Performance Analysis of Dynamic Spectrum Access Networks

In future dynamic spectrum access (DSA) wireless networks, secondary users can make use of spectrum opportunities dynamically for communications. These opportunities are available when primary users do not use their licensed spectrum slots. In this paper we study the scenario where spectrum opportunities are characterized by the ON/OFF distribution. As a result, the queueing system can be analyzed using the well-established theory of fluid flow models and effective bandwidth. Based on a refinement to the original effective bandwidth approximation, we derive the packet loss probability for secondary users access to the available channels. Theoretical and numerical analyses are used to investigate the impacts of various parameters of the underlying DSA link model on the system performance.