Components and implementation of a spectrum sensing network for the UHF TV band

Spectrum sensing is a major part for the implementation of Cognitive Radio (CR) systems in order to enable dynamic access to the radio frequency spectrum. This paper is about a Spectrum Sensing Network (SSN) which generates an accurate radio environment map (i.e. power over frequency, time and location) in the UHF TV band from 470 - 870 MHz. It consists of a distributed network of multiple receivers with a broadband antenna and a central data management and storage unit. This contribution focuses on the implementation of such a scanning network which has been setup as universal research platform in several halls at the fairground in Berlin. The SSN itself is part of a complex CR system for Professional Wireless Microphone Systems (PWMS) that is able to provide a dynamic frequency allocation of the connected radio links.