Drone Network Simulation Controller

A university project for Advanced Programming (2024-2025) at the University of Trento, designed to manage and monitor a simulated drone network. This controller offers a Rust + Tauri backend and a React (Tauri) frontend for real-time visualization, network controls, and statistical analysis.

1. Introduction

Welcome to the Simulation Controller — a tool that coordinates a network of drones, clients, and servers by:

• Loading and editing network topologies (via .toml files).
• Sending and tracking packets in real time.
• Simulating disruptions (e.g., crashed drones, adjustable Packet Drop Rate).
• Analyzing delivery metrics and logs.

2. Main Features

2.1 Network Visualization & Management 📡

• Interactive Graph
  • Observe the entire network as a node-link diagram.
  • Click to see details or edit neighbors and links.
  • Easily add or remove nodes and links with a few clicks.
• Node Details Panel
  • Quickly change PDR, add/remove neighbors, or crash a drone.
  • Real-time stats (packets sent, dropped) for each node.

2.2 Packet Handling & Monitoring 📦

• Live Logs
  • A continuous stream of packet events—sent packets, flooding responses, etc.
  • Filter by node ID, type, or packet category for fast diagnostics.
• Advanced Statistics
  • Simulation Metrics like total packets sent, NACKs, or bytes transferred.
  • Detailed breakdowns (heatmaps, host vs. drone comparisons) for performance analysis.

2.4 Configuration & Settings 🔧

• Load/Save Configurations
  • Upload .toml files or choose from built-in templates (like double-chain or tree).
  • Maintain a history of your configurations for quick rollback or comparison.
• Global Parameters
  • Set intervals for polling and discovery, define maximum logs, or enable Strict Mode.
  • Customize the UI theme or endpoint URLs to fit your environment.

3. How It Works

1. Initialization ✨

   • Select/upload a .toml file describing drones, clients, servers, and their links.
   • Configure simulation parameters (PDR, intervals, strict mode, etc.).
   • The welcome screen provides quick steps (e.g., “Go to Settings,” “Open Simulation”)

2. Simulation Start 🚀

   • The Rust backend spawns simulation threads.
   • The UI displays the network graph and begins receiving updates in real time.

3. Real-Time Interaction ⚡

   • Observe packet flow, logs, and stats.
   • Crash drones or raise PDR to simulate failures.
   • Send custom packets to test network reliability.

4. Data & Analysis 📈

   • Use Logs to view hop-by-hop routing.
   • Inspect performance metrics in Stats for latency, throughput, or drop rates.

5. Conclusion 🏁

   • Pause or stop the simulation anytime.
   • Export logs, switch configurations, or re-run with different parameters.

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4. Getting Started

1. Install Dependencies

   bun install

2. Run the Application

   bun run tauri dev
   # or
   cargo tauri dev

3. Explore the UI
   • Load your chosen .toml in Settings.
   • Open Simulation to see the live network.
   • Start simulation using the Play button.
   • Check Logs for packet events, use Stats for in-depth analysis, or head to Send to create custom packets.