Testing of policy-based dynamic spectrum access radios

Policy-driven Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) systems are emerging as one of the key technologies to enable the Department of Defense (DoD) to meet its increasing requirements for access to the electromagnetic spectrum. A key open issue surrounding deployment and continuing development of DSA systems concerns (1) the need to test and evaluate the performance of DSA in avoiding interference to itself and assigned incumbent users and (2) the performance of DSA network in the presence of various types of potential interference. In this paper we describe test framework and concepts to characterize performance of DSA-enabled policy-based radios. Our test framework includes tests to characterize the inherent interference-avoidance characteristics of DSA, such as the time to abandon a channel, as well as tests that address performance implications of a particular DSA policy. The test framework also provides for the ability to inject a relevant electromagnetic environment (EME). The proposed framework is flexible allowing for customization of the relevant test conditions, such as the EME, and facilitates simulation of typical communications events such as network formation and fragmentation.