A simplified IEEE 802.22 PHY layer in Matlab-Simulink and SDR platform

Due to its ability to provide high data rates and its effectiveness against multi-path delay spread commonly encountered in mobile communications channel, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) has been the modulation of choice for many current wireless communication standards including IEEE 802.11(WLAN), IEEE 802.16(WiMAX), IEEE 802.22(WRAN) and DVB-T. The IEEE 802.22 standard is now known as the Cognitive radio (CR) standard utilizing white spaces in the TV frequency spectrum and many research efforts are now focused on the use of this TV white space for providing broadband access to rural areas. In this paper a simplified IEEE 802.22 physical layer (PHY) was successfully simulated in Matlab-Simulink and implemented in real time in a Software defined radio (SDR) platform through the combination of GNU Radio and the Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP). The SDR platform as a testbed was able to demonstrate the flexibility and adaptability required of an OFDM-based PHY layer of the IEEE 802.22 standard.