We are announcing the first alpha release of Viptos (Visual Ptolemy and
TinyOS), an integrated graphical development and simulation environment
for TinyOS-based wireless sensor networks.
Please visit the website at:
http://ptolemy.eecs.berkeley.edu/viptos
Full abstract:
Viptos (Visual Ptolemy and TinyOS) is an integrated graphical development
and simulation environment for TinyOS-based wireless sensor networks.
Viptos allows developers to create block and arrow diagrams to construct
TinyOS programs from any standard library of nesC/TinyOS components. The
tool automatically transforms the diagram into a nesC program that can be
compiled and downloaded from within the graphical environment onto any
TinyOS-supported target hardware. In particular, Viptos includes the full
capabilities of VisualSense, which can model communication channels,
networks, and non-TinyOS nodes. This release of Viptos is compatible with
nesC 1.2 and includes tools to harvest existing TinyOS components and
applications and convert them into a format that can be displayed as block
(and arrow) diagrams and simulated.
Viptos is based on TOSSIM and Ptolemy II. TOSSIM is an interrupt-level
simulator for TinyOS programs. It runs actual TinyOS code but provides
software replacements for the simulated hardware and models network
interaction at the bit or packet level. Ptolemy II is a graphical software
system for modeling, simulation, and design of concurrent, real-time,
embedded systems. Ptolemy II focuses on assembly of concurrent components
with well-defined models of computation that govern the interaction
between components. VisualSense is a Ptolemy II environment for modeling
and simulation of wireless sensor networks at the network level.
Viptos provides a bridge between VisualSense and TOSSIM by providing
interrupt-level simulation of actual TinyOS programs, with packet-level
simulation of the network, while allowing the developer to use other
models of computation available in Ptolemy II for modeling various parts
of the system. While TOSSIM only allows simulation of homogeneous networks
where each node runs the same program, Viptos supports simulation of
heterogeneous networks where each node may run a different program. Viptos
simulations may also include non-TinyOS-based wireless nodes. The
developer can easily switch to different channel models and change other
parts of the simulated environment, such as creating models to generate
simulated traffic on the wireless network.
Viptos inherits the actor-oriented modeling environment of Ptolemy II,
which allows the developer to use different models of computation at each
level of simulation. At the lowest level, Viptos uses the discrete-event
scheduler of TOSSIM to model the interaction between the CPU and TinyOS
code that runs on it. At the next highest level, Viptos uses the
discrete-event scheduler of Ptolemy II to model interaction with mote
hardware, such as the radio and sensors. This level is then embedded
within VisualSense to allow modeling of the wireless channels to simulate
packet loss, corruption, delay, etc. The user can also model and simulate
other aspects of the physical environment including those detected by the
sensors (e.g., light, temperature, etc.), terrain, etc.
Elaine Cheong
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