Cyclostationarity-based detector for OFDM signals with correlated pilot subcarriers

In this paper we propose a cyclostationarity-based detector for cognitive radio applications which is able to identify OFDM signals using correlated pilot subcarriers. Cyclostationary properties of such signals are uniquely determined by the frequency location of the pilots, thus enabling precise signal identification. The detection algorithm proposed makes full use of the cyclostationary specificities of the target signal and is robust to frequency-selective channel fading. Detailed setup of the detector is explained for the case of IEEE 802.11a signals and computer simulation results are presented to confirm the performances of the proposed detector.