16  Simulation Catalog

16.1 Learning Objectives

⏱️ ~5 min | ⭐ Foundational | πŸ“‹ P01.C03B.U01

This catalog provides quick access to all 50+ interactive simulators:

  • Find simulators by category: Wireless, protocols, WSN, hardware, analytics, security, business
  • Identify difficulty levels: ⭐ Easy, ⭐⭐ Medium, ⭐⭐⭐ Hard
  • Estimate time requirements: Each tool shows expected completion time
  • Launch directly: All links open the simulator in context with supporting theory

16.2 Wireless Calculators

⏱️ ~5-10 min each | ⭐-⭐⭐ | πŸ“‹ P01.C03B.U02

Estimate wireless range, link budgets, and data rates for various IoT technologies.

  • LPWAN Wireless Range Calculator ⭐ – Open Calculator - Estimate wireless range based on frequency, power, and environment
  • LoRaWAN Range & Link Budget ⭐⭐ – Open Calculator - Calculate link budget and maximum distance for LoRaWAN deployments
  • LoRa Spreading Factor Demo ⭐⭐ – Open Demo - Explore SF7-SF12 trade-offs: time on air, data rate, range, power, and ADR recommendations with chirp visualization
  • LoRa Link Budget Calculator ⭐⭐ – Open Calculator - Detailed link budget analysis with path loss models, sensitivity calculations, and margin estimation
  • 802.15.4 Data Rate & Capacity ⭐⭐ – Open Calculator - Compute data rates and network capacity for 802.15.4 networks
  • Wi-Fi Scan Analyzer ⭐ – Open Wokwi - Simulate Wi-Fi scanning and analyze network discovery
  • Wi-Fi Channel Analyzer ⭐⭐ – Open Analyzer - Visualize 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz channel allocation, interference patterns, and optimal channel selection
  • RFID Frequency Comparison ⭐ – Open Comparison - Compare LF, HF, and UHF RFID characteristics: range, data rate, use cases, and regulatory considerations
  • NB-IoT vs LTE-M Selector ⭐⭐ – Open Selector - Decision tool for choosing between NB-IoT and LTE-M based on application requirements
  • IoT Bandwidth Calculator ⭐⭐ – Open Calculator - Calculate bandwidth requirements for IoT deployments
  • Cellular IoT Comparison Tool ⭐⭐ – Open Comparison - Compare 2G to 5G technologies with radar charts, use case matching, power profiles, sunset timelines, and module costs
  • Path Loss Calculator ⭐⭐ – Open Calculator - Calculate path loss with multiple models (FSPL, Okumura-Hata, COST 231, ITU Indoor), link budget analysis, and coverage radius estimation

16.3 Business Tools

⏱️ ~10-15 min each | ⭐⭐-⭐⭐⭐ | πŸ“‹ P01.C03B.U03

Calculate ROI, build use cases, and assess business readiness for IoT projects.

  • IoT Business ROI Calculator ⭐⭐ – Open Calculator - Calculate return on investment and pricing strategies for IoT solutions
  • IoT Use Case Builder ⭐⭐ – Open Builder - Design IoT solutions by selecting sensors, actuators, connectivity, and cloud services for 7 industry domains with auto-generated requirements and cost estimates
  • IoT Business Model Canvas ⭐⭐ – Open Canvas - Build IoT business models with 9-block canvas, IoT-specific templates (PaaS, Data Monetization, Platform), revenue calculators, and 3-year projections
  • Industry 4.0 Maturity Assessor ⭐⭐⭐ – Open Assessor - Assess Industry 4.0 maturity across 6 dimensions with radar charts, gap analysis, improvement roadmap, and investment estimation

16.4 Performance Tools

⏱️ ~8-12 min each | ⭐⭐-⭐⭐⭐ | πŸ“‹ P01.C03B.U04

Explore latency, throughput, and processing trade-offs across edge, fog, and cloud architectures.

  • Edge vs Cloud Latency ⭐⭐ – Open Explorer - Compare latency trade-offs between edge and cloud processing
  • Edge-Fog-Cloud Latency Simulator ⭐⭐⭐ – Open Simulator - Explore three-tier architecture latency and processing distribution
  • Stream Processing Pipeline Demo ⭐⭐ – Open Demo - Simulate real-time event streams with tumbling, sliding, and session windows; visualize window boundaries, event/processing time, and throughput metrics
  • M2M vs IoT Comparison ⭐ – Open Comparison - Compare M2M and IoT paradigms: architecture differences, protocol stacks, and evolution timeline

16.5 Design Helpers

⏱️ ~10-20 min each | ⭐-⭐⭐⭐ | πŸ“‹ P01.C03B.U05

Select sensors, compare topologies, design networks, and optimize system architecture.

