TrACS: Transceiver Architecture and Wireless Channel Simulator

This paper presents the design of a system-level simulator for radio receivers, including receiver circuits, in Matlab. The system level outlook offers a better characterization of circuit design, as the signal processing in the digital receiver is asymmetric across topologies. Also, circuit models in the simulator make it more precise and realistic compared to baseband models, which assume a single-step error-free down conversion. This interpretation is especially relevant in the design of energy-constrained wireless sensor network solutions. The simulator results for binary FSK in AWGN confirm the importance of system level simulation.