2019 International Conference on Innovative Trends in Computer Engineering (ITCE’2019), Aswan, Egypt, 2-4 February 2019

Performance Evaluation of Medium Access Control

Protocols for Cognitive Radio Ad Hoc Networks
Shimaa Abdzaher 1, Mohamed Abdrabou 1, Ahmed Al-shami 2, and Imane Saroit 3
1
Computer and information technology department, Faculty of Computers and Information, Suez University, Egypt
2
Mathematical department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Egypt
3
Computer and information technology department, Faculty of Computer and Information, Cairo University, Egypt

Abstract—Cognitive radio is a smart technology which simulation model for the two C-MACs are introduced using
can enhance the wireless communications by using the NS-2. In section IV, the simulation results have been shown.
opportunistic access of the spectrum. Cognitive Radio Ad
Hoc Network is a promising wireless network which II. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED C-MACS SCENARIOS
depends on this technology. In this paper, we evaluate the
performance evaluation of two different medium Access A. Single Radio–Multi channels Cognitive Medium Access
control protocols scenarios; single radio-multi channels Control protocol
Cognitive medium Access Control Protocol and two radios In a single radio-multi channels cognitive medium Access
-multi channels cognitive medium access control protocol control protocol (1 RM-CMAC), each SU is equipped with
using Network Simulator 2 (NS-2). This study investigates one radio transceiver. “Fig. 1,” shows the flowchart of single
the impact of increasing the packet size on the performance radio-multi channels cognitive medium access control Protocol
metrics such as network throughput. Simulation results
proves that single radio-multi channels cognitive medium
access control protocol outperforms the two radios-multi Sense all LCs.
channels cognitive medium access control protocol in all
aspects of performance metrics with increasing the packet
size.
Create a free LCS list.
Keywords—Cognitive Radio; Cognitive Radio Ad Hoc
Networks; Meduim Access Control Protocols; Spectrum
Opportunstic Access. Select one of free LCS to be operating Channel.

I. INTRODUCTION
Broadcast the free channel list and selected (Chi).
Emerging the cognitive radio technology (CRT) is an
important step for enhancing the performance of wireless
communication networks. It leads to emerge an idea of new
Perform carrier sensing for selected channel (Ch i).
wireless networks called cognitive radio ad hoc networks
(CRAHNs). In CRAHNs, each user called secondary user (SU)
can communicate with another SU by opportunistically using No
the licensed channels (LCs) if the owners of the LCS called If Chi
primary users (PUs) are absent. This communication way is free
known as Opportunistic Spectrum Access (OSA). Hence, the
cognitive medium access control protocols (C-MAC) for Yes
CRAHNs have been introduced in order to simply achieve the
OSA concept [1,2,6,8,9]. Perform CSMA\ CA on (Ch i)

In this paper, we concentrate on the performance evaluation

of cognitive medium access control protocols for CRAHNs. In
section II, we describe two scenarios of C-MACs; single radio– Transmit a message
multi channels cognitive medium access control protocol (1
RM-CMAC) and two radios-multi channels cognitive medium
access control protocol (2 RM-CMAC). In section III,
Fig. 1. The flowchart for single radio–multi channels
cognitive medium access control protocol.

