Enhanced Position Location Reporting System

(EPLRS)
Models User’s Guide
7.0
Contract DASW01 03 D 0008

Disclaimer: As of October 2007, NETWARS was redesignated by the Program Manager Office as the Joint
Communications Simulation System (JCSS). JCSS was selected as the new industry name to better reflect the
inherent joint communication capabilities of the software. Users should be aware that no software updates were
conducted as part of the software name change.

January 7, 2008

Prepared for: Prepared by:

Defense Contracting Command - OPNET Technologies, Inc.
Washington Bethesda, MD 20814-7904
Washington, DC 20310-5200
JCSS Models User’s Guide

Contents

1 Overview .........................................................................................................1
1.1 Intended Use .......................................................................................................................1
1.2 Feature Summary ..............................................................................................................1
1.3 Theory of Operation ..........................................................................................................3
1.3.1 EPLRS Resources ....................................................................................................3
1.3.2 Waveforms...............................................................................................................7
1.3.3 EPLRS Needlines.....................................................................................................7
1.3.4 EPLRS Network Management (ENM) ..................................................................10
1.3.5 EPLRS Radio Set (RS) ..........................................................................................10
1.4 Feature Description .........................................................................................................11
1.4.1 EPLRS ENM..........................................................................................................11
1.4.2 EPLRS RS..............................................................................................................14
1.5 Limitations/Assumptions.................................................................................................16
1.6 Model List .........................................................................................................................16
1.7 Reference Documents ......................................................................................................17
1.8 Additional Information ...................................................................................................18
2 Configuration ...............................................................................................19
2.1 EPLRS_ENM Attributes.................................................................................................19
2.2 EPLRS_RS Attributes .....................................................................................................20
3 Usage .............................................................................................................21
3.1 Discrete Event Simulation Statistics...............................................................................21
3.2 Traffic Usage ....................................................................................................................22
3.3 Supported Equipment Strings ........................................................................................23
3.4 Example Scenarios ...........................................................................................................24
3.5 Troubleshooting ...............................................................................................................31

OPNET Technologies, Inc. ii

 List of Figures

Figure 1. Conceptual structure of needlines in a battlefield ........................................................... 4

Figure 2. EPLRS Time Resource Architecture............................................................................... 5
Figure 3. Timeslot Allocation in EPLRS Frame............................................................................ 5
Figure 4. EPLRS Channel Options ................................................................................................. 6
Figure 5. Example of an EPLRS Time and Frequency Resource Allocation Using Only Channel
Zero of a Five Channel System............................................................................................... 6
Figure 6. EPLRS Waveform Modes ............................................................................................... 7
Figure 7: Attributes of the EPLRS_ENM Node Model................................................................ 11
Figure 8: Needline Definitions attributes...................................................................................... 12
Figure 9 : Example needline configuration................................................................................... 13
Figure 10: Attribute structure of the EPLRS RS node model....................................................... 14
Figure 11: Location of EPLRS nodes in the palette ..................................................................... 17
Figure 12: EPLRS related node statistics...................................................................................... 21
Figure 13: Direct connection of Ethernet workstation to EPLRS RS........................................... 23
Figure 14: Use of IP router to connect multiple devices to EPLRS RS ....................................... 24
Figure 15: EPLRS network with 2 CSMA needlines and selective membership for the data
needlines. .............................................................................................................................. 25
Figure 16: Connection of IP devices to EPLRS RS...................................................................... 26
Figure 17: System Parameters of the division .............................................................................. 27
Figure 18: Needline definitions for figure 12 network ................................................................. 27
Figure 19: Needline member definitions for figure 12 network ................................................... 28
Figure 20: Needline member definitions for figure 12 network ................................................... 28
Figure 21: EPLRS network with an HDR Duplex needline and node mobility representing path
break-up and re-establishment .............................................................................................. 29
Figure 22: Needline definitions for figure 16 network ................................................................. 30
Figure 23: Needline member definitions for figure 16 network ................................................... 30
Figure 24: Relayed traffic by the intermediate nodes in the HDR Duplex scenario .................... 31

List of Tables

Table 1: EPLRS Features................................................................................................................ 1

iii
1 Overview
This document describes key features, attributes, usage, and statistics of the EPLRS
device models shipped as part of the NETWARS models. As part of NETWARS 2007
model development, there are two devices models which, in combination, provide the
EPLRS functionality. These devices are:

• EPLRS ENM (EPLRS Network Manager)

• EPLRS RS (Radio System)

EPLRS systems provide various forms of multi-hop radio communication between

multiple EPLRS Radio Systems (RS) and the devices connected to each RS. The
available options include, but are not limited to, One-to-One vs. Many-to-Many vs. Few-
to-Many types of communications, Simplex vs. Duplex communications, and Short-
Range vs. Long-Range communications.

1.1 Intended Use

This document is intended for NETWARS users who have a reasonable level of
knowledge about the EPLRS systems and their use in a tactical network. This document
is written to help engineers learn about configuration of EPLRS devices in NETWARS,
and the types of interfaces, attributes, and statistics available in Discrete Event
Simulations.

1.2 Feature Summary

The following table shows a summary of the most important data communication features
of EPLRS and the presence or lack of support for them in the proposed EPLRS model in
NETWARS.

Table 1: EPLRS Features

Feature Support Comments

Time and Frequency Resources
Logical Time Slots Supported
Time Slot Index Supported
Frequency Channels Supported 5, 6, 8 Channel Settings
Spread Spectrum/ Supported Modeling the effective processing gain
Frequency Hopping
Nodes and Interfaces
ENM Node Supported ENM Node is modeled as a Configuration
Node and not a real radio device
RS Node Supported
Network Features
Division ID Supported Only one ENM per division. Up to 6

