Simulation Model and Studies of MIL-STD-188-220A’ Dr. David J, Thuente 2 Department of Computer Science Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Indiana 46815 email: thuente @ipfw.edu Timothy E. Borchelt Raytheon Systems Company Fort Wayne, Indiana, 46808 email: teborc (i?most.fw.hac.com ABSTRACT for the media access control (MAC) algorithms DAP-NAD and RE-NAD for multiple small j%-e direction subnets and for larger single network configurations. The model has shown the eflects of blocking via physical obstructions or jamming on network pe~ormance. We have also demonstrated the ability of both DAP-NAD and RE-NAD to continue to efficiently operate on a disconnected network and to eventually reconnect the network when physically possible. A detailed model for the analysis and evaluation of many aspects of the protocol MIL-STD-188-220A has been built. This model has been used to develop important results about the pe~ormance of MIL-STD-188-220A for various network configurations and message types and loads. The model includes detailed implementations in OPNET of many of the features of MIL-STD-188-220A including Type 1 and Type 2 services, deterministic adaptable priori~ network access delay (DAP-NAD) and radio embedded network access delay (RE-NAD) media access control algorithms, intranet topology with all appropriate updates, topology requests, and the transmission of all topology messages with the exact size and timing of the messages dictated by the protocol. Blocking of transmissions to individual nodes, either forced by obstructions or partial or total blocking forced by jamming, and intranet relaying using the topology routing tree graph have been implemented and used to obtain results. The model incorporates mobile receiver and transmitter nodes as well as fixed or mobile jammer nodes. The jammer nodes can have isotopic antennas or antennas with dB gains in cones with fixed direction pointing or dynamic direction pointing toward a target. Bit error rate (BER) and correction using the 24/12 Golay algorithm is efficiently modeled at the bit level. We have obtained some quite definitive results about which parts of the MIL-STD-188-220A protocol should be used under various network and message size and frequency configurations. These results should be ve~ useful to the users and potential users of this protocol. Significant comparative results have been obtained as baselines for fire support and situation awareness type messages. We contrast the perj40rmance of the networks 1‘This effort was internally funded by Hughes Aircraft Corporation as a Corporate Special Programming project. 2This author is a consultant on communications protocols at Hughes Defense Communications. Both Hughes Aircraft Corporation and Hughes Defense Communications are now part of Raytheon Systems Company. INTRODUCTION This paper discusses and presents results from a detailed, low-level, and high fidelity model of most parts of the MIL-STD-1 88-220A with particular emphasis on intranet relaying, intranet topology with the corresponding topology updates and requests, node blocking by obstructions or partial or total blocking by jamming. The model also includes various forms of jammer nodes, mobile nodes, BER and a faithful simulation of the 24/12 Golay error correction. The paper also includes a discussion of how the MAC algorithms affect performance under different configurations of the above model parameters. This work presented here is a major extension of the model and results reported at MILCOM 97 (Ref. 10). That model was developed partially for the communication performance modeling of the Advanced Data System (AFATDS) Field Artillery Tactical communications system. The AFATDS datalink protocol modeled is very similar to, but was not strictly MIL-STD188-220A compliant. These previous results focused on the optimization of the DAP-NAD for fire support (FS) operations and, in particular, on the assigning of subscriber numbers for efficient communication on a That paper also did some DAP-NAD network. preliminary comparison of DAP-NAD and RE-NAD for The results here considerably FS mission throughput. extend that work to include a more thorough comparison of these two MAC algorithms for many scenarios that can 0-7803-4902-4/98/$10.00 (c) 1998 IEEE be done now because our MIL-STD-1 88-220A model is more complete. knows it has received, and hence knows the remaining packets were not correctly received. There is a continued emphasis on the importance of modeling and simulation in the development of communication systems and in the use of simulation for the design, implementation, operation and administration of battlefield networks (Ref. 6). There is a reasonable consensus that OPNET is the communication modeling tool of choice for the military (Refs. 2, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12). Moreover, the uses because Army multiple communication systems, including Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS), Enhanced Position Location Reporting System (EPLRS), Mobile Subscriber Equipment (MSE), asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), and satellite communications that must interface into an efficient network of networks, simulation is required “early and often” as the title of a recent article in Signal (Ref. 9) states. MIL-STD- 188-220A has five different MAC algorithms. DAP-NAD and RE-NAD are the two MAC algorithms examined in this paper. Previous experiments have shown that R-NAD, P-NAD, and H-NAD (random, priority, and hybrid respectively) having serious limitations for FS applications. DAP-NAD is a method of generating network access delays, which provides every subscriber an equal opportunity to use the network. It is deterministic in that each subscriber can determine the maximum amount of time before their next network access opportunity. When subscribers sense the end of the transmission, subscribers compute a series of network access times, unique for that subscriber, based on ● their subscriber number; each subscriber is assigned a unique number in the range 1 to the total number of subscribers ● which subscriber is to have the first access opportunity ● the network precedence: urgent, priority , or routine ● the message precedence of the highest precedence message in the subscriber’s own queue. From any node’s point of view, if no other subscriber starts transmitting before that node’s network access times occurs then that node will transmit. The formulas for computing the access slots are given in (Refs. 3, 5). MIL-STD-188-220A and the SIMULATION MODEL MlL-STD-l 88-220A is being defined to facilitate interoperability between battlefield communication systems and is concerned with the network (partial), datalink, and physical layers of the 0S1 stack. It has been under development since 1993 by the Combat Net Radio (CNR) Working Group and a draft of the current version at the standard can be found at http://wwwcnrwg.itsi.disa. roil/. MIL-STD-188-220A supports Type 1, 2, 3, and 4 services. Type 1, 3, and 4 are connectionless operations with Type 1 being unacknowledged, Type 3 requiring an immediate acknowledgment (also called coupled acknowledged Type 1 in MIL-STD-188-220A) and Type 4 using decoupled acknowledgments. Type 2 services are connection oriented with decoupled acknowledgments and are based on the HDLC (high-level datalink control) protocol. Type 2 services provide high reliability because of the connection state but do not require individual acknowledgments. In most heavily used networks, Type 2 acknowledgments are included in other packet headers via piggy backing and incur little or no For reliable transfer of large additional overhead. amounts of data, Types 2 and 4 are generally used. Type 2 is considered more efficient since it does not require separate acknowledgments for each packet. The model and simulations presented in this paper are based on Type For experimentation 2 services or transmissions, purposes, implicit rejects of Type 2 service messages have been incorporated even though it is not currently part of MIL-STD-1 88-220A. Implicit rejects occur when the receiver acknowledges fewer packets than the sender The RE-NAD algorithm dynamically controls network access based on network load, network topology, and The algorithm uses a “continuous load factors. scheduler” based on queue lengths, average concatenated network partition factors, network frame lengths, topology factors and load and priority statistics at RE-NAD uses two levels of neighboring nodes. algorithms for media access control: (1) modem to radio; the continuous scheduler, defined in the standard (2) radio to radio; the radio embedded portion, not defined in the standard. RE-NAD uses a continuous scheduler interval computed as sum of fixed part and a random part; range is 1.0 ..30.0 seconds. The fixed part is based the average duration of a station’s last four transmissions ; valid range is 1 .. 10 seconds and the random part is a random number between 0.0 and schedint; where schedint is a MIL-STD-188-220A defined variable for RE-NAD between 3.0 and 20.0. Schedint is based on the average duration of a station’s last four transmissions, the ratio of the number of nodes two hops away versus one hop away, the advertised load of all nodes on the network, and a factor indicating how strongly Finally, RE-NAD uses connected the network is. Immediate Mode Scheduling to increase utilization of 0-7803-4902-4/98/$10.00 (c) 1998 IEEE large lightly loaded networks. If the continuous scheduler expires and there are no packets to send, then when packets do become available, the current scheduler is canceled and scheduler timer is set to 0.1 second. Segmentation and reassembly TCP(COTS) Transport -------------------------Internet Network Intranet -------------.