmission Range: The transmission range is fixed to 200 meters because of the high attenuation at mmWave frequencies.
  • High Data Rate: The CBR traffic imitates high data rates (10 Mbps) typical of mmWave networks, which can help higher bandwidth compared to older RF systems.
  • UDP Traffic: We configure UDP-based traffic to replicate data communication amongst nodes, approximating the high-speed data transmission assisted by mmWave.
  1. Run the Simulation

Store the script as mmwave.tcl and execute it in NS2 using the given command:

ns mmwave.tcl

You can visualize the network and communication in NAM, after the simulation is completed:

nam mmwave.nam

  1. Analyze the Simulation

You can evaluate the trace file (mmwave.tr) to observe the performance of the mmWave communication network. Metrics includes throughput, packet loss, and delay are critical to assess the influence of the short-range and high-frequency aspects of mmWave networks.

Example: Calculating Throughput

Estimate throughput from the trace file by using AWK script:

awk ‘/^r/ && /udp/ {sum+=$5} END {print “Throughput: “, sum/10, “bytes/sec”}’ mmwave.tr

This script measures the total amount of bytes obtained during the simulation and breaks down it by the simulation time to compute throughput.

  1. Extend the Simulation

Here are ways to extend the simplified mmWave simulation:

  1. a) Mobility

You can include mobility to nodes using the setdest command to replicate moving devices (like user devices or vehicles) in a mmWave network:

# Move node0 to a new position

$ns at 5.0 “$node0 setdest 400 400 10”   ;# Move node0 at 10 m/s

  1. b) Error Model

Include an error model to imitate the influence of congestion and intrusion, which are common in mmWave networks:

set loss_model [new ErrorModel]

$loss_model set rate_ 0.05    ;# 5% packet loss

$ns lossmodel $loss_model $node0 $node1

  1. c) Higher Antenna Gain

Replicate higher antenna gain by modifying the directional antenna properties:

$node0 set Antenna/Gain_ 10   ;# Increase antenna gain for beamforming

  1. d) Multiple Nodes and Traffic Flows

Replicate a larger mmWave network like an urban environment or a dense small-cell network by maximizing the number of nodes and traffic flows:

# Create more nodes and traffic flows

set node3 [$ns node]

set udp1 [new Agent/UDP]

$ns attach-agent $node1 $udp1

set null1 [new Agent/Null]

$ns attach-agent $node3 $null1

$ns connect $udp1 $null1

set cbr1 [new Application/Traffic/CBR]

$cbr1 set packetSize_ 1000

$cbr1 set rate_ 5Mb

$cbr1 attach-agent $udp1

$ns at 2.0 “$cbr1 start”

$ns at 8.0 “$cbr1 stop”

Throughout this given demonstration, you can get to know more about the simplified network simulation, adjusting the parameters for the implementation of mmWave (Millimeter Wave) using ns2 tool. We also provide some instructions for the enhancement purpose.