Network Evaluation for Training and Simulation

Advancements in networking hardware and software have increased the numbers of training and research simulators being used in networked environments. Various technical issues and problems involved with networking simulations exist, one of the most notable being latency. The Training Systems Product Group (ASC/YWE) of the Aeronautical Systems Center commissioned a study into some of these networking issues. This study was conducted by the Control Integration and Assessment Branch (AFRL/VACD), of Air Force Research Laboratory. The purpose of this study was to analyze different simulation network configurations to determine an optimized architecture for training purposes. This program was aimed at Unit Training Device (UTD) applications with low numbers of entities and sites. The basic training architecture of two LANs with a few local nodes connected together by a WAN was assumed. The ideal network configuration would minimize LAN/WAN latencies while maintaining simulation data accuracy. Analysis on both the local and entire network configurations was performed relative to effects of network loading. Issues such as bandwidth, latency, accuracy, thresholds, and delay compensation were investigated. Distributed Interactive Simulating (DIS) and DIS Lite protocols were used. DIS Lite, developed under a SBIR contract with MaK Technologies is a low bandwidth protocol for networked high fidelity flight simulations.Air Force Research Lab Wright-Patterson AFB OH Air Vehicles Directorate is the author of 'Network Evaluation for Training and Simulation', published 1997 under ISBN 9781423561804 and ISBN 1423561805.