Broadband Spectrum Survey Measurements for Cognitive Radio Applications

It is well known that the existing spectrum licensing system results in a gross under-utilization of the frequency spectrum. Spectrum background measurements – spectrum surveys – provide useful data for spectrum regulation, planning or finding frequency niches for spectrum sharing. Dynamic spectrum sharing as a main goal of cognitive radio (CR) is the modern option on how to optimize usage of the frequency spectrum. A spectrum survey measurement system is introduced with results obtained from a variety of markedly different scenarios allowing us, unlike other studies, to focus on wideband and fast spectrum scans. The sensitivity of the receiver is no worse than -113 dBm in the whole band. The utilization of the frequency spectrum is analyzed to prove its under-utilization and to show spectrum sharing opportunities. This was shown to be true in the frequency band higher than 2.5 GHz. A comparison with other spectrum survey campaigns is provided

Public safety and cognitive radio

This book gives comprehensive and balanced coverage of the principles of cognitive radio communications, cognitive networks, and details of their implementation, including the latest developments in the standards and spectrum policy. Case studies, end-of-chapter questions, and descriptions of various platforms and test beds, together with sample code, give hands-on knowledge of how cognitive radio systems can be implemented in practice. Extensive treatment is given to several standards, including IEEE 802.22 for TV White Spaces and IEEE SCC41

Mobile Communication Networks and Digital Television Broadcasting Systems in the Same Frequency Bands – Advanced Co-Existence Scenarios

The increasing demand for wireless multimedia services provided by modern communication systems with stable services is a key feature of advanced markets. On the other hand, these systems can many times operate in a neighboring or in the same frequency bands. Therefore, numerous unwanted co-existence scenarios can occur. The aim of this paper is to summarize our results which were achieved during exploration and measurement of the co-existences between still used and upcoming mobile networks (from GSM to LTE) and digital terrestrial television broadcasting (DVB) systems. For all of these measurements and their evaluation universal measurement testbed has been proposed and used. Results presented in this paper are a significant part of our activities in work package WP5 in the ENIAC JU project “Agile RF Transceivers and Front-Ends for Future Smart Multi-Standard Communications Applications (ARTEMOS)”

Performance Evaluation of Cognitive Radio Spectrum Sensing Techniques through a Rayleigh Fading Channel

In recent years, there has been a steep rise in the demand for bandwidth due to a sharp increase in the number of devices connected to the wireless network. Coupled with the expected commercialization of 5G services and massive adoption of IoT, the upsurge in the number of devices connected to the wireless network will continue to grow exponentially into billions of devices. To accommodate the associated demand for wireless spectrum as we step into this new era of wireless connectivity, traditional methods of spectrum utilization based on fixed and static allocation are no longer adequate. New innovative forms that support dynamic assignment of spectrum space on as-per-need basis are now paramount. Cognitive radio has emerged as one of the most promising techniques that allow flexible usage of the scarce spectrum resource. Cognitive radio allows unlicensed users to opportunistically access spectrum bands assigned to primary users when these spectrum bands are idle. As such, cognitive radio reduces the gap between spectrum scarcity and spectrum underutilization. The most critical function of cognitive radio is spectrum sensing, which establishes the occupation status of a spectrum band, paving the way for a cognitive radio to initiate transmission if the band is idle. The most common and widely used methods for spectrum sensing are energy detection, matched filter detection, cyclostationary feature detection and cooperative based spectrum sensing. This dissertation investigates the performance of these spectrum-sensing techniques through a Rayleigh fading channel. In a wireless environment, a Rayleigh fading channel models the propagation of a wireless signal where there is no dominant line of sight between the transmitter and receiver. Understanding the performance of spectrum sensing techniques in a real world simulation environment is important for both industry and academia, as this allows for the optimal design of cognitive radio systems capable of efficiently executing their function. MATLAB software provides an experimental platform for the fusion of various Rayleigh fading channel parameters that mimic real world wireless channel characteristics. In this project, a MATLAB environment test bed is used to simulate the performance for each spectrum sensing technique across a range of signal-to-noise values, through a Rayleigh fading channel with a given set of parameters for channel delay, channel gain and Doppler shift. Simulation results are presented as plots for probability of detection versus signal-tonoise ratio, receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves and complementary ROC curves. A detailed performance analysis for each spectrum sensing technique then follows, with comparisons done to determine the technique that offers the best relative performance