1
JCSS Models User’s Guide

divisions.
CSMA Needlines Supported
MSG Needlines Not supported
HDR Duplex Needlines Supported
LDR Duplex Needlines Not Supported
DAP Needlines Not Supported
Waveforms Supported All 16 waveform modes supported
UTO definition Not Supported Common properties in the simulation
environment can be applied to group of
“selected nodes”
Security features Not supported No Key Distribution, Authentication, …
RS Node
RSID Supported
PVC interfaces Supported Arbitrary number of CSMA and HDR
Duplex interfaces
Ethernet Interface Supported
ADDSI Interface Not Supported
MIL-STD-1553 Interface Not Supported
Serial Interface Not Supported
ENM Node
ENM functionality Supported Only ENM configuration feature is
modeled and functions such as monitoring
and key distribution are not modeled
ENM Radio Node Not Supported The ENM is modeled as a standalone
central configuration node. The ENM
communication is not modeled explicitly.
Extra Features
IP Multicast Not Supported
PVC Interface Auto Supported This optional capability does not exist on
Addressing real devices and its availability in
simulation environments greatly
simplifies the configuration of the RS
nodes
Static Routing Supported External IP addresses up to 2 hops away
from the ETHERNET interface of the RS
are reachable
Dynamic Routing Supported Normally, EPLRS radios use static routes
configured on each radio to reach other
nodes and destinations. However, the
NETWARS model provides the optional
capability of activating RIP or OSPF
routing protocols on the PVC interfaces
and remove the need for static route
definitions

OPNET Technologies, Inc. 2

1.3 Theory of Operation
In this section a brief introduction to EPLRS is provided to introduce the terminology
used throughout this document. The features supported by the NETWARS EPLRS model
are a subset of the following general EPLRS features. An EPLRS network is a collection
of a number of RS nodes that are configured and managed by one or more ENM nodes.
The EPLRS System uses virtual circuits, called needlines, to set up communications
between EPLRS RSs. A needline is a common set of time and frequency resources shared
among two or more RSs to exchange data. The needlines can be either many- to-many or
one- to-one and every RS can support many needlines at the same time. This allows RS
units to simultaneously send and receive different information from different RSs. Figure
1 shows a conceptual illustration of how EPLRS needlines provide communication
between multiple units in the battlefield. In the following, first the time and frequency
resources in EPLRS are explained followed by explanation of different needline types
and their properties.

1.3.1 EPLRS Resources

The EPLRS network is organized into a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)
structure. Each RS in a network of RSs is assigned small slices of time (called timeslots)
in which the RS can transmit while other RSs can receive. To accomplish this, each RS
has a clock that is synchronized with the RS network. The time division entities that are
fundamental to EPLRS are the timeslot, frame, and epoch. Timeslot is the smallest time
unit in EPLRS during which one unit of information is transferred between two RSs.

3
JCSS Models User’s Guide

Figure 1. Conceptual structure of needlines in a battlefield

EPLRS allows two choices of 2 msec and 4 msec for the timeslot length in an EPLRS
network. The timeslot mode is universal throughout an EPLRS network and remains
fixed once it is chosen. A Frame is a group of 128 consecutive timeslots. The largest time
division in EPLRS is called an epoch which consists of 256 consecutive frames. Figure 2
displays the time resource structure in EPLRS. The encoded data transmission accounts
for some of the time within a timeslot, and the balance of the remaining time is required
for setup, RF propagation delay and processing. Figure 3 shows a detailed view of how
the 128 timeslots (numbered 0 - 127) are arranged in the frame. The timeslots are
numbered such that the data assigned to timeslot 0 is broadcast first, then timeslot 1, then
timeslot 2, etc. Timeslots within a frame can be viewed as blocks of timeslots in
horizontal or vertical groups. Referring to Figure 3, the sixteen vertical groups of
timeslots in a frame are labeled with a Timeslot Index (TSI) number of 0-15 and the eight
horizontal group timeslots are labeled with a Logical Timeslot (LTS) number of 0
through 7. The ENM allocates time resources for users on an LTS-by-LTS basis, instead
of individual timeslots, to allow the planner to work with manageable blocks of time.

OPNET Technologies, Inc. 4

EPLRS uses multiple frequency channels to allow simultaneous transmissions between
multiple communicating pairs.

Figure 2. EPLRS Time Resource Architecture

Figure 3. Timeslot Allocation in EPLRS Frame

This frequency division multiplexing over different frequencies (called channels in

EPLRS) also increases network capacity and minimizes mutual interference. The
maximum number of usable channels (called the channel set) is 5, 6 or 8. Figure 4
graphically depicts the three different channel sets. Once a channel set of five, six or
eight is chosen, the planner can further modify the channel set by selecting or deselecting
individual frequencies within the set to be used.

With both Time and Frequency resources available as explained above, the planner of an
EPLRS network can allocate different sets of Logical Timeslots (LTS) and channels to

5
JCSS Models User’s Guide

different needlines based on the bandwidth requirements of each needline. Figure 5

shows an example of such resource allocation in a tactical network.

Figure 4. EPLRS Channel Options

Figure 5. Example of an EPLRS Time and Frequency Resource Allocation Using Only Channel
Zero of a Five Channel System

OPNET Technologies, Inc. 6

1.3.2 Waveforms
EPLRS provides various types of waveforms to support different operation properties of
each of the needlines operating in an EPLRS network. Each waveform has a specific
combination of payload size per slot, allowed propagation delay, modulation, spreading
and error correction coding. Different waveforms, therefore, allow for different
combinations of rate, range and error resiliency to be assigned to each needline based on
its specific requirements. Figure 6 shows the main properties of EPLRS waveforms.

Figure 6. EPLRS Waveform Modes

1.3.3 EPLRS Needlines

EPLRS provides various types of communication services through different needline
types available for the network planner. Needlines are virtual circuits between two or
more EPLRS communication units. The needlines can be Many- to-Many, Few- to-Many

7
JCSS Models User’s Guide

or One- to-One to support different host communication requirements. A single RS can

support up to 32 needlines at the same time but the maximum number is usually 28 due to
the coordination network being used on LTS 2. Supporting many needlines at once
allows host computers connected to RSs to simultaneously send and receive different
information to other host computers on the EPLRS network. Each needline is defined by
its needline type and the waveform mode, timeslots, and channels assigned to that
needline. The choice of time and frequency resources has a direct impact on the
communication capacity of a needline while the choice of waveforms provides a tradeoff
between rate, range and error resiliency for the needline. EPLRS provides 4 major
needline types as discussed below. Only CSMA and HDR Duplex needline types are
supported by the current EPLRS model.