---------.-- Selective Directed Broadcast . Procedures The model, as stipulated in MILDatalink Media Access Control for STD-1 88-220A, allows -------------------------intranet intranet relaying, Physical topology with the corresponding topology updates and requests. In these order to accomplish functions each node stores a Figure 1. MIL-STD 188-220A Protocol and Modeled Architecture routing tree graph which contains: obtain desired model characteristics. The model simulates (1) inforrnatlon-about the link between each node and its absolute terrain blockage between arbitrary nodes and also neighbors; (2) number of hops to each node, dependent on allows for partially or totally disabling particular nodes the path taken; (3) cost or link quality for each link; (4) using jammers. Background noise can be specified for each node’s relay status (a node may refuse to relay each node individually. The signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) is packets); (5) each node’s quiet status (a node may just computed as the sum of all of the signal inputs at a node. listen and refuse to transmit). A necessary part of intrartet At every change in the SNR, the BER from the previous relaying for dynamic subnets is topology updates. SNR change to the current SNR change is computed. This Topology updates are a sparse version of the routing tree computation of the BER is used to drive the detailed which has at most only two entries per node, each being simulation of the 24/12 Golay forward error correction unique. Topology updates are sent whenever a node has (FEC). Every transmission unit (TU) has its header made a change in its routing tree graph but may be sent no examined using FEC and the TU is rejected if its header more often than a user defined interval which is defined in has errors that cannot be corrected with 24/12 Golay. minutes. Topology updates are distributed in a Topology Every BER change is applied to the exact set of bits Update Packet. Topology requests are sent to neighboring affected by that particular BER even if BER is contained nodes when a node receives an update that is different than in or crosses any combination of TU headers, interior the last update received from the node that sent the update. transmission unit (ITU) headers, ITUs, time dispersal Topology requests may be sent no more often than twice coding (TDC) blocks, Golay blocks or DLPDUS. In sum, the rate of topology updates. the computed BER is applied faithfully across the entire The intranet relay allows for relaying of transmission units transmission and each block is accepted or rejected or datalink layer protocol data units (DLPDU) between appropriately. nodes that are not directly connected but on the same radio The general assumption of 4800 bps on any channel is network. It uses information stored in the topology made for all radio connections. The Type 2 information routing tree graph to do source directed routing and also frame has a minimum header size of 336 bits and allows The intranet header is used to allows for multicasting. 16 destination addresses of 24 bits each. Each relayer or indicate the DLPDU route and each node that is to be a destination for intranet relaying requires 16 bits plus one relay and each node that is a destination for the DLPDU. 48 bit block for relaying. The transmission word count The physical layer of the simulation model consists of and the transmission header always have Golay FEC and a radio transmitters and receivers. Both the transmitters and 168 bit TDC block applied. The physical payload may The receivers may be mobile and at any altitude. optionally have Golay FEC, a 384 bit TDC block or transmitters may also be jamrners with their own scrambling applied. After 20 seconds, unacknowledged trajectories and particular modulation algorithms for messages are retried and may be transmitted a total of four jamming. All transmitters, including jammers, also have times at the datalink layer before being discarded. their own antenna patterns, user-defined focus, and gain. Many parameters of interest are read from a text file at the All of the radios transmit with user specified modulation More than 64 of these start of a simulation run. algorithms at user specified frequencies, bandwidth and parameters can be set to vary network characteristics. power. The OPNET pipeline stages have been modified to 0-7803-4902-4/98/$10.00 (c) 1998 IEEE Among the parameters that can be set to affect network performance are: network bit rate, datalink layer timers, maximum retransmission values, use of FEC and TDC, use of topology updates and relaying, jamming characteristics, mission types to be