An Integrated Hardware-Software Platform for Real-Time Modeling and Simulation of TMACNs

The Army’s Future Combat System will rely on a data communications backbone based on the tactical mobile ad-hoc communications network (TMACN). The unique nature of TMACNs – their mobility, adaptability, and potentially substantial sizes – makes performance prediction a difficult task, and one that is best carried out through simulation. The team of Advanced Acoustic Concepts and RTI International proposes to provide a performance prediction solution for TMACNs based on simulation through the development of an integrated hardware-software platform with two components: (1) software-based emulation for observability, reproducibility of results, and reusability and (2) hardware to accelerate run-time performance via ‘soft’ CPUs on field programmable gate arrays for improved scalability, flexibility, and rapid reconfigurability. This simulation solution will ensure stable and effective TMACNs, which can be realistically simulated, tested, and improved more quickly, are fielded for the Warfighter.