Computer simulation model useable for testing underwater communication techniques

A model, and its software implementation, that is designed to simulate the transmitted and ocean-degraded received signal of an acoustic underwater transmission is presented. The approach taken for the model is the development of a stochastic impulse response characterized by its reverberation statistics and decay time and shape. A correlation time for the evolution of the nonstationary character of the impulse response is also defined. Signal transmission and reception is then modeled by processing signals through two statistically independent realizations of the impulse response. The two realizations are stationary during a correlation interval and are linearly summed after weighing with leap-frogged raised cosines. New realizations are generated for each correlation interval. Results appropriate to transmission in a shallow-water long horizontal channel are presented and compared with experimental results. [Work supported by the Massachusetts Centers of Excellence Corporation.]