A GNU radio-based signal detector for cognitive radio systems

This paper deals with the hardware and software architecture of a signal detector prototype. It is able to observe a wide band and to find, in such band, the empty or occupied channels. It is intended to be used either in telecommunication devices or in spectrum monitoring instruments working in the new scenarios of telecommunications, where a flexible and dynamic spectrum management will be introduced. The signal detector has been validated on simulated and emulated signals showing high detection percentages even with low signal to noise ratios.