Requirements of an Open Platform for Cognitive Networks Experiments

Experimental research on networks of cognitive radios has been hindered by the lack of open, affordable cognitive radios and associated software that are capable of operating with the full network protocol stack. In this paper, we describe our vision of the building blocks needed to create an open platform for cognitive network experimentation and prototyping. These include mechanisms for distributed spectrum sensing, a MAC protocol tailored to dynamic spectrum access, and interface languages for cognitive networks.