Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I download the Simu5G code?

Welcome on board! Visit this page to download Simu5G.

Which OMNeT++ and INET versions do I need?

It depends on the Simu5G version. Each release’s entry in the release notes lists the OMNeT++ and INET versions it was tested with and is compatible with. If you install Simu5G with opp_env, the matching versions are installed automatically. See the Installation page.

My simulation, written for an older Simu5G version, no longer works. What should I do?

Since v1.3.1, Simu5G has been going through a thorough overhaul, and many releases renamed or removed modules and parameters. The release notes describe the changes and the necessary porting steps for each release; go through the entries of all releases between your old version and the new one. Note that ini file lines that assign a renamed or removed parameter are silently ignored, so check your configuration even if the simulation runs.

How is Simu5G different from the Vienna 5G SL simulator?

The Vienna 5G SL simulator is a MATLAB-based simulator that allows one to evaluate average PHY-layer performance by means of Monte Carlo simulations. A system-level version of it, called Vienna 5G System Level Simulator, allows one to trade accuracy for scale, thus enabling the evaluation of larger-scale networks in terms of average performance. This simulator is well tailored for the evaluation of lower-layer procedures, including signal-processing techniques. However, it cannot be used to evaluate multi-layer, end-to-end scenarios. On the other hand, Simu5G is a discrete-event, end-to-end, application-level simulator. You can model applications in it, and have endpoints communicate at the application layer with their packets traversing all the protocol layers, through arbitrarily complex network scenarios.

How is Simu5G different from other end-to-end simulators, such as 5G LENA or 5G-air-simulator?

Features that set Simu5G apart include:

  • a detailed, standards-based representation of the protocol layers above the MAC: SDAP with QoS flows, PDCP, RLC per TS 38.322 (NR) and TS 36.322 (LTE), and GTP-U tunneling in the core network;

  • network-controlled device-to-device communications;

  • Multi-access edge computing, with ETSI-compliant interfaces towards real MEC applications;

  • EN-DC and NE-DC deployments and dual-stack communications;

  • real-time emulation, with real applications and devices using the simulated 5G network.

Can I integrate Simu5G with other models, e.g., run a simulation where a WiFi host communicates with a 5G UE?

Simu5G is a model library for the OMNeT++ simulation framework. Any other model library written for OMNeT++ can be integrated with it. Notably, Simu5G makes extensive use of models from the INET framework (e.g., routers and hosts).

Is Simu5G compatible with SimuLTE? Can I run simulations with both 4G and 5G nodes?

Simu5G grew out of SimuLTE and contains its LTE models, so 4G and 5G nodes can be part of the same simulation, also in Dual Connectivity deployments: EN-DC (a 4G eNB acting as the master node and a 5G gNB as the secondary node) and NE-DC (a gNB master with an eNB secondary). See the Overview page.

Simu5G is not a drop-in replacement for SimuLTE, however. The models have been substantially revised since, and modules and parameters have been renamed, added and removed, so SimuLTE simulations need to be ported to run in Simu5G.

Does Simu5G model the control plane?

Simu5G is a user-plane simulator. RRC functionality (bearer management, handover, radio link failure handling and RRC re-establishment) is modeled, but RRC signaling between the UE and the base station, and control-plane signaling towards the core network, are not simulated: procedures take effect through direct function calls between the modules involved, and where the duration of a procedure matters (handover, re-establishment), it is modeled with timers. Bearers come from configuration rather than from session management signaling.

What hardware is required to run Simu5G as an emulator?

An off-the-shelf desktop pc with two network interfaces can run an emulation of a multicell 5G network carrying application traffic up to several Mbps. See our demo in the emulation page.

How do I get involved?

Cool! You have some choices here:

  • If you found a bug, or you want to contribute a fix or a new functionality, please open an issue or a pull request on GitHub. For larger contributions, please contact us first.

  • If you have any Simu5G-related research project or research article, and you want it to be acknowledged on this site, please contact us.

The Simu5G community is proud of you!