Modeling Basic Physical Links in Acumen

Abstract: Simulation is the process of computing a behavior determined by a given model of a system of interest.  Modeling is the process of creating a model that formally describes a given class of system.  Modeling and simulation can be used to quickly and cheaply study and understand new technologies.  Today, a wide range of systems are simulated using different tools.  However, converting models into simulation codes can still be difficult and time consuming. In this thesis, we study how a new modeling and simulation language called Acumen can be used to model basic physical links.  This language is aimed at bridging the gap between modeling and simulation.  We focus on basic physical links as an interesting type of system to model and simulate. We also focus on comparing Acumen to MATLAB and Simulink.  The types of links we consider include models of an RC low-pass filter, Amplitude Modulation, Frequency Modulation, Amplitude Shift Keying, Phase Shift Keying and Frequency Shift Keying systems. Each of these examples is modeled in Acumen, MATLAB and Simulink. We find that, for the most part, Acumen allows us to naturally express a wide range of modulation techniques mentioned above. When compared to MATLAB ad Simulink, we find that Acumen is simple language to understand. Acumen codes are described in a more natural way. Simplicity is the biggest advantage of Acumen.