Virtual time series experiment ( VIRTEX ) simulation tool for underwater acoustic communications

Recently a virtual time series simulation tool for underwater acoustic communications, referred to as virtual time series experiment (VIRTEX), has been developed [Siderius and Porter, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 124, 137–150 (2008)]. The code is based on time-varying impulse responses, capable of simulating the time series incorporating relative motion between a transmitter and a receiver as well as time-evolving moving boundaries. In this paper, VIRTEX is applied to KAM08 experimental environment to simulate the characteristics of acoustic transmissions under varying ocean conditions. Specifically, a comparison is made between KAM08 data and the simulated time series in terms of scattering functions that characterize Doppler and delay spreads along with representative channel impulse responses. It is found that VIRTEX can be useful for designing and planning communication experiments and evaluating the performance of communication systems.