GSM-RF Channel Characterization Using a Wideband Subspace Sensing Mechanism for Cognitive Radio Networks

In this paper, we examine a spectrum sharing opportunities over the existing Global System of Mobile Communication (GSM) networks, by identifying the unused channels at a specific time and location. For this purpose, we propose a wideband spectrum sensing mechanism to analyze the status of 51 channels at once, belonging to the 10  MHz bandwidth centered at the frequency 945  MHz, in four different areas. We propose a subspace based spectral estimation mechanism, adapted to deal with real measurements. The process begins with data collection using Secondary User (SU) device enabled with Software Defined Radio (SDR) technology, configured to operate in the GSM band. Obtained samples are used then to feed the sensing mechanism. Spectral analysis is delivered to estimate power density peaks and corresponding frequencies. Decision making phase brings together power thresholding technique and GSM control channel decoding to identify idle and busy channels. Experiments are evaluated using detection and false alarm probabilities emulated via Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves. Obtained performances show better detection accuracy and robustness against variant noise/fading effects, when using our mechanism compared to Energy Detection (ED) based ones as Welch method, and Beamforming based ones as Minimum Variance Distortionless Response (MVDR) method. Occupancy results exhibit considerable potential of secondary use in GSM based primary network

When Channel Bonding is Beneficial for Opportunistic Spectrum Access Networks

Transmission over multiple frequency bands combined into one logical channel speeds up data transfer for wireless networks. On the other hand, the allocation of multiple channels to a single user decreases the probability of finding a free logical channel for new connections, which may result in a network-wide throughput loss. While this relationship has been studied experimentally, especially in the WLAN configuration, little is known on how to analytically model such phenomena. With the advent of Opportunistic Spectrum Access (OSA) networks, it is even more important to understand the circumstances in which it is beneficial to bond channels occupied by primary users with dynamic duty cycle patterns. In this paper we propose an analytical framework which allows the investigation of the average channel throughput at the medium access control layer for OSA networks with channel bonding enabled. We show that channel bonding is generally beneficial, though the extent of the benefits depend on the features of the OSA network, including OSA network size and the total number of channels available for bonding. In addition, we show that performance benefits can be realized by adaptively changing the number of bonded channels depending on network conditions. Finally, we evaluate channel bonding considering physical layer constraints, i.e. throughput reduction compared to the theoretical throughput of a single virtual channel due to a transmission power limit for any bonding size.Comment: accepted to IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communication

NEW MODEL USING DSA TECHNIQUES AND COASIAN BARGAINING AGREEMENTS FOR SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT IN KOSOVO

In each country spectrum is scarce and expensive and as such it should treated carefully in terms of efficiency usage. The spectrum can be reallocated, reassigned and resold through agreements between the participants. In some places, interference exists (internalas well as external, i.e., from bordering countries) resulting in inefficient usage of spectrum, not respecting the law of telecommunication, the poor communication, loss of revenue, damage to telecommunication equipment etc. One of these places is Kosovo in GSM spectrum. In this thesis what we are addressing is how to avoid this problem and bring to participants an AGREEMENT that benefits all. With these kinds of agreements, the interference can be avoided, saving a lot of money and revenue will increase for both parties: unlicensed and licensed mobile operators (including the Government of Kosovo (GK)). On the other hand the positive externalities should happen, such a social cost, economical efficiency, political view and community integration. Our solution is based on Coase Theory and Problem of Social Cost and on another hand on the situation in Kosovo based on data from TRA of Kosovo and Serbia also data from Mobile Operators from both sides