Date of Award

3-24-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

First Advisor

Richard Martin, PhD.

Abstract

The goal of this thesis is to identify and evaluate weaknesses in the rendezvous process for Cognitive Radio Networks (CRNs) in the presence of a Cognitive Jammer (CJ). Jamming strategies are suggested and tested for effectiveness. Methods for safe- guarding the Cognitive Radios (CRs) against a CJ are also explored. A simulation is constructed to set up a scenario of two CRs interacting with a CJ. Analysis of the simulation is conducted primarily at the waveform level. A hardware setup is constructed to analyze the system in the physical layer, verify the interactions from the simulation, and test in a low signal-to-interference and noise ratio (SINR) environment. The hardware used in this thesis is the Wireless Open-Access Research Platform. Performance metrics from open literature and independent testing are compared against those captured from the jamming tests. The goal of testing is to evaluate and quantify the ability to delay the rendezvous process of a CRN. There was some success in delaying rendezvous, even in a high SINR environment. Jamming strategies include a jammer that repeats an observed channel-hopping pattern, a jammer with random inputs using the same algorithm of the CRs, a jammer that estimates channel-hopping parameters based on observations, and a random channel-hopping jammer. Results were compared against control scenarios, consisting of no jamming and a jammer that is always jamming on the same channel as one of the CRs. The repeater, random inputs to the CR algorithm, observation-based estimation jammer, and the random channel hopping jammer were mildly successful in delaying rendezvous at about 0%, 9%, 0%, and 1%, respectively. The jammer that is always on the same channel as a CR had an overall rendezvous delay about 13% of the time.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-ENG-MS-16-M-015

DTIC Accession Number

AD1054814

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