  • Sensor Comparison Tool ⭐ – Open Tool - Compare sensor specifications and select the right sensor for your application
  • Network Topology Explorer ⭐⭐ – Open Explorer - Visualize and compare star, mesh, tree, ring, and bus topologies
  • Routing Algorithm Comparison ⭐⭐ – Open Demo - Compare Distance Vector (Bellman-Ford) vs Link State (Dijkstra) routing with step-by-step visualization and count-to-infinity demo
  • Multi-Hop Network Simulator ⭐⭐ – Open Simulator - Visualize packet routing through multi-hop networks with adjustable range, node failure simulation, and path metrics (hop count, distance, latency)
  • Ad-Hoc Routing Protocol Visualizer ⭐⭐⭐ – Open Visualizer - Compare DSDV, DSR, AODV, and ZRP routing protocols with animated route discovery, routing tables, and metrics comparison
  • PID Controller Tuner ⭐⭐⭐ – Open Tuner - Tune PID controllers with real-time step response visualization, performance metrics (overshoot, settling time), and preset configurations for different process types
  • Power Budget Calculator ⭐⭐ – Open Calculator - Calculate IoT device power consumption and battery life with component selection (MCU, radio, sensors), duty cycle configuration, and optimization suggestions
  • Context-Aware Energy Optimizer ⭐⭐⭐ – Open Optimizer - Design adaptive energy strategies based on context (time, motion, battery, network) with 24-hour energy profiles and battery life comparison
  • Hardware Selection Optimizer ⭐⭐ – Open Optimizer - Select optimal MCU/SoC based on requirements (processing, connectivity, power, environment, budget) with radar charts, BOM generator, and development complexity ratings
  • Interactive Packet Analyzer ⭐⭐ – Open Analyzer - Analyze MQTT, CoAP, HTTP, Modbus, BLE, Zigbee packets with structure visualization, hex dump, overhead calculator, and protocol comparison
  • Test Design Generator ⭐⭐ – Open Generator - Generate IoT test cases with Given-When-Then format, coverage matrix, priority scoring, and automation suggestions
  • Datasheet Navigator ⭐⭐ – Open Navigator - Navigate component datasheets with key parameter highlighting, derating calculator, comparison tables, and design checklists
  • UX Design Evaluation Tool ⭐⭐ – Open Evaluator - Evaluate IoT UX with Nielsen’s heuristics, IoT-specific criteria, severity ratings, and exportable reports
  • Location Technology Selector ⭐⭐ – Open Selector - Select location technologies (GPS, Wi-Fi, BLE, UWB, LoRa, Cellular, RFID) based on accuracy, power, and cost with hybrid solution builder
  • IoT Reference Architecture Builder ⭐⭐⭐ – Open Builder - Build IoT architectures with 4 templates (3-tier, IoT-A, Edge-Fog-Cloud, Lambda), drag-drop components, auto-layout, validation, and Mermaid export
  • SDN Flow Rule Builder ⭐⭐⭐ – Open Builder - Build OpenFlow rules with match fields and actions, visualize rule propagation, simulate traffic, detect conflicts, and view flow tables
  • Blockchain Transaction Visualizer ⭐⭐⭐ – Open Visualizer - Visualize blockchain consensus (PoW, PoS, PBFT, Raft) with animated transaction broadcast, block creation, and IoT suitability metrics
  • Sensor Coverage Playground ⭐⭐ – Open Playground - Place sensors on a 2D grid and visualize coverage, k-coverage, redundancy, and coverage holes
  • WSN Target Tracking Demo ⭐⭐ – Open Demo - Track moving targets with animated sensors, prediction mode, estimated vs actual position, and energy savings metrics
  • LEACH Clustering Demo ⭐⭐⭐ – Open Demo - Visualize LEACH cluster formation, cluster head election, data aggregation, and energy consumption across rounds
  • RPL DODAG Builder ⭐⭐⭐ – Open Builder - Build and visualize RPL DODAGs with root selection, rank calculation, parent selection, and trickle timer operation
  • Protocol Selector Wizard ⭐⭐ – Open Selector - Choose the optimal protocol based on range, power, and data requirements
  • Sensor Fusion Kalman Filter Demo ⭐⭐⭐ – Open Demo - Experience Kalman filter sensor fusion: two noisy sensors, adjustable noise levels, real-time plots showing raw vs. fused estimates, Kalman gain visualization
  • IoT Storage Requirements ⭐⭐ – Open Calculator - Calculate database storage needs for time-series IoT data
  • Time Series Explorer ⭐⭐ – Open Explorer - Visualize sampling, aggregation, downsampling, and retention policies for IoT time-series data with storage savings calculations
  • Thread Network Demo ⭐⭐ – Open Demo - Visualize Thread device roles (Leader, Router, REED, SED), mesh topology, and leader election failover
  • Zigbee Mesh Visualizer ⭐⭐ – Open Visualizer - Explore Zigbee mesh networks with Coordinator, Router, and End Device roles; simulate node failures to see self-healing routing
  • 6LoWPAN Header Compression Demo ⭐⭐ – Open Demo - Visualize IPHC compression, toggle address elision and field compression, see real-time byte savings and 802.15.4 frame utilization
  • Packet Fragmentation Demo ⭐⭐ – Open Demo - Visualize IP fragmentation with adjustable MTU sizes, see fragment headers, reassembly order, and overhead calculations
  • CSMA/CA Channel Access Demo ⭐⭐ – Open Demo - Simulate carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance: backoff timing, hidden terminal scenarios, and RTS/CTS handshaking
  • ADC Sampling and Aliasing Demo ⭐⭐ – Open Demo - Visualize ADC sampling concepts: adjust signal frequency, sampling rate, and bit resolution to observe Nyquist aliasing, quantization levels, and signal reconstruction

