Cognitive Radio Capability for Software Defined Radios

A Cognitive Radio (CR) is a radio in which communication systems are aware of their environment and internal state and can make decisions about their radio operating behavior based on that information and predefined objectives. Space Coast Communication Systems, Inc. and sub-contractor GDC4S are well established in the fields of Software-Defined Radio, Cognitive Radio and JTRS. We propose a review of the current state of the art in CR and seek to identify a few candidate technologies that both offer value and are sufficiently mature for migration to the JTRS enterprise. Our proposed effort includes definition of new JTRS API’s and extensions to existing JTRS API’s in order to allow access to these new cognitive capabilities. Our experience with the JTRS HMS program gives us confidence that this platform and other platforms across the enterprise are both capable of hosting and benefiting from some of the CR technologies. Our final proposed focus is on the design of a spectrum sensing capability – a requirement for CR - and the design of two physical layer approaches that can immediately tap into the benefits of Dynamic Spectrum Access, one of the more gainful aspects of CR technology.