Empirical Research of Wireless Body Area Network Simulation

Wireless body area networks or WBAN are wireless devices in the form of implants and wearable that has revolutionized the way in which healthcare systems are functioning. Wireless body area network simulation projects are taken up actively for research due to the fact that WBAN provides easy-to-use healthcare systems for patients with severe abnormalities while at the same time retaining their mobility and freedom. The following are the major purposes of WBAN.

Patient monitoring under chronic disease conditions
Detection of abnormalities at the early stage
Analyzing the cause of defects in the body
Predicting the future anomalies
Prevention of diseases
Allowing quick rescue process

All these are done by a system at a reduced cost. As a researcher, you should understand that healthcare applications of body area networks still need to be improved in the aspects of efficiency in power consumption, privacy, and security enhancement and establishing standard methods which are reliable. The applications of WBAN can be listed below

Wearable and implant can be made using this technology at reliable and reduced cost
It shows of proximity can be easily overcome in establishing communication among devices using body area networks
Issues of Mac and physical layers are thoroughly probed
It is also used in applications that are non-medical

This article gives you the complete picture of wireless body area network simulation where you will understand every aspect that is needed for your research. Let us first start with the classification of MAC structures.

Implementing Wireless Body Area Network Simulation Projects

CLASSIFICATION OF MAC SUPER FRAME STRUCTURES

Superframe structures are extremely useful in wireless communication systems. The MAC superframe structure can be classified as follows.

IEEE 802.15.4
- Classification of patients data
  - Emergency
  - Periodic
  - Normal
- Multiple access schemes
  - Hybrid
  - Predefined (FDMA and TDMA)
  - contention (slotted Aloha, CSMA and CA)
- Structure
  - Beacon
  - Period of inactivity
  - CFP
  - CAP
  - 16 slots
IEEE 802.15.6
- Beacon enabled MAC superframe
  - Classification of patients data
    - Normal
    - Emergency
  - Multiple access schemes
    - Slotted Aloha
    - CA and CSMA
  - Structure
    - CAP
    - EAP 1 and 2
    - RAP 1 and 2
    - Beacon
    - Slot that is flexible
    - Type I and II
- Non beacon MAC superframe
  - Multiple access schemes
    - Slotted Aloha
    - CA and CSMA
  - Classifying data of the patients
    - Emergency
    - Normal
  - Structure
    - Type I
    - Type II
- Non beacon (without superframe)
  - Multiple access schemes
    - Slotted Aloha
    - CA and CSMA
  - Classifying patient information
    - Non-emergency
    - Emergency
  - Structure
    - Type I
    - Type II

Medium access control or MAC protocols are being suggested every now and then to enhance the working of wireless body area network projects and systems. It is done frequently due to the following challenges associated with it

Delay issues
Rate of collision
Energy efficiency
Challenges related to reliability

The objectives of MAC protocol designs have to be understood in a broader way which is still a challenge to its research. Our research experts are here to help you out with this task. We have guided many researchers in a way they can show excellence in their research career. So we will also guide you in a way that you prefer. The following are the major research areas in wireless body area networks which include both medical and non-medical applications. Go through the following list and you will get an idea on recent trends in WBAN research

WBAN RESEARCH IDEAS

Computing / Computations using Wearable’s
Networking and body communications (on and off conditions)
Maintaining privacy in the communication of health related data
Regulations of medical devices
Communication based on body
Management of interference (and coexistence of radio)
Applications related to sports (and wellness)
Systems to support cognitive body area networks (molecular communications)
Non-medical applications supported by WBAN
Implants and wearable (sensors) and propagation in antenna
Medical and embedded system applications
Different aspects of health care system (smart BAN – Smart inclusion)
Processing of biomedical signals like EMG, PPG, ECG, EDR, EEG etc.
Management of remote patients (preventive care)
Activities of monitoring patients like rehabilitation
Healthcare solutions (using ICT)
WBAN Systems to support cognitive impairments
WBAN design of cross layer

Now let us look into detail about the characteristics of different cross layers used in WBAN,

MAC, PHY and Network
- Estimation of state of the channel
- Power control in an adaptive manner
- Predicting the quality of links
- Determining power
- Size of the packet and relay determination
Network and MAC
- Partition of slot
- Customizing the route
MAC and PHY
- Improving super-frame retransmission

Our technical team is ready to help you in all aspects of understanding the above cross-layer characteristics. We have guided a lot of projects in the field successfully. So we are capable of giving you the necessary for such materials for reference. Now let us discuss the research issues in the simulation of wireless body area network projects

OPEN ISSUES OF WIRELESS BODY AREA NETWORK SIMULATION

Network simulation: Mobility Model
- Evaluating the performance of the system to improve its stability
- Mobility model plays a significant role in performance analysis
- Cooperation of operations between the simulator and mobility model is to be ensured
- NS 2 and NS 3, OMNET ++ frameworks have to be obtained with mobility model of WBAN
- The extent of accuracy have to be proved
Network Design / Construction Parameters
- We have done projects under flat and homogeneous network architecture
- There also architectures in the form of clusters and based on hierarchy
- A supportive environment for these architectures must also be included in the mobility model which actually depends on the node types
- The relation of two different nodes have to be integrated with the system
Different mobility models
- The change in location as a function of direction and speed it is given by the mobility model
- Feasibility in explaining the above changes is the main objective of any mobility model
- Not motion have to be described in an exact manner which is a challenge to researchers
- Behavioral analysis of humans have to be expanded in order to overcome this challenge
- Accuracy of the system can be in hand only when the effects of outer environment are also taken into consideration
- Designing mobility models should incorporate the following aspects
  - Postures during walk and run
  - Age factor
  - Place of living
  - External factors like roads
Interfaces with External Devices
- Collection of treasures play a key role in developing the patterns in mobility design
- Motion tracking in devices have to be made in an efficient way
- Predicting and recording motion based on smart phones have gained a lot of significance these days
- Integration of external environment with the mobility models is thus very much significant in today’s research
- So the research in mobility models have to incorporate the following
  - Ad hoc networks infrastructure (vehicular)
  - Mobile networks
  - Obtaining data from the environment using good interface