978-1-5386-5261-9/19/$31.00 ©2019 IEEE

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 The performance of SUs can be summarized as
follows:
• Start an initialization state for an interval time (Ti);
Sense all LCs.
• Create a free LCS list.
• Select one of free LCS to be operating Channel based
on a desired Q.o.S metric.
• Broadcast the free channel list and selected one.
• End the initialization state.
• Start operating state.
• Perform carrier sensing for selected channel (Ch i).
• If Ch i is not free, select one of free LCS to be
operating Channel based on a desired Q.o.S metric in
order to perform the hand-off process. Else, perform
CSMA\ CA on Ch i; content for Ch i, perform bake-
off, send the message and then end the operating state.
• If PU suddenly appears during the transmission, stop
the transmission.
B. Two Radio–Multi channels Cognitive Medium Access
Control protocol
The flowchart of SU activity is depicted as shown in “Fig. 2”.
Sense all LCs.
Create a free LCS list.
Select one of free LCS for the fixed radio.
Sense a selected channel (Ch i).
No
If Chi
free
Yes
Broadcast control data.
Communicate using switchable interface through Chi.
Perform CSMA\ CA on (Ch i).
Transmit a message.
Fig. 2. The flowchart for two radio–multi channels
cognitive medium access control protocol.
In two radios-multi channels cognitive medium access
control protocol (2 RM-CMAC), Every SU possess two radios
which can be operated on (N) of free channels of licensed
channels with different raw channel bandwidth. Each SU has
two radio interfaces; fixed interface and switchable one. The
SU assigns one of free licensed channels to the fixed radio
interface and dynamically change a selected channel to another
free one as soon as PU appears on it.
• Using fixed radio interface enables the SU to
perform the sensing cycle. The sensing cycle
consists of two states; sensing state for a time
interval (Ts) and control state for a time interval
(To) in order to send control data.
• By using switchable radio interface, the SU can
switch among all available channels from free
licensed channels in order to communicate to
another SU and keep the network connectivity.
The performance of SUs can be summarized as follows:
• Start initialization state for an interval time T i;
sense All LCS.
• Determine free LCs.
• Select one of free LCs in order to assign it to the
fixed radio
• Start Sensing Cycle by using a fixed radio
interface.
• Start Sensing state; sense a selected channel (Ch i)
for Ts period
• If PU appear for Ts period, then leave Ch i.
• Else, Start Control state for period to broadcast
the control data.
• Start communication state; if SU1 needs to
communicate with SU2, then it tunes its
switchable interface to the channel used by fixed
interface of SU2.
• If PU suddenly appears during the transmission,
stop the transmission.
III. STYLINSIMULATION MODEL
A. Simulation Envronment
Using “A combination” of (NS2-CRAHN) [4] an extension
of NS2 [5] and the Simulation framework for cognitive radio
network (CogNS) [7]. A simulation model was developed in
order to evaluate, test and compare the performance of the (1
RM-CMAC) protocol with the (2 RM-CMAC), protocol for the
same CRAHN. In simulated CRAHN, twenty-six SUs are
participated used eleven licensed channels. The used
propagation model of SU is Two-ray ground model. The used
routing protocol is the Dynamic source routing protocol. Each
simulation is executed 11 times and results are averaged. The
simulation time for each simulation is 100s.
B. Simulation Parametter
The CRAHN configuration and simulation setup
parameters are given in table (1).
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 TABLE1 SIMULATION PARAMETTER

50000
45000
Parameter Value / type
40000
CRAHN topology parameters 35000
30000
Network area 400 * 400 m2 Throughput
25000
(kbps)
SU number 26 20000
15000
SUs Spatial distribution Uniform random distribution
10000
Physical layer parameters 5000
0
The number of LCs 11 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000
Propagation model Two-ray ground Packet Size (bytes)
Sensing time 0.025 s
Operating time 0.6 s 2 RM-CMAC 1 RM-CMAC
Simulation time 100
Fig. 3. the impact of increasing the packet size on network throughput for
C. Performance evaluation metrics both protocols

