Sensing-throughput tradeoff for cognitive radio networks

In cognitive radio networks, the secondary network (users) are allowed to utilize the frequency bands of primary network (users) when they are not currently being used. To support this function, the secondary users are required to sense the radio frequency environment, and once the primary user is found to be active, the secondary users have to vacate the channel within certain amount of time. There are two parameters related to channel sensing: probability of detection and probability of false alarm. The higher the detection probability, the better the primary users can be protected. However, from the secondary users' perspective, the lower the false alarm probability, the more chances the channel can be reused, thus the higher the achievable throughput for the secondary users. In this paper, we study the fundamental tradeoff between sensing capability and achievable throughput of the secondary users. Particularly, we study the design of sensing slot duration to maximize the achievable throughput for the secondary users under the constraint that the primary users are sufficiently protected. Using energy detection scheme, we prove that there indeed exists an optimal sensing time which provides the best tradeoff. Cooperative sensing is also studied based on the methodology of the proposed sensing-throughput tradeoff. Computer simulations are presented to evaluate the proposed tradeoff methodology.