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Quickstart Guide

This guide walks you through running your first V2X simulation and inspecting the generated results.

1. Running the CAM Simulation Example

The repository includes a ready-to-run example (examples/cam_simulation.rs) that:

  1. Launches Eclipse SUMO using the scenarios/diagonal/ scenario.
  2. Equips each simulated vehicle with an ETSI C-ITS stack (rustflexstack) generating Cooperative Awareness Messages (CAM).
  3. Transmits messages over the wireless medium using IEEE 802.11p EDCA MAC and Rayon-parallel physical layer evaluation.
  4. Dynamically regulates transmission frequency using Decentralized Congestion Control (DCC).
  5. Exports an Ethernet II packet capture (simulation.pcap) with EtherType 0x8947 (GeoNetworking).

Execute the example with:

cargo run --release --example cam_simulation -- \
    --num-vehicles 10 \
    --scenario diagonal \
    --scenario-dir scenarios/diagonal \
    --duration 30.0 \
    --generate-pcap

Visualizing Vehicle Movement in SUMO GUI

To watch the vehicles driving in real time in the SUMO graphical interface, add the --gui flag:

cargo run --release --example cam_simulation -- \
    --num-vehicles 10 \
    --scenario diagonal \
    --scenario-dir scenarios/diagonal \
    --duration 30.0 \
    --gui

2. Choosing Wireless Models in the CAM Example

The cam_simulation example allows you to select any of the five supported wireless communication technologies using the --technology flag, along with optional modulation overrides via --mcs:

IEEE 802.11p DSRC (Default)

Operates with EDCA 4 Access Categories, NIST error tables, and chunked cumulative SINR: 

cargo run --release --example cam_simulation -- \
    --technology 11p \
    --num-vehicles 15 \
    --duration 30.0

IEEE 802.11bd Next-Gen V2X (NGV)

Enables 802.11bd mixed PPDU framing, midambles for Doppler tracking at highway speeds, and QC-LDPC coding gain: 

cargo run --release --example cam_simulation -- \
    --technology 11bd \
    --mcs 4 \
    --num-vehicles 15 \
    --duration 30.0

3GPP C-V2X PC5 Mode 4

Enables LTE-V2X Sensing-Based Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SB-SPS) over a 2D subchannel resource grid with dual PSCCH/PSSCH BLER decider: 

cargo run --release --example cam_simulation -- \
    --technology cv2x \
    --mcs 7 \
    --num-vehicles 15 \
    --duration 30.0

Enables 5G NR-V2X Mode 2 autonomous sensing, Release 16 \(T_3\) Re-evaluation lookahead, Two-Stage SCI, and PSFCH closed-loop HARQ: 

cargo run --release --example cam_simulation -- \
    --technology nrv2x \
    --mcs 10 \
    --num-vehicles 15 \
    --duration 30.0

Fast Parametric Empirical Model

Uses the 10th-degree distance loss polynomial and spatio-temporal logistic congestion calculation for ultra-fast macroscopic benchmarks: 

cargo run --release --example cam_simulation -- \
    --technology parametric \
    --num-vehicles 15 \
    --duration 30.0

3. Inspecting the Generated PCAP Trace

If --generate-pcap or --enable-pcap is passed, the simulator records every transmitted packet to a standard .pcap capture file.

Open the capture in Wireshark:

wireshark results/cam_example/simulation.pcap

In Wireshark:

  • The link layer is encapsulated in Ethernet II with protocol 0x8947 (GeoNetworking).
  • Wireshark's built-in dissector will automatically decode:
  • GeoNetworking headers (Basic, Common, Extended Single-Hop Broadcast).
  • BTP-B (Basic Transport Protocol) destination port 2001 (CAM).
  • ETSI CAM ASN.1 UPER payloads (station ID, generation timestamp, latitude, longitude, speed, heading).

4. Using Configuration Files

Instead of specifying long command-line options, you can run simulations using declarative TOML configuration files:

cargo run --release --example cam_simulation -- --config config/env1_diagonal.toml

See the TOML Configuration Reference for details on all available fields.