1.3.3.1 CSMA Needlines

CSMA needlines provide many hosts the capability to send data to each other, with user
data rates (for the whole needline) from about 150 bps to 971,520 bps. A CSMA needline
allows a large number of endpoints to broadcast data to other members of the needline on
demand. Source transmit opportunities are not reserved for particular endpoints as they
are in all other types of EPLRS needlines. This feature allows hundreds of endpoints to
source data on a single CSMA needline at different times and each source potentially use
all of the available bandwidth if it is not used by the other nodes.

CSMA needlines can operate in 1 hop, 2 hops, 4 hops, and 6 hops modes where the
number of hops in each mode shows how far (in terms of hops) the source and destination
can be located from each other. CSMA uses what is called as the blocking relaying for
multihop communication. For example, In a 4 hops CSMA needline, the source remain
silent for 3 consecutive available timeslots after each transmission and then sends the
next data segment on the fourth available timeslot. In other words, the source doesn’t
start the next transmission until the previous transmission has reached the maximum
number of hops defined by the needline. The selection of relay nodes in a CSMA
needline is performed in a global fashion and specific nodes will be assigned as “Relay”
nodes by a proprietary “Relay Assignment” algorithm. All transmission by RS nodes on
the needline will be relayed only by the relay nodes and if the relay nodes are selected
properly, all other nodes on the needline will receive any transmission by any RS on that
needline. CSMA needlines are defined for one-way communications and the
transmissions are not acknowledged.

1.3.3.2 MSG Needlines (Not Supported)

The MSG needline provides hosts with a few- to-many communication capability.
Messages are transmitted by a select group of Source RSs (RSs that are allowed to
transmit data from their hosts to other RSs on the needline) and are carried on the MSG
needline, either directly or through relays, to other RSs on the needline. Although there
can be many RSs designated as sources on an MSG needline, only 16 source RS can be
simultaneously active at any one time. Hosts connected to these source RSs on the MSG
needline have the capability to send data, with guaranteed bandwidth without conflict, to
many hosts, with user data rates from about 37.5 bps to 485,760 bps. In an MSG

OPNET Technologies, Inc. 8

 needline, specific timeslots can be assigned to some sources so that they have dedicated
resources whether or not it is actually used, while some other sources can demand and
release timeslots based on the need. The main difference between the MSG and CSMA
needlines is the availability of timeslot reservation is MSG needlines. MSG needlines can
operate in either 2 hops or 6 hops mode. MSG uses pipeline relaying in Multihop
communications meaning that the source only waits for one timeslot after each
transmission (to allow the first hop make its transmission) and then sends the next
segment. It obviously results in lesser waste of bandwidth compared to the blocking
pipeline method used in the CSMA needlines. MSG needlines are defined for one-way
communications and the transmissions are not acknowledged.

1.3.3.3 LDR Duplex Needlines (Not Supported)

LDR duplex needlines provide one-to-one communication path between two RSs. Each
transmission is acknowledged by the destination which ensures that the packets are
received by the other end. These needlines provide high reliability balanced data transfer
between two RSs with data rates from about 20 bps to 16192 bps, each way. LDR duplex
needlines are automatically established via the coordination net. The coordination net
uses relay path finding between the two LDR Duplex endpoints, and new relay paths are
re-negotiated throughout the deployment period as required. The time and frequency
resources for all LDR needlines are reserved before the deployment as a pool of
resources. Individual LDR Duplex needlines will then be assigned some of the pool
resources on an as-needed and availability basis.

1.3.3.4 HDR Duplex Needlines

HDR Duplex needline provides the most reliable one-to-one communication path
between two RSs (and their connected hosts) compared to all other needline types. HDR
duplex needlines provide hosts with an acknowledged communications that ensures host
data is received by the other host. In HDR duplex needlines the resources are reserved a
priori and in both directions thus the bandwidth is always available for use by each of the
two RSs. The data transfer rate between two hosts can range from about 600 bps to
242,880 bps, each way. This type of needline is similar to LDR duplex needlines, except
the user data rate can be much higher. HDR duplex needlines can use the coordination net
to set up and maintain needlines. HDR duplex can also be pre-planned by directing
specific RSs to act as relays for the needline. The path between the two ends of the
needline is in general determined by a “Path Finding” process which involves
transmission of control packets from one end to discover a path to the destination using
nodes with relay functionality and reverse transmission of the packet to the source to
form a bidirectional path. This process will also involve assignment of timeslots and
possibly frequency channels to each node on the path. These needlines use pipeline
relaying similar to MSG needlines. HDR duplex needlines are pre-planned and the
resources will be assigned specifically to each needline.

9
JCSS Models User’s Guide

1.3.3.5 DAP Needlines (Not Supported)

Dynamically Assigned PVCs (DAP) are the needlines that are established during the
operation on an on-demand basis and are torn down when not needed. Resources for
DAP needlines are allocated before the deployment as a pool of resources and when
needed, some of those resources will be used to establish specific DAP needlines. DAP
needlines are end-to-end duplex needlines and are established either as HDR or as LDR
needlines.

1.3.4 EPLRS Network Management (ENM)

EPLRS ENM is an application that facilitates the deployment of an EPLRS network by
providing a detailed graphical user interface to make the planning process more
structured and organized. All properties of all RSs and definitions of resources allocated
to RSs, and to the needlines, are defined through use of the ENM node. The ENM also
monitors the network topology regularly and makes updates to the network configuration
if necessary. Communication between the ENM node and RSs is done using the LTS2
and the coordination net of EPLRS. In the absence of explicit modeling of the
coordination net communications, the attribute structure of ENM, as the carrier of almost
all properties of the network, needs to be carefully designed.

1.3.5 EPLRS Radio Set (RS)

EPLRS RSs are the communication devices that make use of all the resources and
needlines explained in the previous sections and serve as the nodes which form the
EPLRS network. In addition to their radio interface, RS nodes can also contain some or
all of the four types of wired interfaces namely, ADDSI, Ethernet, RS-232 and MIL-
STD-1553B to allow connection of other computers (hosts) to them to use EPLRS
communication services.