The performance evaluation metrics used to evaluate and

test the (1 RM-CMAC) protocol with the (2 RM-CMAC),
protocol for the same CRAHN are the average throughput, the B. The impact of increasing the packet size on the packet
packet delivery ratio, and the received packets. delivery ratio
“Fig.4,” shows the impact of increasing the packet size on the
IV. SIMULATION RESULTS packet delivery ratio. It is noticed that the packet delivery ratio
The impact of increasing the packet size on the of the simulated scenario using the 1 RM-CMAC protocol is
performance metrics (e.g. the network throughput, the packet better than it using 2 RM-CMAC protocol.
delivery ratio, and the received packets) have been
investigated. Simulation results displays that single radio-multi
800000
Channels Cognitive medium Access Control Protocol (1 RM-
CMAC) outperforms the two radios-multi channels cognitive 700000
medium access control protocol (2 RM-CMAC) in all aspects 600000
of performance metrics with increasing the packet size. In next
sub sections, the impact of increasing the packet size on the Packet 500000
performance metrics (the average throughput, the packet delivary 400000
delivery ratio, and the received packets) are illustrated in ratio 300000
details.
200000
A. The impact of increasing the packet size on the Avrage 100000
throuput 0
“Fig. 3,” shows the impact of increasing the packet size on 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000
the network throughput. It is noticed that the average Packet Size(bytes)
throughput of the simulated scenario using the 1 RM-CMAC
protocol is better than it using 2 RM-CMAC protocol.
2RM-CMAC 1RM-CMAC

Fig. 4. the impact of increasing the packet size on packet delivery ratio for
both protocols

C. The impact of increasing the packet size on the received

packet
“Fig.5,” shows the impact of increasing the packet size on the
received packet. It is noticed that the received packet of the
simulated scenario using the 1 RM-CMAC protocol is better
than it using 2 RM-CMAC protocol.

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 in Cognitive Radio Networks", IEEE Wireless
Communnication Letters,vol. 6(3), pp.358-361,2017.
70000 [4] M. Di Felice, K Chowdhury, W kim, A.Kassler, L.
60000 Bononi, “ End-to-end protocols for Cognitive Radio Ad
Hoc Networks: An evaluation study”, ELSVEIR, J.
50000 performance evaluation., vol. 68, pp. 859-875, 2011.
[5] https://ns2tutor.weebly.com/simulation-of-adhoc-
Recieved 40000 networks.html. Last access August 2018.
Packet 30000 [6] Y. Han, E. Ekici, H. Kremo, O. Altintas, "A survey of
MAC issues for TV white space access", ElSIEVER, J.
20000 Ad Hoc Networks, vol. 27, pp. 195–218, 2015.
10000 [7] http://cogns.net/. Last access August 2018.
[8] H. Al-Mahdi, M. Kalil, “A Dynamic Hop-Aware Buffer Management
0 Scheme for Multi-Hop Ad Hoc Networks”, Jour. IEEE Wireless
1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 Commun. Letters, vol 6(1), pp.22-25, 2017.
Packet Size (bytes) [9] Z. Fuhui , W. Yongpeng, L. Ying-Chang, L. Zan, W.
Yuhao, W. Kai-Kit, “ State of the Art, Taxonomy, and
Open Issues on Cognitive Radio Networks with NOMA”,
2RM-CMAC 1RM-CMAC IEEE Wireless Communications, vol. 25(2), pp.1-17,
2018.

Fig.5. the impact of increasing the packet size on received packet for both
protocols

V. Conclusion
We perform simulation model to evaluate the performance of
C-MACs for CRAHNs. The impacts of increasing the packet
size affect the performance of whole CRAHNs. Simulation
results displays that single radio-multi channels cognitive
medium access control protocol outperforms two radios-Multi
Channels Cognitive medium Access Control Protocol in all
aspects of performance metrics with increasing the packet size.
We noticed that the sensing cycle of 2RM-MAC is responsible
for lower performance metrics of 2RM-CMAC than
performance metrics of 1RM-CMAC.
The cons of using both protocols:
1. Both protocols utilize licensed channel without using
dedicated common control channel for control
packets.
2. They use dynamic manner to enhance the access to
the spectrum.
3. They consider the Q.o.S requirements.
The pros of using 2 RM-CMAC protocol:
1. 2 RM-CMAC protocol is used two radios. Hence, it
does not save the battery live.
2. In2 RM-CMAC protocol, the transmission will stop
if PU appears in the operating channel.

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