Real-Time Radio Wave Propagation for Mobile Ad-Hoc Network Emulation Using GPGPUs

The accurate simulation and emulation of mobile radios requires the computation of RF propagation path loss in order to accurately predict connectivity and signal interference. There are many algorithms available for computing the RF propagation path loss between wireless devices including the LongleyRice model, the transmission line matrix (TLM), ray-tracing, and the parabolic equation method. Each of these methods has advantages and disadvantages but all require a large number of floating point operations during execution. In this paper we investigate using general purpose graphics processing units (GPGPUs) to provide the computational capabilities required to perform these RF path loss calculations in real-time in order to support large scale mobile ad-hoc network emulation. Three specific methods, namely the Longley-Rice, TLM, and ray-tracing methods are explored including usage cases and performance analysis on GPUs. The Longley-Rice algorithm is solved in realtime for 1000’s of transmitters and receivers, the TLM method is well suited for GPU acceleration as is ray-tracing. We will discuss the algorithm modifications required for efficient GPU use, precision issues and optimization.