From the view point of IP hosts, an RS functions as an IP router with a number of wired
interfaces as explained above and one radio interface per each needline that the RS is a
member of. Each needline is defined as a separate IP interface called the PVC interfaces
and an IP address is assigned to it. For each needline, the associated needline-specific
protocols define the PHY and MAC layers for the associated IP interface. Each RS by
default has an Ethernet IP interface and a DAP IP interface. Therefore, as an example, an
RS which takes part in 4 needlines will have one Ethernet interface, one DAP interface
and 4 PVC interfaces all defined as IP interfaces. Although all needline-related interfaces
(including DAP) use the same physical interface, their transmissions are separated in time
and frequency based on the initial definition of the needlines and the resources assigned
to them. The routes on each interface are defined as static routes and no dynamic IP
routing protocol is used by the EPLRS RS on its needline IP interfaces.

OPNET Technologies, Inc. 10

1.4 Feature Description

1.4.1 EPLRS ENM

In the current EPLRS model in NETWARS, only one ENM node per division is used. A
division is defined by the RS nodes that operate under that division and a standard set of
system operational parameters such as Active Channels, Time Slot Length, Default Radio
Power and more importantly, the needlines defined for that division and their parameters
and RS members. All of the above configuration information is defined by the attributes
of the ENM node that is associated with the division. The ENM node is represented by
the EPLRS_ENM node model in NETWARS.

1.4.1.1 System Parameters

Figure 7 shows the attributes of the EPLRS_ENM node model. We use the term System
Parameters for all attributes except the Needline Definitions attribute to emphasize the
division-wide nature of those parameters. System parameters define the fundamental
operation mode for the division and determine which frequency channels can be used by
the division or what is the basic time slot length mode (2ms or 4ms) that will be used in
the division. For quick configuration purposes, a default set of values is assigned to those
attributes that can be used if it matches the requirements of the real-world network.

Figure 7: Attributes of the EPLRS_ENM Node Model

11
JCSS Models User’s Guide

The Channel Set and Active Channels attributes together define which channels will be
used by the needlines of that division. Division ID is the identifier of the division and The
Hop Mode attribute defines whether the frequency hopping is ON or OFF throughout the
division. Time Slot Length takes one of 2ms and 4ms values and defines the basic slot
length of the division. Network Power Level defines the power level used by each radio if
the Radio Power Level is set to “Network Default”. Dynamic Routing is an attribute that
does not exist in real EPLRS systems and is designed to facilitate quick deployment of
EPLRS scenarios in NETWARS. Section 1.4.2.2 explains in more details how this
attribute works. Coord Net Waveform Mode is an attribute that is not used in simulations
and serves as a placeholder for the same attribute in real systems.

1.4.1.2 Needline Definitions

While System Parameters attributes define the basic operational parameters of an EPLRS
division, no data can be transmitted unless at least one needline is defined for that
division and some RS nodes have been listed as members of that needline. Figure 8
shows the structure of the Needline Definitions attribute. Each needline is identified by its
unique name. The Type attribute defines what type of needline (CSMA or HDR Duplex)
is defined under that name. Relay Coverage shows the maximum number of hops a
message can travel from source to destination under that needline. The LTS(s) attribute
defines which of the 8 logical time slots (LTS) is used by the needline for data
transmission. However, not all of the slots within those LTSs will necessarily be used by
the needline and that feature is defined by the combination of Circuit Size and Sub LTS
attributes.

Figure 8: Needline Definitions attributes

The Circuit Size defines the fraction of the LTS (Full, ½ LTS or, ¼ LTS) that is used by
the needline and Sub LTS shows which fraction (0, 1, 2 or, 3 in case of ¼ LTS and 0 or 1
in case of ½ LTS cases) of a full LTS is used by that needline. For example in Figure 9,
four needlines use LTS 0 but each of them only uses a separate ¼ share of that LTS
defines by the Sub LTS attribute.

OPNET Technologies, Inc. 12

 Figure 9 : Example needline configuration

The Channel attribute shows which channel, from the active channels defines in the
system parameters, is used by the needline. Waveform is the index of the waveform used
by the needline and LCN is the identifying number of the needline that is used by the
model to map IP addresses to needlines. The “Auto Assigned” option for that attribute
can be used to speed up the deployment of the network model. Once the time and
frequency resources of a needline are defined, the user must specify which RS nodes will
be part of that needline and can send or receive information over the needline. The “All
Radios” option automatically makes all RS nodes under that division be members of the
needline. Otherwise, the hierarchical names of all members (excluding the “top.” part of
the name) should be added one by one under the CSMA Members or the HDR Members
compound attribute depending on the type of the needline. Unlike the CSMA needline
where all members have the same role and their names are added under one list, in a
HDR Duplex needline the two endpoints of the needline need to be explicitly specified
under the Endpoint A and Endpoint B sub-attributes of the HDR Members attribute. Also,
any other RS that can potentially serve as a relay node between the two endpoints needs
to be added under the Relays sub-attribute of the same attribute.

The CSMA_DF needline shown in Figure 8 is a CSMA needlines that always exist by
default under the Needline Definitions attribute. This needline is used by all RS nodes to
exchange control messages with each other and thus should not be deleted.

1.4.1.3 Relay path-finding and other functions

It was explained before that in a CSMA needline each node can be the source, destination
or just a relay node for a message transmission as long as it is a member of that needline.
A message transmitted by a source RS will be broadcasted by any node that receives it
(flooding) until it traverses the maximum number of hops defined for that needline. In the
HDR Duplex needlines, on the other hand, a specific path between the two endpoints of
the needline is established and only the relay nodes in that path forward each message
only to the next hop in that direction of the path. This method offers a much more
efficient use of the channel compared to the flooding method used in CSMA. However,
reliance of the network on a specific path makes the transmission more susceptible to
mobility and other effects that can result in disconnects along the path. To avoid such
situations, all nodes under a HDR Duplex needline periodically exchange control
messages to discover their neighbor RS nodes and monitor connectivity to them. When a

13
JCSS Models User’s Guide

relay RS detects loss of connectivity with its next hop relay, it will notify the ENM node
so that it can find an alternative path from the source to the destination. The topology of
the network is maintained internally as a connectivity graph by the ENM node so that it
can always find the shortest path between the endpoints of HDR Duplex needlines.

