Networked control system wind tunnel (NCSWT): an evaluation tool for networked multi-agent systems

Cyber-physical systems, such groups of unmanned aerial vehicles, are often monitored and controlled by networked control systems (NCS). NCS are deployed in many environments subject to realistic, complex network interactions, so evaluation of NCS is crucial to ensuring that NCS function as intended. Given the varied nature of NCS, it is appropriate to use a heterogenous simulation environment to capture the dynamics; however, the design and integration of heterogeneous simulation environments is a complex problem. In this work we present the Networked Control System Wind Tunnel (NCSWT), an integrated simulation environment for NCS. The NCSWT integrates MATLAB/Simulink and ns-2 according to the High Level Architecture standard. We demonstrate the convenience and efficiency of the NCSWT using several case studies where realistic network effects such as data drops and delays are introduced. We also demonstrate the flexibility and power of the tool in modeling realistic NCS.