Comparative Analysis of Algorithms Governing Spectrum Handoff in Cognitive Radio Networks

Wireless Communication technology has completely adopted the dynamic spectrum access policy due to the prevailing issues of spectrum scarcity. Cognitive Radio Networks have been the most successful strategy to overcome this issue of spectrum scarcity. Cognitive Radio Networks is the technology of dynamic spectrum access that is allowing clients of multiple types for transmitting data on a single channel. The unlicensed users also termed Secondary Users (SU) are allowed to function in the particular channel when the licensed user or the Primary Users (PU) is not present. When a PU arrives on that channel, the SU needs to vacate the particular frequency and continue the communication on another channel that is free. Such a phenomenon is known to be spectrum handoff. A spectrum handoff results in poor performance of the SU. In order to improve the performance of a SU, an effective algorithm governing the spectrum handoff is required. The two most effective algorithms governing the spectrum handoff are the Probabilistic Approach Algorithm (PAA) and the Channel Status Flag Bit Algorithm (CSFBA). This paper presents a comparative analysis of these two major algorithms on the basis of performance and other parameters like latency due to handoff, energy consumption accuracy as well as needs of memory. The results suggest which algorithm suits best for a given scenario.