run (each type can be started independently and may have a uniform or exponential starting rate or may be stimulated by a timedordered-event-list). Other parameters read in but typically not changed between runs include network and physical addresses, radio frequencies, bandwidth, and modulation techniques used. In addition, a complete set of optional debugging parameters can be specified in this input file so that most any characteristic of the transmissions can be seen on the debug screen. For example, this includes the dynamic setting up of the Type 2 connections, the retransmit tries, and the run time SNRS and BERs and the acceptance of every TU header and every packet within the TU. This feature of the model has been very important for our verification and validation efforts. request message that triggers a sequence of 15 messages, varying in length from 13 to nearly 200 bytes, and their acknowledgments that are transmitted, using Type 2, on the brigade network and the fire direction networks. The situation awareness (SA) message is assumed to be a 240 bit message and is sent using Type 1 services. The first scenario consists of nine active nodes spread over three networks with a single gateway node, the bn_cp, which connects the two fire direction networks with the brigade network. For the FS message set, the brigade network is much more heavily loaded than the fire direction networks. This scenario assumes the networks are connected and error free. The jammer was not used. The only errors came from collisions of messages when using RE_NAD. The layout of this scenario is given in Figure 2. The verification and validation of the model has been a continuous activity throughout its development. It has been verified in accordance with (Ref. 4). The configuration of early versions of the model was exactly the same as the configuration in the lab with actual radio networks. That validation of the early model was very successful and has been reported in considerable detail elsewhere (Refs. 1, 7, 8), While we have not repeated this validation effort with lab data, current results are consistent with previous results when appropriate simplifying assumptions are made. SIMULATION SCENARIOS and RESULTS There are a multitude of different, interesting, and beneficial scenarios and simulations that could be run using this model. We have already made many interesting runs and have a number of additional runs planned that have helped and will help determine how to configure MIL-STD-188-220A for the AFATDS applications. One area that we have examined is the question of the MAC algorithms. This is a fundamental design choice that needs to be made and then that choice needs to be tuned for the capabilities of the radios and the requirements of the applications. There are two fundamentally different types of message sets that need to be transmitted using MIL-STD-1 88220A. The FS message set is a threaded message set which has corresponding transport or application level acknowledgments. For our FS message set, we use a fire Figure 2. Basic Three Fire Support Networks A detailed description of the message set for this scenario is given in (Refs. 7, 8). This basic scenario is critical to the success of the FS mission, There have been numerous runs of the model with both DAP-NAD and RE-NAD MAC algorithms. It can be shown, for DAPNAD, the knee of the curve for time-to-completion of threads is around a 210 thread offered load (exponential arrivals over approximately 3300 seconds so that the threads can complete in an hour). Figure 3 gives the thread completion times for an offered load of 200 threads. The graph shows a stable system, with all threads completing, that could be expected to function indefinitely at this offered load. 0-7803-4902-4/98/$10.00 (c) 1998 IEEE The next scenario is an extension of that given above. One fire direction network is spread out so that it requires relaying in order to transmit messages to the most distant node and the relay node is periodically blocked using a jammer. The laydown is given in Figure 4. threadmissiontinxxbn.fse threadtype O ~ 200 e 190 . ........... c 180 ...... ........... 0 i7~ .. . . n 160 ..... ........... d 150 s . ............ 