PSOS: A Novel Protocol Simulation Platform for Satellite Networks

The demand for global mobile communications calls the research and development of the satellite constellation networks. But protocol simulation of satellite networks is hard to realize due to the difficulty of satellite networks modeling. Currently protocol simulation system can´t support satellite constellation networks fully. To improve the dependability and availability of the simulation system, we propose PSOS: a novel protocol simulation platform for satellite networks and its implementation framework in this paper. First, some popular simulation tools and the protocol of satellite networks are presented. Then, the architecture of protocol simulation platform is proposed, which mainly contains satellite constellation model and protocol simulation. The platform is not restricted to any communication protocol or connection mode. The framework, which is based on STK and OPNET, takes full advantage of satellite constellation modeling in STK and network protocol simulation in OPNET. In addition, an integrated workflow for the platform is illuminated to comprehend the simulator clearly. The simulation validation of PSOS is also presented.