1.4.2 EPLRS RS
The EPLRS RS node is the single radio node models which is used in EPLRS networks
in NETWARS. This node model is an IP-capable node and has two main interfaces
namely, Ethernet and EPLRS radio interfaces. The Ethernet interface is a regular Ethernet
interface under the IP layer that is used to connect the EPLRS radio node to external
networks. Operation of each RS node is defined by the needlines it belongs to. Each RS
node can be a member of arbitrary number of needlines and can receive and send traffic
over each needline separately. Figure 10 shows the attributes of the RS node and
highlights the 4 attributes under the EPLRS category.

Figure 10: Attribute structure of the EPLRS RS node model

The Division ID attribute specifies the division and therefore the ENM node which
carries the system parameters for the RS node. Each RS is identified by its unique RSID
which is a positive integer number. The “Auto Assigned” option can be safely used to
automatically assign valid addresses to RS nodes. The Radio Power Level defines the
transmit power of the radio interface. Finally, the Relay Control Boolean attribute
determines whether this node can perform relay functionality for any of the needlines it
belongs to. The RS attribute structure does not show any relation to specific needlines

OPNET Technologies, Inc. 14

 that RS belongs to except only the division ID of the ENM node where all the needlines
for that division are defined. The effect of needlines on a RS node is in fact reflected on
the IP interfaces of the RS node and is done automatically by the model once the
needlines and their members are completely defined. In the next section, we will explain
the IP interface structure of the RS node.

1.4.2.1 IP Interfaces

Note: The IP interface structure of the EPLRS_RS node model is automatically set by the
system and the user does not need to make any changes to that.

The EPLRS_RS node model has 2 IP interfaces named ETHERNET and EPLRS. The
EPLRS interface has as many subinterfaces as there are needlines which have that RS
node as their member. The subinterfaces are created every time the needlines are defined
or edited and the “OK” button of the attribute window of the ENM node is pressed. This
means that all RS nodes must be present in the scenario before configuring the
needlines on the ENM node.

Each needline subinterface is (automatically) configured with a primary and a secondary

address. The secondary address of each subinterface is used to mimic the addressing
scheme used in real EPLRS radios where addresses of the form 127.10.x.1 are assigned
to different PVC (needline) interfaces. The primary address of each subinterface is used
by the “Dynamic Routing” utility which will be explained in the following. The
addressing scheme used for the primary addresses assumes that all subinterfaces on
different radios in a division, which correspond to the same needline, belong to the same
subnet and there are no other interfaces in that subnet. In other words, we have one
subnet per needline. Both primary and secondary addresses for the interfaces are created
as part of the automatic creation and configuration process of the interfaces and the user
doesn’t need to be concerned about them.

1.4.2.2 IP Routing

IP routing in real EPLRS systems is done through configuration of static routes on RSs.
In that scheme, for each destination IP address, the IP address of the PVC interface which
should be used to carry the packet to its destination RS node will be specified as the next-
hop address. In the current EPLRS model, exactly the same scheme can be used by
specifying the secondary IP address of the proper needline subinterface as the next-hop
address when configuring the static route for each destination IP address. Static routes are
configured using the standard methodology provided by the IP module in NETWARS.

Although static routing closely represents the way EPLRS routing is configured in real-
world, it may become a time consuming task in simulations with large number of radio
nodes to configure static routes on all RS nodes. The Dynamic Routing utility provided in
the EPRLS model is developed to overcome this problem. When the Dynamic Routing
attribute of the ENM node is set to “Enabled”, it activates the RIP routing protocol on all
needline subinterfaces on all RS nodes under that division. This allows the RS nodes to
exchange routing information and build their dynamic routing tables without need for

15
JCSS Models User’s Guide

static route definitions. Obviously, this utility should be used with care since it can
potentially introduce different routes in the network from what an engineer would
configure using static routes.

1.4.2.3 Waveforms

The EPLRS model in NETWARS supports 15 different waveforms defined for EPLRS
systems by properly setting the payload size to what specified by each waveform.
Moreover, the 90% point of the packet error rate curve for each waveform matches the
90% throughput threshold defined for that waveform in the documents. Assignment of
waveforms to needlines is done in the Needline Definitions attribute of the ENM node.
All RS nodes which are members of a needline will use the characteristics (payload size,
error curve) of that waveform WHEN sending data over that needline.

1.5 Limitations/Assumptions
Due to the proprietary nature of the protocols and some parameters used in real EPLRS,
some features and values have been developed in a generic way based on the partial
information available for them. These approximations include but are not limited to:

• Relay Path-finding in HDR Duplex needlines

• Overhead size and modulation types in Waveforms
• ARP process
• Control Messages between Radios

1.6 Model List

The standard NETWARS model library contains two node models representing EPLRS
devices. Those models can be located under the “Node Models” directory of the
“NETWARS Radio Systems” palette as shown in figure 11. The new EPLRS model
includes the models provided below. Other node models with the name “EPLRS” belong
to older models of the EPLRS radio and are not compatible with the new model and its
extended capabilities.

OPNET Technologies, Inc. 16

 Figure 11: Location of EPLRS nodes in the palette

Table 2: EPLRS Node Models

Model Name Function Comments

EPLRS_ENM Operational parameters for One ENM node per Division
each Division
EPLRS_RS Single Radio node (RS) 1 Ethernet + 1 EPLRS
interface

Note: The node model named EPLRS which exists under the same palette belongs to an
older version of EPLRS developed in NETWARS and is not compatible with the new
node models and the EPLRS networks defined by them.

1.7 Reference Documents

1. “Operator’s Manual for NET Control Station”, Part of Enhanced Position Location
Reporting System (EPLRS), TB 11-5825-298-10-1.
2. “Planner’s Manual for EPLRS Networks”, Part of Enhanced Position Location
Reporting System (EPLRS), TB 11-5825-298-10-3.

17
JCSS Models User’s Guide

1.8 Additional Information

For any additional information not discussed in this document, please consult the
NETWARS Model Development Guide (MDG) or other NETWARS documentation.
Information provided in the Model Development Guide includes interfacing with
NETWARS models, using NETWARS traffic types, expected packet formats and
interrupts, and suggested model development processes, etc. This documentation is
provided in a standard NETWARS installation and can be found in the <NETWARS
Installation Directory>\Documents directory (where <NETWARS Installation
Directory> is the directory where NETWARS is installed).

Also, for any questions dealing with OPNET specific functionality, consult the standard
OPNET documentation. This documentation can be accessed inside NETWARS by using
the Help > Documentation > ITGuru Documentation menu.

