A Cognitive Radio Network Testbed for Wireless Communication and Signal Processing Education
Timothy R. Newman, Tamal Bose · 2009
Typical wireless communication and signal processing education involves, initially mastering theory and then transitioning to studying specific protocols and applications. We present a physical cognitive radio network testbed, developed at Virginia Tech that has interfaces that enable it to be an educational resource using open source software and a simple component-based modeling structure. This testbed advances the educational opportunities available to the cognitive radio wireless communication and signal processing communities by providing a "real-world" platform where students can develop and test cognitive radio protocols and applications and observe how they react in a real wireless environment. Using simple interfaces, students will be able to rapidly develop algorithms and deploy them in a real wireless environment saving time in developing component evaluation and simulation techniques, yet providing them with valid feedback about how their components interactedwith the environment.