Performance limits of cooperative energy detection in fading environments

In this paper, the performance of energy detector-based spectrum sensor networks is examined under the constraints of the IEEE 802.22 draft specification. Additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels are first considered, and a closed form solution for sample complexity is derived for networks of any size. Rayleigh, Nakagami and Rice fading channel models are also examined, with numerical results demon-strating the effect of these models on the required sample complexity for varying numbers of cooperating nodes. Based on these results, the relationship between the sample complexity for AWGN, Rayleigh and Nakagami channels is examined. Through data fitting, an approximate model is derived, allowing the sample complexity for Rayleigh and Nakagami channels to be computed easily. The model is shown to be accurate across a range of practical values.