0 i 2 3 4 Fire direction network 2 (FD2) consists of the nodes bn_cp, FU_2A, FU_2B, and FU_2C. FU_2A cannot be reached directly from bn_cp and hence FU_2B must relay messages between them. The fire units do not normally require communication between each other. In addition to relaying, this scenario examines blocking which in this case, actually severs the FD2 network. The jammer j ams the FU_2B nodes for 100 seconds every 400 seconds. Since four transmissions are made with 20 second timers before a packet is discarded, the effect of this 100 second jamming is that the Type 2 connection between the bn_cp and FU_2B nodes and the connection between FU_2B and FU_2A nodes is broken. When the jamming 5 tirn3 seconds(x 1000) Figure 3. Thread completion times for offered load of 200 threads, If the same scenario is run using RE-NAD, fewer than 100 threads will complete and it will take well over an hour for them to do so. Consequently, the offered load was reduced to 150 threads. The average number of threads completed using RE-NAD I I I was I I I approximately 80. bde_f se Threads failed because Q@ Q individual bn_f se , i, tim moni’t or_b de messages in the threaded message Q 0 (3o FU:2B FU:2A FU-IR set failed to be @ “’-”P @ ~ o successfully rif d2 monitor_f dl jarher transmitted in the WJB four transmissions o Q retry limit and FU:2C FVJ c were discarded. The only reason a message failed to Figure 4. Fire Support Network with Relaying and Blocking be successfully transmitted was because of ends, network control messages that are being transmitted collisions due to the RE-NAD algorithm. It is clear that to restore connections can be received. We are assuming DAP-NAD is superior to RE-NAD for this application that the networks have simple frequency hopping so that and network laydown. the radios will synchronize with the first valid The above simulations have been repeated for RE-NAD transmission header it hears. The comparison of the and DAP-NAD with both a stationary and a mobile DAP-NAD and RE-NAD performance is again quite jammer and with isotropic and focused jammer antennae. interesting. The number of mission threads that have The results were essentially consistent with those just completed processing at the fire units is tallied for each given but the percentage drop in the missions completed MAC algorithm and for non-jamming and intermittent using RE-NAD was not quite as great. This was to be jamming situations. The offered load for each fire unit is expected since only half of the offered mission threads 25 missions. Table 1 gives the results, were completing in an error free environment. It is clear that DAP-NAD performs better than RE-NAD in this situation. The same conclusion is also obtained if I o monito I 0-7803-4902-4/98/$10.00 (c) 1998 IEEE I I I the total number of missions completed is tallied at either the bn_cp or at the bn_fse. Counting the total at the fire units gives a better indication of the immediate impact of both relaying and jamming the relayer and the destroying of the Type 2 connections. Non-jamming FU.2B I Fu_2A received all 1256 messages while RE-NAD received only 770 messages. node 4 packet hop timex seconds Jamming FU.2B 1 Fu_2A 11 24 8 25 19 14 6 4 RE-NAD Table 1. Comparison of DAP-NAD and RE-NAD with Relaying and Jamming Missions completed at the Fire Units DAP-NAD From the previous two scenarios it can be concluded that DAP-NAD outperforms RE-NAD for FS missions on small networks in error free, relaying, or jamming The next scenario examines the relative situations. performance of the MAC algorithms on a 16 node network broadcasting, using Type 1 services, SA type messages of 240 bits each every 12 seconds distributed exponentially. The network is given in Figure 5. ........................... node_l Q 3 tim @ o 1 seconds (x 1000) Figure 6. Packet Hop times for DAP-NAD detect-time :0.41 sec.) (net-busy- node 4 packet hop times seconds 20 s 17.5 e 15 c12.5 d5 s 2.5 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 no de_l 2 node_3 Q node_li o no de_4 no de_5 0.7 0.8 0.9 c1 node_2 o 0.4 0.5 0.6 o 10 n 7.5 c) no de_: .. ... . .... ... .... ... 0.1 0.2 0.3 .. .......... ..................... .....Q ................... 0 node_10 o LO . de_6 n w~ode (7I ‘0”-9 ‘ ~ node_* Figure 5. Single level 16 node Situation Awareness type of Network Since there are no threaded messages or internet or intranet relaying, the critical performance factor is the time between the creation of the packet or SA message and the time it is delivered - called the packet hop time. This is a critical measure for SA data. Sixteen nodes create messages on average every 12 seconds - so a total of approximately 1250 messages would be created in the These messages are 1000 second simulation runs. broadcast to the 15 other nodes. Figure 6 and 7 give the packet hop times with averages of 11.5 and 2.9 seconds for DAP-NAD and RE-NAD respectively. DAP-NAD 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.s 0.9 tirnz seconds (x 1000) 1 ;igure 7. Packet Hop times for RE-NAD (net-busy-detecttime :0.41 sec.) Close examination of the results shows that nearly 500 more messages were received under DAP-NAD than under RE-NAD. This accounts for the more than 5 seconds of the difference in the average hop time. A hop time that more accurately reflects the true performance DAP-NAD and RE-NAD is given by 6 seconds versus 2.9 seconds. The key parameter for DAP-NAD is the netbusy-detect-time which has been set to 0.41 seconds for our simulation rnns. If the radio configuration has a squelch pin, then using the squelch pin may allow the netbusy-detect-time to be set as low as 0.1 seconds. Figure 8 gives the packet hop times for DAP-NAD using a netbusy-detect-time of 0.1 seconds. The average hop time is now 2.1 seconds. The simulation was repeated for RENAD and the average decreased only to 2.7 seconds. Most SINCGARS radios have this squelch pin and hence it is critical for network performance using DAP-NAD that it be used and configured into the network operation. 