AirFrame Packets implementation/Tkenv representation - independent of transmission range?

[Ronnie]

Hello,

For demo purposes i sometimes show Tkenv simulations to give view of network topology, network layer communications and mobility model.
It always confuses me how AirFrame packets are represented in Tkenv. On every broadcast Airframe packets orignate from a node and in 1-hop fashion sent to each and every  node in the network, regardless of their transmission ranges. (picture attached for reference)
Even if it's just for representation purposes, i don't see the point.

Perhaps someone could shed some light on it.

And secondly, is it possible to disable just the Airframe packets animation (so i can keep audience focused on the subject of network layer routing and mobility).

Thanks in advance.

Kind regards,
Ronnie

[Christoph Sommer]

Ronnie wrote:
> On every broadcast Airframe packets orignate from a node and in 1-hop
> fashion sent to each and every node in the network, regardless of
> their transmission ranges. (picture attached for reference)
> Even if it's just for representation purposes, i don't see the point.

This is a very misconception:
You don't see a packet being sent to nodes in the network.
You see an event being delivered to modules of a discrete event simulator.

The event in question (a notification of a frame being sent) has to be
delivered to all modules that it affects. In brief, any wireless card
that might suffer from interference by a frame needs to know about the
fact that it was sent (not just those that would successfully receive it).

> is it possible to disable just the Airframe packets
> animation

Yes.


Best,

Christoph


--
Dr. Christoph Sommer
Distributed Embedded Systems Group
University of Paderborn, Germany
http://www.ccs-labs.org/~sommer/

[Ronnie]

Hello Christoph. Thanks for the prompt response. (replied inline)

On Thursday, 26 March 2015 18:46:34 UTC+1, Christoph Sommer wrote:

Ronnie wrote:
> On every broadcast Airframe packets orignate from a node and in 1-hop
> fashion sent to each and every node in the network, regardless of
> their transmission ranges. (picture attached for reference)
> Even if it's just for representation purposes, i don't see the point.

This is a very misconception:
You don't see a packet being sent to nodes in the network.
You see an event being delivered to modules of a discrete event simulator.

 Okay. This is what i meant by just for representation purposes. Isn't it trivial that from DES point of view events are accessible to all modules?

The event in question (a notification of a frame being sent) has to be
delivered to all modules that it affects. In brief, any wireless card
that might suffer from interference by a frame needs to know about the
fact that it was sent (not just those that would successfully receive it).

indeed. But what if your terrain is lets say 10000mx10000m. In which case not every wireless card might suffer interference from every frame sent by every node.

> is it possible to disable just the Airframe packets
> animation

Yes.

I haven't succeeded in finding it. Could you suggest me where to look at?

Best,

  Christoph


--
Dr. Christoph Sommer
Distributed Embedded Systems Group
University of Paderborn, Germany
http://www.ccs-labs.org/~sommer/

Thanks, Ronnie

[Elier Carcases]

Hi Ronnie, as far as i remember the interference range for the wireless interface can be shortened by modifying some parameters in the ConnectionManager. That way i think you can narrow the number of AirFrame packets. Your next task should be selecting the right values for sensibility and interference range, because not all packets inside interference range arrive with the required power level for the NIC to process them.