Abstract: In the research of mobile Ad-hoc network(MANET), software simulation and field test are generally adopted to verify the routing protocols. Software simulation is used to carry out a preliminary verification on the principle and performance of routing protocols. Field test is commonly used in the test of development process and the final validation of the product on line.Although the result is accurate and reliable in the way of field test during the development process of MANET routing protocol, its cost is higher, the operation is relatively complex and the result is easy to be affected by the external factors such as the geographical environment. In terms of this issue, this paper presents a method of building a MANET testbed based on wired Ethernet. And a MANET testbed closed to the real test environment is designed and implemented based on VxWorks. The testbed extends the standard TCP/IP protocol stack, and aims to simulate the characteristics such as node mobility and wireless channel of MANET by adding emulated wireless link layer in the middle of the network layer and the data link layer.In addition, it can configure different scenarios by the management and control platform and collect experimental data for each layer of the protocol stack in real time, so as to facilitate the network researchers to test and verify protocols. The MANET testbed not only overcomes disadvantages of high cost and complex operation, but solves the problem of repeatability of scenarios in field test. It can reduce the test time and improve the efficiency of the development.

Key words:  MANET, testbed, wireless emulation over wired, VxWorks