A novel double threshold-based spectrum sensing technique at low SNR under noise uncertainty for Cognitive Radio Systems

Abstract Cognitive Radio is a novel concept that has invoked a paradigm shift in wireless communication and promises to solve the problem of spectrum underutilization. Spectrum sensing plays a pivotal role in a cognitive radio system by detecting the vacant spectrum for establishing a communication link. For any spectrum sensing method, detection probability and error probability portray a significant part in quantifying the detection performance. At low SNR, it becomes cumbersome to differentiate noise and signal due to which sensing method loses robustness and reliability. In this paper, mathematical modeling and critical measurement of detection probabilities has been done for energy detection-based spectrum sensing at low SNR in uncertain noisy environment. A mathematical model has been proposed to compute double thresholds for reliable sensing when the observed energy is less than the uncertainty in the noise power. A novel parameter “Threshold Wall” has been formulated for optimum threshold selection to overcome sensing failure. Comparative simulation and analytical result measurements have been presented that reveals improved sensing performance.