16.6 Security Tools

⏱️ ~10-15 min each | ⭐⭐-⭐⭐⭐ | πŸ“‹ P01.C03B.U06

Assess risks, model threats, compare encryption, and design secure network architectures.

  • IoT Security Risk Calculator ⭐⭐ – Open Calculator - Assess security risks using DREAD methodology (Damage, Reproducibility, Exploitability, Affected Users, Discoverability)
  • Security Threat Assessment Tool ⭐⭐⭐ – Open Tool - Model threats and design mitigation strategies for IoT systems
  • Encryption Comparison ⭐⭐ – Open Comparison - Compare symmetric vs asymmetric encryption: key sizes, performance, use cases, and IoT-specific trade-offs (AES, RSA, ECC)
  • Attack Surface Visualizer ⭐⭐⭐ – Open Visualizer - Explore IoT attack surfaces across device, network, cloud, and application layers with threat categorization and mitigation strategies
  • Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange Animation ⭐⭐ – Open Animation - Step through the Diffie-Hellman key exchange: see how Alice and Bob establish a shared secret while Eve (eavesdropper) watches but cannot compute the secret due to the discrete logarithm problem
  • Network Segmentation Visualizer ⭐⭐⭐ – Open Visualizer - Design secure network zones (DMZ, IoT VLAN, Management), assign devices, build firewall rules, and simulate attack containment with security scoring
  • Zero-Trust Policy Simulator ⭐⭐⭐ – Open Simulator - Build and test zero-trust policies with conditions (user role, device health, location, time), test scenarios, decision tree visualization, and audit logging
  • Privacy Compliance Checker ⭐⭐ – Open Checker - Check GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA compliance based on data types, user location, and processing activities with requirements checklist and remediation suggestions

16.7 Circuit and Hardware Simulations

⏱️ ~15-25 min each | ⭐-⭐⭐⭐ | πŸ“‹ P01.C03B.U07

Test code and circuits with ESP32, Arduino, sensors, and analog electronics.