0-7803-4902-4/98/$10.00 (c) 1998 IEEE node 4 packet hop times: seconds except for possible DAP-NAD will, circumstances, be the MAC algorithm of choice. 0 There is also the question of Type 2 versus Type 4 services that should be investigated. All of the work for Type 2 services for DAP-NAD and RE-NAD needs to be repeated for Type 4 services and then comparisons of Type 2 and Type 4 services could be made. The datalink layer parameter settings such as ACK timer, response timer, and retransmission count need to be investigated for DAP-NAD and RE-NAD when using Type 4. 12.5 s 10 e ~ 7.5 05 n d2.5 s o CI.I 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 time: seconds (x 1000) Figure 8. Packet Hop times for DAP-NAD detect-time :0.1 sec.) (net-busy- REFERENCES 1. C. D. Brown, “AFATDS Communication Performance Model Simulation Build lC Validation Test Procedure,” Magnavox Electronic Systems Co., February 9, 1996 2. Geoffrey R. Kelsch, “A Common Tactical Internet Architecture,” Model MILCOM’97 Performance Conference Proceedings, Nov. 2-5, 1997, pp. 177-181. 3. Magnavox Electronic Systems Company, “VMF Technical Interface Design Plans,” January 1993. 4. “Verification, validation, and Accreditation of Army Models and Simulations,” Army Pamphlet 5-11, 15 October, 1993. 5. MIL-STD-1 88-220A “Interoperability Standard for Digital Message Device Transfer Subsystems”, 5 February 1997. 6. Clarence A. Robinson, Jr., “ Warjighter Information Network Harnesses Simulation Validation, ” Signal, January 1998, pp. 27-32. 7. David J. Thuente, Craig Brown, Tim Borchelt, Ed Hill, CONCLUSIONS The single most important conclusion is that this model of the MIL-STD-1 88-220A protocol can be of great benefit in the design and implementation of the Army radio communication networks that use the MIL-STD188-220A protocol. There are many choices for the implementation of MIL-STD- 188-220A and it is crucial that the right choices be made for various applications. This model can be a large asset in making certain that MIL-STD-188-220A is utilized correctly or efficiently. Though it was not shown in this paper, this model can also be used to determine near optimal jamming strategies for radios using MIL-STD-1 88-220A. In the future, it maybe possible to configure radios using MLLSTD-1 88-220A so as to minimize the effects of those same jamming strategies. The high variability in the performance and response times for RE-NAD makes it a poor choice for most applications that require anything even remotely resembling real-time performance. It appears that DAP-NAD is the MAC algorithm of choice for FS applications and their networks. The netbusy-detect-time is a key parameter for DAP-NAD. If the net-busy-detect-time can be brought into the range of 0.1 seconds, then DAP-NAD appears to be the MAC algorithm for most modest sized networks of up to 20 nodes regardless of the applications that are being run on the communication network. The SINCGARS ICOM or SIP R/T radios already provide the ability to signal net busy to an attached MIL-STD-1 88-220A adapter via voltage change on the squelch pin of the six pin data connector. In order to improve network performance, it is important that all MIL-STD- 188-220A adapter have the ability to sense this signal. This allows the net-busydetect-time to be reduced to the 0.1 second range. If available, it is important that this feature be used and then special “AFATDS Network Simulation Report,” Magnavox Electronic Systems Co., Fort Wayne, IN, October 13, 1995. 8. David J. Thuente, Craig Brown, Tim Borchelt, Ed Hill, “The Design and Analysis of the AFATDS Communication Networks using Simulation,” Proceedings 1996 Tactical Communication Conference, April 30-May 2, 1996, pp. 267-280. 9. “System Complexity Requires David J. Thuente, Simulation Early and Often,” Signal (AFCEA Publication), August 1996, pp. 65-67. 10. David J. Thuente and Tim Borchelt, “Simulation Studies of MAC Algorithms for Combat Net Radio,” MILCOM’97 Conference Proceedings, Nov. 2-5, 1997, pp. 193-199. 11. Patrick D. Dye, “Joint Staff Requests Aid in Locating OPNET Models of Battlefield Communications Systems,” 12/2/97, posted on www.mi13.com. 12. 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