Implementation of Energy Detector Using Software-Defined Radio

Spectrum sensing plays a fundamental role in monitoring electromagnetic environments. It allows for the building of situation awareness and more effective spectrum management, especially in cognitive radio networks. One possible method to conduct such task is implementing energy detection algorithms. In this paper, we present a practical implementation of an energy detector algorithm and noise power estimation to ensure effective detection of radio emissions. For this purpose, we use software-defined radio (SDR) controlled by a microcomputer. Such equipment was mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle, which provides greater freedom in realizing spectrum monitoring for various spatial scenarios. The SDR utilization allows for free adjustment of basic parameters, such as operating frequency, received signal bandwidth, and gain. We conducted a preliminary test of the developed solution in a real environment. For this purpose, we used two Baofeng radios working at different frequencies. The obtained results provide a basis for further work in the field of spectrum monitoring.