A simulation framework for neuron-based molecular communication

Molecular communication is a nanoscale communication paradigm that utilizes molecules as a communication medium between nanoscale devices. Development and availability of simulators is critical in this emerging research area since research on molecular communication heavily depends on simulations as the only means to evaluate analytical models and protocols. This paper proposes a simulation framework for neuron-based molecular communication, which utilizes electrochemical signals through neuronal networks. The proposed framework is designed to integrate various simulation components such as visualizers and editors for neuronal networks, media access controllers to neuronal networks and communication schedulers for neuronal signal transmissions. This paper describes key simulation components in the proposed framework and validates them with a case study that implements a TDMA-based signaling protocol in a simulated neuronal network and examines its performance characteristics with evolutionary multiobjective optimization algorithms.