Performance evaluation of directional spectrum sensing using an over-the-air testbed

  • Authors:

  • Michael Grimm;Alexander Krah;Noman Murtaza;Rajesh Kumar Sharma;Markus Landmann;Reiner Thomä;Albert Heuberger;Matthias Hein

  • Affiliations:

  • Ilmenau University of Technology, Ilmenau, Germany;Ilmenau University of Technology, Ilmenau, Germany;Ilmenau University of Technology, Ilmenau, Germany;Ilmenau University of Technology, Ilmenau, Germany;Ilmenau University of Technology, Ilmenau, Germany;Ilmenau University of Technology, Ilmenau, Germany;Ilmenau University of Technology, Ilmenau, Germany;Ilmenau University of Technology, Ilmenau, Germany

  • Venue:
  • Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Cognitive Radio and Advanced Spectrum Management
  • Year:
  • 2011

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Abstract

Cognitive radio is an emerging approach to improve the spectral utilisation, and can also be applied in self-organized mobile networks. Spectrum sensing to learn from the radio environment plays a key role of intelligent radios. To further enhance the self-organized capabilities of cognitive radio nodes, we propose to exploit the spatial resource as a further degree of freedom using antennas with orthogonal radiation patterns. We built a testbed based on a software-defined radio and an over-the-air test environment, to analyse the performance of an energy-based sensing algorithm in multiple bands and different directions. This technique enables reconstruction of primary and secondary user activities in an authentic radio environment. Initial measurements with a multi-band and directional antenna array at the device side were carried out, using eight wideband antennas in a circular arrangement at the over-the-air emulation side. These antennas were fed with static wideband signals at different carrier frequencies, emulating a line-of-sight scenario of eight primary users. The results show that the energy-based sensing algorithm is able to draw valid conclusions on user activity in different bands in different directions, indicating a possible multiple use of frequencies.