VHF Spectrum Monitoring Using Meraka Cognitive Radio Platform

Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum is a natural resource widely used by wireless network operators to provide radio communications or transmission systems (e.g. telephone operators and TV broadcast stations). Scarcity of RF spectrums has led to the enhancement of new techniques for better utilization of the RF spectrums. The questions asked are how much RF spectrum is available and can be used opportunistically and dynamically without interfering with licensed or primary users (PUs)? More so, how will the frequency at which the PU is operating are protected against its usage by the unlicensed or secondary user (SU)? In this paper, we present work that is currently going on with regard to the use of Software Defined Radio (SDR) to utilize RF spectrum usage. We discuss the Meraka Cognitive Radio Platform (MCRP) developed using the second version of the Universal Serial Radio Peripheral (USRP2) hardware and the GNU Radio software. We also discussed how the spectrum monitoring system is being implemented on the MCRP. Lastly, the result of the measurements which were conducted using the MCRP is also presented. These measurements were conducted in South Africa.