Application of Short Erasure Correcting Codes for Cognitive Radio

We address the application of using short erasure correcting codes for cognitive radio applications. In order to optimize the efficiency of secondary user in cognitive radio we need to find the optimum functioning point on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for sensing impairments. This optimum functioning point depends on the parameters of sensing impairments, the activity of PU, and code parameters including minimum distance, length and rate. We have given preference to short codes over long codes in order to minimize the latency of whole system. We have compared the efficiency achieved using short codes with short and long LDPC codes. We have also discussed the scenario of multiple secondary users for cognitive radio application (for example using WiFi in TV white spaces), erasure correcting codes can be used for the recovery of erased data of all secondary users. We show that there is a trade-off among PU's activity, the code properties (length, rate, minimum distance, etc.) and the maximum achievable efficiency.