Hardware Implementation of Filtering Based Sidelobe Suppression for Spectrally Agile Multicarrier based Cognitive Radio Systems

Due to the ever increasing dependency on existing wireless technologies and the growing usage of sophisticated wireless devices, the demand for bandwidth is rising exponentially. Also, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has reserved a considerable amount of spectrum for licensed users. As a result, the unlicensed spectrum usage is constrained to the overcrowded unlicensed spectrum. Various spectral management surveys have indicated inefficient spectrum utilization in the licensed spectral bands. The congested unlicensed spectrum and inefficiently used licensed frequency bands calls for an approach to use the available spectrum opportunistically. Therefore, the concept of Spectrum Pooling , which is based on Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA), was proposed to make the unused sections of licensed spectrum available to the unlicensed users. In Spectrum Pooling, an empty section of licensed spectrum is borrowed by a secondary user for certain period of time without interfering with the licensed user. Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is a transmission scheme that is a candidate for Spectrum Pooling since it is capable of forming an adaptive spectral shape that allows coexistence of licensed and unlicensed users while attemting to minimize any interference. Subcarriers in the OFDM signal can be deactivated to generate Non-Contiguous OFDM (NC-OFDM). Even though NC-OFDM allows efficient use of available spectrum, it causes out of band (OOB) radiation, which adversely affects the performance of adjacent user. This thesis presents two novel techniques for combat the effects of OOB radiation generated by NC-OFDM. The proposed techniques employ a filtering-based approach combined with the technique of windowing in order to suppress the unwanted sidelobes by around 35dB-40dB. The attenuation is achieved without affecting other transmission parameters of the secondary user significantly

Sidelobe Suppression and Agile Transmission Techniques for Multicarrier-based Cognitive Radio Systems

With the advent of new high data rate wireless applications, as well as growth of existing wireless services, demand for additional bandwidth is rapidly increasing. Existing spectrum allocation policies of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) prohibits unlicensed access to licensed spectrum, constraining them instead to several heavily populated, interference-prone frequency bands, which causes spectrum scarcity. However, it has been shown by several spectrum measurement campaigns that the current licensed spectrum usage across time and frequency is inefficient. Therefore, a concept of unlicensed users temporarily ``borrowing spectrum from incumbent license holders to improve the spectrum utilization, called ``spectrum pooling , which is based on dynamic spectrum access (DSA), is proposed. Cognitive radio is a communication paradigm that employs software-defined radio technology in order to perform DSA and offers versatile, powerful and portable wireless transceivers. Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is a promising candidate for cognitive radio transmission. OFDM supports high data rates that are robust to channel impairments. In addition, some subcarriers can be deactivated which constitutes a non-contiguous OFDM (NC-OFDM) transmission. However, one of the biggest problems for OFDM transmission is high out-of-band (OOB) radiation, which is caused by sinc-type function representing the symbols during one time constant. Thus, high sidelobe may occur that will interfere with neighboring transmissions. This thesis presents two novel techniques for NC-OFDM sidelobe suppression. Another concern about cognitive radio systems is that the influence of frequency-selective fading channel. Consequently, this thesis also presents a combined approach employing power loading, bit allocation and sidelobe suppression for OFDM-based cognitive radio systems optimization

Joint precoder and window design for OFDM sidelobe suppression

Spectral precoding and windowing are two effective approaches to reduce out-of-band radiation (OBR) in multicarrier systems. Their performance comes at the price of reduced throughput and additional computational complexity, so there is strong motivation for simultaneously using both techniques. We present a novel design that jointly optimizes the precoder and window coefficients to minimize radiated power within a user-selectable frequency region. Results show that the proposed design achieves a better OBR/throughput/complexity tradeoff than either of these individual techniques separately.Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. BES-2017-080305Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. PID2019-105717RB-C21Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. PID2019-105717RB-C2

Spectrum Adaptation in Cognitive Radio Systems with Operating Constraints

The explosion of high-data-rate-demanding wireless applications such as smart-phones and wireless Internet access devices, together with growth of existing wireless services, are creating a shortage of the scarce Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum. However, several spectrum measurement campaigns revealed that current spectrum usage across time and frequency is inefficient, creating the artificial shortage of the spectrum because of the traditional exclusive command-and-control model of using the spectrum. Therefore, a new concept of Cognitive Radio (CR) has been emerging recently in which unlicensed users temporarily borrow spectrum from the licensed Primary Users (PU) based on the Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) technique that is also known as the spectrum sharing concept. A CR is an intelligent radio system based on the Software Defined Radio platform with artificial intelligence capability which can learn, adapt, and reconfigure through interaction with the operating environment. A CR system will revolutionize the way people share the RF spectrum, lowering harmful interference to the licensed PU of the spectrum, fostering innovative DSA technology and giving people more choices when it comes to using the wireless-communication-dependent applications without having any spectrum congestion problems. A key technical challenge for enabling secondary access to the licensed spectrum adaptation is to ensure that the CR does not interfere with the licensed incumbent users. However, incumbent user behavior is dynamic and requires CR systems to adapt this behavior in order to maintain smooth information transmission. In this context, the objective of this dissertation is to explore design issues for CR systems focusing on adaptation of physical layer parameters related to spectrum sensing, spectrum shaping, and rate/power control. Specifically, this dissertation discusses dynamic threshold adaptation for energy detector spectrum sensing, spectrum allocation and power control in Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing-(OFDM-)based CR with operating constraints, and adjacent band interference suppression techniques in turbo-coded OFDM-based CR systems

Suppression of Mutual Interference in OFDM Based Overlay Systems

A promising appraoch for overcoming spectrum scarcity are overlay systems that share a frequency band with already existing licensed systems by using the spectral gaps left by the licensed systems. Due to its spectral efficiency and flexibility orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) is an appropriate modulation technique for overlay systems. To enable a successful co-existence, techniques for suppressing mutual interferences between the overlay and the licensed system are proposed