PC based Design Tools for a UHF Demand Assignment Multiple Access SATCOM System

The design of a UHF demand assignment multiple access communications controller requires quantification of many performance and control parameters. This paper will summarize design tools developed for PC applications that: 1. Models the diverse traffic input to the system. 2. Provides analytical and simulation queuing models of the reservation channel and traffic channels for various statistical assumptions. These queuing models provide quantification of offered load vs delay and other performance parameters. 3. Provides a simulation model of the resource allocation controller that matches satellite resources to traffic input requests. This simulation tool develops, with the help of the user in an interactive mode, a heuristic model of "good" resource allocation protocols. This tool provides a simple "expert system" environment to evaluate performance and resource allocation protocol complexity. All of the tools can be used with a standard IBM/PC or equal. Numerical examples are given to show typical results and how system performance may be evaluated for a number of different conditions. These relatively simple tools provide the basis of a preliminary design before more complex and expensive simulation tools are employed.