Cognitive Radio Simulation based on OMNeT++/MiXiM

Authors

Abstract

Cognitive Radio (CR) is a recent paradigm which aims at increasing the efficiency of spectrum usage. Basically, this goal is achieved by opening the entire radio spectrum to unlicensed accesses as long as any harmful interference to licensed users is avoided. One of the possible approaches consists in enabling the unlicensed users to opportunistically access vacant spectrum bands (i.e., through dynamic spectrum access). This is the designated CR overlay approach. Currently, as we are engaged in research activities on overlay-based CR, we developed a generic CR simulation framework. Its main goal is to reduce the effort which will be necessary to develop the simulation models for our proposals and, therefore, simplify their validation and evaluation. OMNeT++/MiXiM was chosen as the developing platform, mainly due to its open source nature, its well-organized modular architecture, the existing documentation, and the provided IDE (Integrated Development Environment). This paper aims at describing, through a tutorial approach, the developed CR framework in terms of its most relevant characteristics, as well as a first experience in using it. Concretely, two CR medium access control protocols were successfully modeled. From this first experience, it can also be concluded that the presented CR framework definitively meets the objectives it was developed for.

Keywords

Cognitive Radio, Medium Access Control, OMNeT++, MiXiM, Simulation

Subject

Cognitive Radio

Conference

11ª Conferência sobre Redes de Computadores, CRC 2011, November 2011

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