OPNET Technologies, Inc. 18

2 Configuration
The following steps need to be followed in the specified order for correct configuration of
an EPLRS network:

• Deploying the ENM node and all required RS nodes in the scenario from the palette
• Configuring the ENM System Parameters attribute group
• Configuring the ENM Needline Definitions compound attribute

If a node needs to be added later to the scenario, the Needline Definitions attribute of the
ENM node should be opened and “OK”ed even if no changes to the needlines is needed.

Also, if a change is being made to the ENM System Parameters attributes such as the
Channel Set, Active Channels or the Time Slot Length, all needline definitions must be
revisited and their attributes set again. This is because the previous channels may not be
available any more or for example a change in the time slot length may cause the
previous waveforms not to be available any more.

If an RS node is deleted from the network, the needline definitions need to be revisited
only if that node has been specifically mentioned under either the HDR Members or
CSMA Members of one or more needlines.

2.1 EPLRS_ENM Attributes

The attributes of the ENM node are the most important part of the configuration of an
EPLRS network. Each ENM node manages the operation of one division and there can be
up to six EPLRS divisions in one scenario. As mentioned before, the active attributes of
the ENM node properly configure the RS nodes based on their membership to different
needlines defined in that ENM. This requires the RS nodes to be present in the network
before the ENM attributes are set. Therefore, creating all RS nodes for each division is
regarded as a prerequisite for the ENM configuration.

The first step to configure the ENM is to specify the division it represents and the time
and frequency resources used by that division. This part is performed by configuring the
System Parameters attributes of the ENM node (Figure 7). The 6-Channel option for the
Channel Set provides the largest number of non-overlapping channels and the Active
Channels is better to be set to “All (6)” unless not all channels are expected to be used by
that division (for example when having two divisions i.e., two ENM nodes, and each of
them using 3 channels).

The Needline Definitions attribute is the place where all needlines are defined and it is
also defined which nodes are members of each needline or, equivalently, which needlines
each node supports. Figures 8, 9, and 10 show different examples of needlines defined for
a system. It is reminded again that the CSMA_DF needline which exists by default under
the Needline Definitions attribute, is used for control messaging and should not be
removed (though its resources may be reduced if the number of nodes under that division
is very low).

19
JCSS Models User’s Guide

2.2 EPLRS_RS Attributes

In principle, the only attribute that needs to be manually assigned on each RS node is the
Division ID to specify the ENM node the RS needs to refer to for getting all system and
needline information. Other attributes may be set if desired. Otherwise, the default values
assigned to them should allow them to work in a typical configuration. These additional
attributes are:

1. RSID: This is the unique integer number that identifies each RS node. If set to “Auto
Assigned”, the system will pick a valid unique number for that.

2. Radio Power Level: This value is usually set to “Network Default” so that all nodes
use the same power level as set on the division-wide “Network Power Level”
attribute of the ENM node. However, if individual nodes are desired to have different
power levels, it can be set on this attribute.

3. Relay Control: By default, all RS nodes can relay the received messages over the
CSMA needlines they belong to, to other nodes around them. However, this can be
overridden if not all nodes are required to serve as relays by setting the “Relay
Control” attribute of those nodes to “Disabled”. In that case the node will not perform
any relay functionality and simply drops the packets that are not destined for that
node.

OPNET Technologies, Inc. 20

3 Usage

3.1 Discrete Event Simulation Statistics

The Discrete Event Simulation (DES) allows you to simulate the performance of a
network in detail by actually sending packets and data across a created NETWARS
scenario. The statistics gathered during this simulation allow you to gain specific details
about how a network and particular devices are performing. This information provides
you with a widespread picture of the simulated network and allows you to perform a wide
variety of studies. The listed statistics below are the specific statistics available when
using the NETWARS EPLRS models. Many other DES statistics are available based on
the type of technologies deployed inside the scenario. However, as this document is
based purely on the EPLRS device, the other available statistics are outside the scope of
this document. Refer to the NETWARS and OPNET IT Guru standard documentation
for more details on other statistics. EPLRS statistics are grouped under “EPLRS” group
(under “Node Statistics”).

Figure 12: EPLRS related node statistics

To choose these statistics, right-click on a node or right-click in the workspace, and select
“Choose Individual DES Statistics”. Figure 12 shows the list of the available statistics for
the EPLRS nodes. The statistics include the volume of traffic which is sent to and

21
JCSS Models User’s Guide

received from both the higher layer (IP) and lower layer (PHY, Network) by the EPLRS
MAC process. The queue statistics shows the length of the transit and transmit queues.
The transmit queue holds the packets received form the IP layer until they are sent to the
network. The transit queue holds the packets received form the network and need to be
forwarded to other RS nodes.

Statistic Description
Traffic Rcvd from IP (bits/sec) Rate of the traffic received by the EPLRS module form the IP layer
in bits per second
Traffic Rcvd from IP (pkts/sec) Rate of the traffic received by the EPLRS module form the IP layer
in packets per second
Traffic Rcvd from Network (bits/sec) Rate of the traffic received by the EPLRS module form the EPLRS
network in bits per second
Traffic Rcvd from Network Rate of the traffic received by the EPLRS module form the EPLRS
(pkts/sec) network in packets per second
Traffic Sent to IP (bits/sec) Rate of the traffic sent by the EPLRS module to the IP layer in bits
per second
Traffic Sent to IP (pkts/sec) Rate of the traffic sent by the EPLRS module to the IP layer in
packets per second
Traffic Sent to Network (bits/sec) Rate of the traffic sent by the EPLRS module to the EPLRS
network in bits per second (both IP layer and relay traffic)
Traffic Sent to Network (pkts/sec) Rate of the traffic sent by the EPLRS module to the EPLRS
network in packets per second (both IP layer and relay traffic)
Transmit Queue (bytes) Length of the buffer that is used to hold the received IP packets
(from IP layer) until they are sent over the EPLRS network.
Transit Queue (bytes) Length of the buffer that is used to hold the received EPLRS
packets (from other EPLRS nodes) until they are sent again over
the EPLRS network.