Researchers have been facing widespread challenges associated with WBAN networks. This has mooted our technical experts to engage themselves in creating a data repository of the different WBAN research issues and the ways in which solutions to these challenges were defined.

So you can get in touch with us to get the complete details about the technical solutions to many of the WBAN research problems. We have used many kinds of simulators in order to overcome the research questions in the field. Now let us understand the methods in which network simulation can be started.

HOW TO START A SIMULATION FOR WBAN NETWORK?

The following are the details of the various steps involved in the simulation of wireless body area network systems

The first step is defining the parameters of WBAN sensors
- The sensor parameters depend on the location of different sensor nodes. We have provided below some of the important sensor nodes and their locations which are commonly used in WBAN
  - body – sensor – 0 coordinator (right hip)
  - body – sensor – 1 transmitter (left arm)
  - body – sensor – 2 transmitter (right arm)
  - body – sensor – 3 transmitter (left ankle)
  - body – sensor – 4 transmitter (right ankle)
  - body – sensor – 5 transmitter (chest centre)
The next step is defining the various parameters of networks
- The various parameters of the networks are detailed below
  - Delay involved in changing from one state to another
  - Many sleep states that are configurable
  - Different states for transmission, reception and listening
  - The transmission levels involved in different states along with their consumption of power
  - The different modes of operation which has the capacity to change bandwidth, noise, modulation and various other network components
  - Configurable rate of transmission of power
  - The supported schemes of modulation as given below
    - PSK
    - FSK
    - DiffBPSK
    - 5dB (threshold modulation)
    - DiffQPSK
  - Calculation of packet bit errors
  - Measuring dynamic interference (fine grain) in receipt modification
  - Continuous measurements of received signal power indicator or RSSI
The third step is to properly define the service quality.
- The following are the aspects involved in measuring the quality of service
  - Bit error rate is preferred to rate of packet loss
  - The bit rate is directly impacted by transmitted signal
  - Rate of deteriorate in case of sensitive information have to be around 10^-6
  - Body area network system delay should be around 100 to 300ms
  - Maximum value of bit rate is required
  - Source to send signal delay must be minimum
  - 10^-4 is the acceptable bit rate error for audio and other voice signals
  - Packet delay is a direct function of the area in which the system is implemented in real time and packet delay is based on the type of communication (online and offline).

While following the above steps in the simulation of WBAN projects, the power consumed for transmitting the data has to be maintained at a minimal value. The bandwidth of the signal can be increased in order to operate on a reduced and safe value of power transmission.

Forward error correction
Spread spectrum

These are the two different aspects that you can use to achieve the above objective. The research proposals on using different simulation tools are identified by our developers and are tracked for their further research. We have huge expertise in guiding WBAN research projects. Approach our experts to get your doubts solved. We will give the details of operating procedures and tips for execution. Now let us have some ideas on the important WBAN simulation tools.

TOP TOOLS FOR WIRELESS BODY AREA NETWORK SIMULATION

You can use different simulation tools for measuring different parameters. This is interesting so as to go beyond the scope of a particular tool. That is you can use different tools to complement the use of one another. So in order to choose the best simulation tool, you should first have an idea of its purpose. The purpose of Wireless body area network Simulation is followed,

Modeling the channels and networks
Proper modeling of radio
Developing new routing and Mac protocols
Extension to modeling based on sensing

The above points are the major objectives that are expected to be fulfilled by any simulator. The following is the description of the scope of different simulation tools. Our engineers have very good qualifications and research experience for handling these simulators.

MoBAN
- The mobility model for WBAN that is easy to support for configurations
BodySim
- Simulation and modelling in multiple domains of body sensors
Open – ZB
- Provides zigbee tools
- IEEE 802.15.4 open source tool
NS2
- It is used in simulation of discrete events
- The tool best supports the following
  - Routing
  - Multicast protocols
  - TCP
- It is also the best tool for supporting satellite and local network communication
Castalia
- It is one of the best WSN, BAN simulation tools
- It is used for simulation of low power devices (embedded)
SENSE
- It is a powerful simulation tool
- Easy to use tool
WBAN – OPNET
- It has got general public license v3.0
- WBAN OPNET 14.5 modeler is the basis of its functioning
OMNEST
- It is used in the following simulation techniques
- Wired network simulation
- Simulation of wireless networks
- Performance based queuing
- Interconnected networks
PyLayers
- It is a tool specific to site
- It is the simulation tool based on propagation
- PyLayers is a localized simulator
- The following are the parameters used in this simulation
  - Wearable
  - Mobility
  - Communication protocols like 5G, MIMO, UWB, IR etc.

Most of the wireless body area network simulation projects that we guided were based on the above simulators. So you can get any kind of assistance for your research from our experts. We generated reports on the success of the projects that we rendered guidance to Connect with our technical team for more support.

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