Test Environment Design for Wireless Vehicle Communications

The integration of new wireless technologies with vehicle computing systems has opened the doors for new fields of applications such as intelligent transportation systems. Vehicular ad hoc networks emerge as the technical basis in solutions aiming to improve road safety and efficiency as well as driving comfort. This paper discusses different factors that influence the performance of wireless vehicle communication systems and proposes a general design for the construction of a test environment for these systems. A comprehensive list of different parameters that affect the system performance is compiled. Next, these parameters are analyzed and quantified to serve as guidelines when establishing and designing components of a suitable test environment. This test environment should provide a platform that enables researchers and engineers to identify possible bottlenecks in the network functionality as well as allowing test, assessment and verification of as many of the relevant parameters involved in the ad hoc communication as possible.