Collaborative spectrum sensing optimisation algorithms for cognitive radio networks

The main challenge for a cognitive radio is to detect the existence of primary users reliably in order to minimise the interference to licensed communications. Hence, spectrum sensing is a most important requirement of a cognitive radio. However, due to the channel uncertainties, local observations are not reliable and collaboration among users is required. Selection of fusion rule at a common receiver has a direct impact on the overall spectrum sensing performance. In this paper, optimisation of collaborative spectrum sensing in terms of optimum decision fusion is studied for hard and soft decision combining. It is concluded that for optimum fusion, the fusion centre must incorporate signal-to-noise ratio values of cognitive users and the channel conditions. A genetic algorithm-based weighted optimisation strategy is presented for the case of soft decision combining. Numerical results show that the proposed optimised collaborative spectrum sensing schemes give better spectrum sensing performance

Implementation of spectrum sensing techniques for cognitive radio systems

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.This work presents a method for real-time detection of secondary users at the cognitive wireless technologies base stations. Cognitive radios may hide themselves in between the primary users to avoid being charged for spectrum usage. To deal with such scenarios, a cyclostationary Fast Fourier Transform accumulation method (FAM) has been used to develop a new strategy for recognising channel users under perfect and different noise environment conditions. Channel users are tracked according to the changes in their signal parameters, such as modulation techniques. MATLAB® Simulation tool was used to run various modulation signals on channels, and the obtained spectral correlation density function shows successful recognition between secondary and primary signals. We are unaware of previous efforts to use the FAM characteristics or other detection methods to make a distinction between channel users as presented in this thesis. A novel combination of both cognitive radio technology and ultra wideband technology is interdicted in this thesis, looking for an efficient and reliable spectrum sensing method to detect the presence of primary transmitters, and a number of spectrum-sensing techniques implemented in ultra wideband and cognitive radio component (UWB-CR) under different AWGN and fading settings environments. The sensing performance of different detectors is compared in conditions of probability of detection and miss detection curves. Simulation results show that the selection of detectors rely on the different fading scenarios, detector requirements and on a priori knowledge. Furthermore, result showed that the matched filter detection method is suitable for detecting signals through UWB-CR system under various fading channels. A general observation is that the matched filter detector outperforms the other detectors in all scenarios by an average of SNR=-20 dB in the level of probability of detection (Pd) , and the energy detector slightly outperforms the cyclostationary detector, in the level Pd at SNR=-20 dB. Furthermore, the thesis adapts novel detection models of cooperative and cluster cooperative wideband spectrum sensing in cognitive radio networks. In the proposed schemes, wavelet-based multi-resolution spectrum sensing and a proposed approach scheme are utilized for improving sensing performance of both models. On the other hand, cluster based cooperative spectrum sensing with soft combination Equal Gain Combination (EGC) scheme is proposed. The proposed detection models could achieve improvement of transmitter signal detection in terms of higher probability of detection and lower probability of false alarm. In the cooperative wideband spectrum sensing model, using traditional fusion rule, existing worst performance of false alarms by measurement is 78% of the sensing bands at an average SNR=5 dB; this compares with the proposed model, which is by measurement 19% false alarms of scanning spectrum at the same SNR for cluster cooperative wideband spectrum sensing. The proposed combining methods shows improvements of results with a high probability of detection (Pd) and low probability of false alarm (Pf) at an average SNR=-16 dB compared with other traditional fusion methods; this is illustrated through numerical results

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

Communications over fading channels with partial channel information : performance and design criteria

The effects of system parameters upon the performance are quantified under the assumption that some statistical information of the wireless fading channels is available. These results are useful in determining the optimal design of system parameters. Suboptimal receivers are designed for systems that are constrained in terms of implementation complexity. The achievable rates are investigated for a wireless communication system when neither the transmitter nor the receiver has prior knowledge of the channel state information (CSI). Quantitative results are provided for independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) Gaussian signals. A simple, low-duty-cycle signaling scheme is proposed to improve the information rates for low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and the optimal duty cycle is expressed as a function of the fading rate and SNR. It is demonstrated that the resource allocations and duty cycles developed for Gaussian signals can also be applied to systems using other signaling formats. The average SNR and outage probabilities are examined for amplify-and-forward cooperative relaying schemes in Rayleigh fading channels. Simple power allocation strategies are determined by using knowledge of the mean strengths of the channels. Suboptimal algorithms are proposed for cases that optimal receivers are difficult to implement. For systems with multiple transmit antennas, an iterative method is used to avoid the inversion of a data-dependent matrix in decision-directed channel estimation. When CSI is not available, two noncoherent detection algorithms are formulated based on the generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT). Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the use of GLRT-based detectors in systems with cooperative diversity

A Survey of Physical Layer Security Techniques for 5G Wireless Networks and Challenges Ahead

Physical layer security which safeguards data confidentiality based on the information-theoretic approaches has received significant research interest recently. The key idea behind physical layer security is to utilize the intrinsic randomness of the transmission channel to guarantee the security in physical layer. The evolution towards 5G wireless communications poses new challenges for physical layer security research. This paper provides a latest survey of the physical layer security research on various promising 5G technologies, including physical layer security coding, massive multiple-input multiple-output, millimeter wave communications, heterogeneous networks, non-orthogonal multiple access, full duplex technology, etc. Technical challenges which remain unresolved at the time of writing are summarized and the future trends of physical layer security in 5G and beyond are discussed.Comment: To appear in IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communication

Performance of Two-Hop DS-CDMA Systems Using Amplify-and-Forward Protocol over Different Fading Channels

This study analyses the performance of directsequence code division multiple access (DS-CDMA) based on two-hop amplify-and-forward protocol over Weibull symmetric fading channels as well as Rayleigh/Rician, Rician/Rayleigh asymmetric fading phenomenas. We investigate the bit-error rate (BER) of the considered system using multiple relays by considering the effect of Weibull fading parameter and Rician K factor on the system performance. Our simulation results demonstrate the positive impacts of the value of fading parameter, Rician K factor and increasing number of relay nodes on BER performance. It is also confirmed that the Rician K factor is more effective on the system performance over Rician/Rayleigh fading channels in comparison with Rayleigh/Rician fading environment