  • MQTT Message Flow Simulator ⭐ – Open Simulator - Visualize MQTT publish/subscribe message patterns
  • MQTT Publisher (ESP32 + DHT22) ⭐⭐ – Open Wokwi - Full-stack IoT: ESP32 publishes temperature/humidity to MQTT broker
  • RC Low-Pass Filter ⭐⭐⭐ – Open CircuitJS - Analyze signal filtering and frequency response in analog circuits
  • I2C Bus Scanner ⭐⭐ – Open Scanner - Scan I2C bus for connected devices, visualize SDA/SCL timing, decode device addresses, and understand pull-up requirements
  • PWM Motor Control ⭐⭐ – Open Demo - Control DC motor speed with PWM: adjust duty cycle, visualize waveforms, understand frequency effects on torque and efficiency
  • ADC Sampling Demo ⭐⭐ – Open Demo - Explore ADC sampling: resolution, sample rate, quantization error, and signal-to-noise ratio for sensor inputs
  • RC Filter Designer ⭐⭐ – Open Designer - Design RC filters (low-pass, high-pass, band-pass) with Bode plots, component value suggestions, and E24 standard snapping
  • Circuit Analysis Solver ⭐⭐⭐ – Open Solver - Solve circuits with nodal analysis, KVL/KCL equations, Thevenin/Norton equivalents, and step-by-step solutions
  • Advanced Motor Control Simulator ⭐⭐⭐ – Open Simulator - Simulate DC, BLDC, stepper, and servo motors with PID control, FOC, efficiency calculation, and regenerative braking

16.8 Protocol Visualizers

⏱️ ~10-15 min each | ⭐⭐ | πŸ“‹ P01.C03B.U08

Visualize message flows, state machines, and mesh network behavior for common IoT protocols.

  • MQTT QoS Visualizer ⭐⭐ – Open Visualizer - Compare QoS 0/1/2 message flows with animated packet exchanges, retry logic, acknowledgment timing, and network failure scenarios
  • CoAP Observe Demo ⭐⭐ – Open Demo - Visualize CoAP observe pattern: register, notifications, max-age expiry, and comparison with MQTT subscriptions
  • BLE State Machine ⭐⭐ – Open Demo - Explore BLE connection states (Standby, Advertising, Scanning, Initiating, Connected), transitions, and timing parameters
  • Zigbee Mesh Visualizer ⭐⭐ – Open Visualizer - Explore Zigbee mesh networks with Coordinator, Router, and End Device roles; simulate node failures to see self-healing routing
  • Thread Network Demo ⭐⭐ – Open Demo - Visualize Thread device roles (Leader, Router, REED, SED), mesh topology, and leader election failover

16.9 Data Analytics Tools

⏱️ ~10-20 min each | ⭐⭐-⭐⭐⭐ | πŸ“‹ P01.C03B.U09

Fuse sensor data, explore time series, process streams, and detect anomalies.

  • Sensor Fusion Demo ⭐⭐⭐ – Open Demo - Experience Kalman filter sensor fusion: two noisy sensors, adjustable noise levels, real-time plots showing raw vs. fused estimates
  • Time Series Explorer ⭐⭐ – Open Explorer - Visualize sampling, aggregation, downsampling, and retention policies for IoT time-series data with storage savings calculations
  • Stream Processing Demo ⭐⭐ – Open Demo - Simulate real-time event streams with tumbling, sliding, and session windows; visualize window boundaries and throughput
  • Anomaly Detection Demo ⭐⭐⭐ – Open Demo - Detect anomalies in sensor data using statistical methods (Z-score, IQR) and ML approaches; visualize thresholds and false positive trade-offs
  • Database Selection Tool ⭐⭐ – Open Tool - Get database recommendations based on your requirements (data rate, query patterns, consistency, scale) with radar chart comparison of InfluxDB, TimescaleDB, MongoDB, Cassandra, and PostgreSQL
  • Big Data Pipeline Configurator ⭐⭐⭐ – Open Configurator - Build IoT data pipelines with drag-drop components (Kafka, Spark, Flink, S3), animated data flow, latency calculator, and cost estimation
  • Query Performance Analyzer ⭐⭐⭐ – Open Analyzer - Analyze IoT query performance across databases with execution plans, index recommendations, and cross-database comparison mode
  • Protocol Translation Visualizer ⭐⭐ – Open Visualizer - Visualize protocol translation (MQTT to CoAP to HTTP to Modbus) with header mapping, QoS conversion, and latency overhead estimation

16.10 Summary

This catalog provides direct access to 50+ interactive IoT simulators across 8 categories:

Category Count Difficulty Range
Wireless Calculators 12 ⭐-⭐⭐
Business Tools 4 ⭐⭐-⭐⭐⭐
Performance Tools 4 ⭐-⭐⭐⭐
Design Helpers 31 ⭐-⭐⭐⭐
Security Tools 8 ⭐⭐-⭐⭐⭐
Circuit/Hardware 9 ⭐-⭐⭐⭐
Protocol Visualizers 5 ⭐⭐
Data Analytics 8 ⭐⭐-⭐⭐⭐

16.11 What’s Next