This paper presents an extension for network simulator-2 (ns-2) that enables the simulation of adaptive antennas in realistic channel conditions using MATLAB. A hybrid discrete-event discrete-time approach is adopted to exploit the scalability properties of ns-2 for the network simulation, and the modeling capabilities of MATLAB for the physical layer implementation. The developed package takes into account the physical antenna system and the signal processing algorithm to model in detail the antenna radiation pattern generated by each network node. The wireless propagation model of ns-2, which typically accounts only for path-loss attenuation and shadowing, is modified to include the Power Azimuth Spectrum (PAS), thus improving the accuracy of the estimated Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR) at each node in presence of multipath. The proposed numerical model, which can be interfaced with any wireless network supported by ns-2, is used to evaluate the throughput of a Wireless Mesh Network (WMN).