3.2 Traffic Usage

In general, EPLRS RS nodes do not create any traffic and only forward the traffic in one
of the following three situations:

The EPLRS_RS nodes receives generic IP over Ethernet traffic from an external device
through its Ethernet interface and sends it to the IP layer so that it can be sent to the
proper needline’s IP sub-interface and reach the destination RS through the members of
that needline. The traffic inside the EPLRS network (between RS nodes) is in the form of
EPLRS packets and is only recognized by the EPLRS interfaces.

The RS node receives an EPLRS packet from its EPLRS interface. After determining
which needline this packet corresponds to, it will be either queued and sent out again on
the EPLRS network (Relay functionality) or, alternatively, the received packet will be
queued as a segment of an IP packet and when the IP packet is fully reconstructed, it will
be sent to the IP layer so that it will be forwarded to the Ethernet interface to reach an
external device.

OPNET Technologies, Inc. 22

 Since EPLRS RS nodes do not contain any application layer module, the traffic is
typically configured on the devices connected to the RS nodes. The types of traffic that
can be used are therefore determined by the type of the external node that is used
regardless of the fact that it will be sent to the EPLRS network. The EPLRS Radios are
typically used in conjunction with an Ethernet workstation connected to them directly or
through a router between them (Figure 20). In that case, all types of traffic provided by
NETWARS and OPNET Standard models (IERs, Flows, Discrete Application-Layer
Traffic) can be configured on those workstation nodes.

3.3 Supported Equipment Strings

The EPLRS RS node provides a single Ethernet interface that can be connected to any
other devices with an Ethernet interface. However, the most common cases are when an
Ethernet workstation is directly connected to the RS node and when a workstation is
connected through an IP router with at least one Ethernet interface (to connect to the
EPLRS RS). These configurations are shown in figure 13 and figure 14.

Figure 13: Direct connection of Ethernet workstation to EPLRS RS

23
JCSS Models User’s Guide

Figure 14: Use of IP router to connect multiple devices to EPLRS RS

Although the EPLRS RS can be potentially connected to the end IP node through
arbitrary number of IP hops, it should be noted that the static routing option in EPLRS
only supports addresses up to two hops away from the radio. This means that the above
configurations work fine with both static and dynamic routing options. But any additional
IP nodes between the workstation and the EPLRS RS can only be supported when the
dynamic Routing utility is enabled. Finally, if an EPLRS radio is only used as a relay
node, it can perform by itself and does not need to be connected to any external devices.

3.4 Example Scenarios

In this section, we explain the configuration process for both CSMA and HDR Duplex
needline types by reviewing two example scenarios where each uses one of the needline
types. Throughout this discussion, we will ignore the default CSMA_DF needline that is
always present since it is not used for data communication.

OPNET Technologies, Inc. 24

Figure 15: EPLRS network with 2 CSMA needlines and selective membership for the data
needlines.

Figure 15 shows a scenario with one EPLRS division that contains 7 RS OPFACs. Each
OPFAC in this scenario is a combination of an EPLRS RS node, a router connected to its
Ethernet interface and a workstation node connected to the router (Figure 16). This
typical configuration allows multiple IP devices to be connected to an EPLRS RS node
via the router.

25
JCSS Models User’s Guide

Figure 16: Connection of IP devices to EPLRS RS

In order to highlight the multi-hop behavior of the network, a receiver group

configuration node (Rxgroup_Config) is placed in the network and is configured to limit
the communication range of each RS to 1Km with the grid in the scenario representing
500m blocks. This shows that, for example, traffic generated at EPLRS_3 must pass
through EPLRS_0, EPLRS_1 and EPLRS_2 relays to reach its destination at EPLRS_6.
Figure 17 displays the division-wide settings for the division which shows that the 6-
channels configuration is used and all 6 channels are active. It also shows that the
Dynamic Routing is enabled which means no static routing configurations are needed on
the nodes.

OPNET Technologies, Inc. 26

 Figure 17: System Parameters of the division

The Default Power Level for the radios is set to “Med-Low” and the system uses the 4ms
time slot length option. The Time Slot Length chosen in this part will determine the
available waveforms for the needlines.

There are 2 CSMA needlines in this division named CSMA_1 and CSMA_2 which are
defined under the Needline Definitions attribute of the ENM node as shown in Figure 18.

Figure 18: Needline definitions for figure 12 network

Both needlines are set to the 4-Hops “Relay Coverage” mode meaning that each packet
will only be relayed 3 times after leaving the source RS and can reach the destination RS
only if it is within a 4-hops “radius” of the source. The choice of the “Relay Coverage” is
a trade of between the communication range and the data capacity of the network. A
higher coverage number results into longer usage of bandwidth for each packet due to
more relaying transmissions of the same packet. The “LTS(s)”, “Circuit Size” and, “Sub

27
JCSS Models User’s Guide

LTS” attributes for the two needlines show that each needline uses 2 full separate Less.
Since all 3 needlines in this ENM use separate LTS resources. There is no need for
assigning different frequency channels to them and the “Channel” attribute is set to 0 for
all of them meaning that they all use channel 0 for communications. The traffic is set
between node EPLRS_3 and EPLRS_6 and also between EPLRS_4 and EPLRS_5. The
two separate needlines in this scenario are in fact introduced to carry these two traffic
flows separately so that they use different resources and don’t interfere with each other.
In this example scenario, nodes EPLRS_0, EPLRS_1 and EPLRS_2 are assumed to be
located in the middle of the network and will be used as relays for both traffic flows. The
CSMA_1 needline carries the traffic between EPLRS_3 and EPLRS_6 and therefore it
only has these two nodes plus the 3 relay nodes as its members (Figure 19).

Figure 19: Needline member definitions for figure 12 network

Similarly, the CSMA_2 needline only has EPLRS_4 and EPLRS_5 and the three relay
nodes as its members (Figure 20).

Figure 20: Needline member definitions for figure 12 network

The next example scenario (Figure 21) shows how the HDR Duplex needlines are
configured. In this network, a dedicated duplex communication line between RS nodes in
EPLRS_0 and EPLRS_1 OPFACs is required. Also, since EPLRS_0 is a mobile node

OPNET Technologies, Inc. 28

 which moves on the trajectory shown in the scenario, the traffic should be re-routed if the
path breaks. This network uses the same “System Parameters” as used by the previous
scenario. However, instead of using a many-to-many CSMA needline, it uses a one-to-
one HDR Duplex needline to establish the link. This is done by configuring a needline as
shown in figure 22.

