Its about the various Simulators available for Wireless SEnsor NEtworks and particulars about OMNeT++ was streamlined.

1. SIMULATORS FOR
WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK
T S Pradeep Kumar
VIT Chennai
http://www.nsnam.com
http://www.pradeepkumar.org

2. OVERVIEW
•
Introduction
•
Simulators for WSN
•
Introduction to OMNeT++
•
Terminology
•
Simulation Frameworks of OMNeT++
•
Requirements of OMNeT++

3. INTRODUCTION TO
SIMULATORS
•
Real Networks
•
•
Sometimes impossible
•
•
Gives exact results and comes to conclusion quickly.
May be costlier
Simulating the networks
•
Go deeper in to the problem (insight)
•
use programming to represent devices (for almost all the network elements has a software or
programming model)
•
Most of the network simulators are open source and Free.
•
Need to make assumptions (all nodes are heterogenous)

4. SIMULATORS FOR WSN
•
Network Simulator 2 (with Mannasim Framework)
•
OMNeT++ (INET, MiXim and Castalia Framework)
•
TOSSIM (Tiny OS Simulator works on the OS part of Simulator)
•
Avrora (A simulator to test Mica Motes before they are fused
with the codes in the hardware). A little bit old (the recent version
is from 2008).
•
OPNET (A Commercial Software)

5. NS2 (NETWORK SIMULATOR
2)
•
It uses two languages C++ and OTcl
•
It has never been designed specifically to cover WSN. Mannasim
is a third party framework that supports the Simulation of
WSN with just 12 C++ classes and a Script generator tool.
•
Huge amount of resources, source codes, forums available for
researchers.
•
http://www.nsnam.com

6. TOSSIM
•
It is a Tiny OS Simulator
•
It Uses a Code called nesC (network embedded
system C)
•
also uses Python to create scenario files

7. OPNET
•
It is a commercial Software
•
Uses C++
•
It uses Zigbee technology for WSN

8. COMPARISON OF
SIMULATORS
Name
Type
Language
Used
NS2
generic
C++, OTcl
OMNeT++
OPNET
TOSSIM
generic
C++, NED
Visualisation
(Animation
or tracing
Energy
Models
Extensions
yes
yes
Mannasim
yes
Mixim,
Castalia
Commercial
Software
yes
generic
C
yes
yes
specific
nesC,
Python, C+
+
no
no

9. INTRODUCTION TO OMNET+
+
•
OMNeT++ - Objective Modular Network Testbed in C++.
•
It is not a network simulator, but it provides a framework to
create your own network simulations.
•
In OMNeT++, a network is an object that defines network, hold
modules, sub modules and compound modules.
!

10. TERMINOLOGY
•
Module Object - Sits inside the network object and is able to send messages to other
module objects. Eg. Router, standalone machine, webserver, etc or any other component that
can able to make a communication across a network.
•
Compound Module Object - made up of multiple module objects, Eg. the INET
framework is a library that contains lots of prebuilt module and compound module objects.
•
Channels - Channels are objects that are used to connect one module of the Compound
Module object to the other. Channels allow these modules to send messages to each other
and connect the gate of one module to the gate of another. This could be a StandardHost
talking to another StandardHost via an Ethernet cable.
•
NED - Network Description Language - used to create topology of networks. OMNeT
allows to create the topology graphically or using NED.

11. SIMULATION FRAMEWORK
•
INET
•
•
Http Tools
•
•
VoIP simulation with the help of INET
MiXim
•
•
simulating bit torrents for almost simulating 1000 nodes.
VoIPTool for INET
•
•
simulate web server, web browser by using standard host from INET
EBitSim
•
•
IP, IPv6, TCP, UDP, etc.
To simulate the wireless sensor networks with or without the help of INET
Complete Simulation framework

12. WAY TO LEARN OMNET++
•
Starting to learn something
new is always complicated.
•
Spend sometime in modifying
the code available in the
samples folder.
•
The easiest way to learn
OMNeT++ is to play around
the codes given in the
framework (INET or MiXim),
work on, modify codes and
learn.

13. REQUIREMENTS FOR OMNET
++
•
Mainly designed for Linux OS.
•
Can be installed in Windows using Cygwin, MinGW (a linux
lookalike terminal expands to Minimalist GNU for Windows)
•
Some plugins or frameworks will work only under Linux (Eg.
Castalia)
•
Earlier versions of OMNeT++ need Visual Studio and
nmake utility to install in Windows.

14. CONCLUSION
•
Pros
•
•
all the graphical tracing is inbuilt.
•
•
Good documentation by OMNeT
coders are given chance to use either coding or designing the network
Cons
•
it is not so popular, so less support is there from the community
•
a framework developed for a particular version of OMNeT may not be working with
other versions.
•
so many dependencies with other frameworks.

15. QUESTIONS?

16. INSTALLATION OF OMNET

17. INSTALLATION OF OMNET++
•
Some external tools like akarao, etc is supported only under linux
•
Use of Linux is advisable
•
Requirements of OMNeT in Windows
•
Windows 7, 8 or 8.1
•
Java Runtime is needed (Its not mandatory)
•
Current version of OMNeT is 4.3
•
Earlier versions may need Visual studio

18. STEPS TO INSTALL
•
Unzip or Untar the contents to either C:/ or D:/
•
go the folder omnet-xxx/ and open the file (double click) mingwcmd.bat
•
This will open a terminal looks similar like Linux Terminal (Most of the linux
commands will work in this terminal)
•
Type these two commands one by one for installation
•
./configure (this will set some PATH information and make dependencies)
•
make (This will install the entire package, will take time based on the
system’s resources)

19. •
Once everything is successful, you can open
the editor using “omnetpp” command
•
omnetpp
•
a window will open looks similar like Eclipse
editor

20. THANK YOU