Figure 21: EPLRS network with an HDR Duplex needline and node mobility representing path
break-up and re-establishment

29
JCSS Models User’s Guide

In this case, the needline type is set to HDR Duplex and one full LTS (LTS 0) is
dedicated to that. HDR Duplex needlines provide 1-Hop (direct communications), 2-Hop,
4-Hop and, 6-Hop relay coverage options.

Figure 22: Needline definitions for figure 16 network

The last two options (4 and 6 hops) require 2 frequency channels to be assigned to the
needline and only those options will be provided for the “Channel” attribute when the 4
or 6-hops mode are chosen. The HDR endpoints and the relays are configured under the
“HDR Members” attribute as shown in figure 23.

Figure 23: Needline member definitions for figure 16 network

In this case, all nodes have been assigned as potential relays for this needline so that if the
initial path is broken, a new path can be established by using other nodes as relays. The
initial path between EPLRS_0 and EPLRS_1 is expected to be through EPLRS_2,
EPLRS_3 and, EPLRS_4 nodes. However, EPLRS_0 trajectory suggests that the path
will be broken when EPLRS_0 moves towards Waypoint 1 since it cannot reach any
relay node at that point. When EPLRS_0 moves toward Waypoint 2, it will establish
connectivity with EPLRS_4 at some point and a new path to EPLRS_1 will be
established through EPLRS_4. Again, the new path will be lost as the source moves
towards Waypoint 3 but it should be reestablished when EPLRS_0 approaches Waypoint
4 and established connectivity with EPLRS_6. In that case, the path should go through
EPLRS_5 and EPLRS_5.

A look at the collected statistics for this scenario shows the operation of the network as
predicted by the above argument. Figure 24 shows the relayed traffic at nodes EPLRS_2,

OPNET Technologies, Inc. 30

 EPLRS_4 and EPLRS_6. As we expect, EPLRS_2 is only on the initial path between the
endpoints and after that the traffic doesn’t pass through that node. However, EPLRS_4 is
on the path both when the endpoint EPLRS_0 is at its initial position and also when it is
at waypoint 2. EPLRS_6 is on the path only near the end of the simulation when
EPLRS_0 reaches Waypoint 4 and established a path through EPLRS_6 and EPLRS_5.

Figure 24: Relayed traffic by the intermediate nodes in the HDR Duplex scenario

3.5 Troubleshooting
The relative complexity of EPLRS in terms of its features and options makes it more
susceptible to configuration errors made by the users. The EPLRS model in NETWARS
provides various forms of checking and debugging tools that make it simple for the user
to troubleshoot a misconfigured network. Below, is a suggested troubleshooting checklist
for locating possible problems in an EPLRS network:

• Simulation Aborts: These types of error result in a simulation abort and typically
happen at time 0 when the different attributes of the EPLRS network (ENM and RS

31
JCSS Models User’s Guide

nodes) are being read and processed by the model. Some of the common causes of
this type of errors are as follows:
o Addition of RS nodes after the ENM node has been configured
ƒ A number of active attribute handlers on the ENM automatically perform
necessary configurations on the RS node every time the OK button on the
ENM “Needline Definitions” attribute window is pressed. If a node is
added to the scenario after the initial ENM configuration, the ENM
“Needline Definitions” attribute window needs to be opened and “OK”ed
to configure the newly added RS nodes.
o Duplicate LCN numbers for Needlines
ƒ If the “LCN” field of a needline definition is set to “Auto Assigned”, it
will be given a unique LCN number by the active attribute handlers and
that number will be written in the attribute cell. If LCN numbers are
assigned manually, user must make sure they are all unique integer
numbers.
o Incorrect node name in the needline members attribute
ƒ Under both the “CSMA Members” and “HDR Members” attributes, the
hierarchical name of the RS nodes must be enters. The hierarchical name
starts from the Nw_Top and goes down the subnet hierarchy until it ends
with the name of the RS node. The “top” subnet string is not part of the
hierarchical name.

• Incorrect end-to-end traffic flow: This type of error is not specific to EPLRS and is a
typical problem in any communication network. The following are the suggested
checkpoints to diagnose the problem:
o Statistics: the data rate statistics can be effectively used to trace the flow of traffic
from the IP layer of the source RS node, to the MAC layers of the relay RS nodes
and finally to the IP layer of the destination RS node.
o ODB traces: for more precise debugging and troubleshooting, a number of traces
have been defined which, when activated, provide useful information about the
feature they represent. These traces are as follows:
ƒ eplrs_enm: this trace displays the initial information about the needlines
and RS nodes that is prepared by the ENM node.
ƒ eplrs_mac: this trace displays information about the operation of the
EPLRS MAC process. Each RS node has a MAC process which creates as
many CSMA or HDR child processes as necessary for that RS node
ƒ eplrs_csma: this trace displays information about the operation of the
CSMA needlines
ƒ eplrs_hdr: this trace displays information about the operation of the HDR
Duplex needlines
ƒ eplrs_pipeline: this trace displays information about the physical layer
operation of the EPLRS performed by the pipeline stages
ƒ eplrs_autoaddr: this trace shows detail information about the IP addresses
assigned to IP interfaces of the RS nodes

OPNET Technologies, Inc. 32

 ƒ eplrs_hello: the trace shows information about the sending and receiving
of the hello messages by the RS nodes. This trace enables the user to
detect one-hop connectivity among the RS nodes.
ƒ eplrs_graph: this trace displays the information about the operation
performed on the graph of each needline. The ENM node creates a
separate graph for each HDR Duplex needline in the network. Every RS
node creates a vertex representing that node on the graphs associated with
all the needlines that RS belongs to. The RS nodes also use the periodic
hello messages to detect and monitor their neighbor RS nodes and add or
delete the corresponding edges on the graphs. The graphs are used to find
the shortest paths between the endpoints of each HDR Duplex needline
and find new paths when the current path is broken.
o IP forwarding tables at the source node: If the traffic does not reach the EPLRS
MAC layer from IP, the problem should be sought in the IP layer and IP
forwarding tables created by the standard OPNET IP module is the best starting
point for finding the cause.

33