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crSimulator: A discrete simulation model for cognitive radio ad hoc networks in

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 crSimulator: A Discrete Simulation Model for
Cognitive Radio Ad hoc Networks in OMNeT++
Shah Nawaz Khan∗ , Mohamed A. Kalil∗† , Andreas Mitschele-Thiel∗
∗ IntegratedCommunication Systems Group
Ilmenau University of Technology, Ilmenau, Germany
† Faculty of Science, Suez University, Suez, Egypt
Email: shah-nawaz.khan,mohamed.abdrabou,mitsch@tu-ilmenau.de
Abstract—Cognitive Radio is an exciting new technology for
efficient use of radio spectrum. Research on cognitive radio has
for a large part, focused on physical layer issues such as robust
spectrum sensing and radio environment characterization. The
networking of cognitive radio nodes is equally important however
as new protocols need to be developed to cope with physical layer
dynamics. The lack of a widely used and open source simulation
platform has been a hindrance in this regard. In this paper, we
present crSimulator, which is a discrete simulation model for cog-
nitive radio ad hoc networks in OMNeT++. We present the core
concepts, major requirements, architectural model of cognitive
radio nodes, and the implementation details of crSimulator. The
crSimulator model effectively captures the physical layer level
dynamics and facilitates higher layers protocol research. The
model is validated with an implementation of cognitive radio
MAC protocol having spectrum sensing and handover features
together with a node architecture designed to operate in ad hoc
networks.
I. I NTRODUCTION
Radio frequency spectrum is a precious and scarce resource
from wireless communication perspective. It is well recog-
nized, that the spectrum utilization approach based on fixed
licensed allocation to different organizations is very inefficient
as it develops the spectrum scarcity and under-utilization
problems [1]. Cognitive Radio (CR) is widely considered to
be the way forward for efficient utilization of radio spectrum
[2]. Research is fundamental for any new technology before its
applications can be realized and therefore CR research is being
actively pursued by academia and industry. CR and wireless
communication in general, combines both digital and analog
aspects of communication. The RF signal propagating through
physical environment and the different phenomena affecting it
such as fading, scattering, and diffraction etc., are intrinsically
analog and for a large part non-deterministic. On the other
hand, all processes within a wireless communication node
beyond the antenna are intrinsically discrete and processed
in bits, bytes, or packets. The research on physical layer
and networking has largely remained isolated and researcher
of one field usually abstracts the details of the other. This
is one of the main reasons why different simulation and
prototyping tools are used by researchers working in these
domains. Researchers working on signal propagation, effects
of antenna, transceiver, and other physical and hardware issues
generally use MATLAB [3] as a test platform which provides
a wide range of models and analysis tools with a continuous-
time simulation model. Networking researchers on the other
hand use discrete time simulation tools such as NS2/3 [4]
or OMNeT++ [5]. Both these domains present their own
challenges and this is one of the main reason why research
has remained isolated in each area. Bridging the two domains
with realistic models has never been actively pursued primarily
since the dependencies are mostly abstracted in each field.
The opportunistic spectrum use of CR creates new challenges
such as channel mobility/handover, interference avoidance
with primary users, efficient detection and use of spectrum
opportunities etc. Dealing with these challenges requires ef-
ficient and robust sensing of the RF environment and its
usage through reconfigurable transmission. As most of these
issues are addressed at the antenna, transceiver and physical
layer level, networking aspects have remained largely un-
addressed. It is understandable however, that the lower layers
dynamics of CR directly impact the higher layers entities
and their performance. It is very difficult for example to
provide guarantees of quality of service for an application
when the wireless channel not only fluctuates in performance
over time but also can be switched over or turned off due
to primary user’s appearance on that channel. A hindrance
for networking research in CR domain is the lack of widely
used simulation tools and models that can effectively abstract
the physical layer dynamics and provide a discrete model for
analyzing the performance of higher layers entities. Research
on communication technologies requires robust and realistic
prototyping tools and models before implementation in real
systems can be realized.
A number of discrete event based simulation platforms
exists which have been used extensively for communication
networks research. However, the need for a model designed
specifically for CR nodes and networks still exists for research
on link layer and higher entities. This paper presents a new dis-
crete simulation model for CR ad hoc networks in OMNeT++
called crSimulator. The crSimulator model facilitates CR
research by providing a component based node architecture
which stems from our previous work on a prototype CR ad
hoc network [6]. Our presented model has all the benefits of
OMNeT++ object oriented modular concepts and can easily be
extended for any discrete component-based nodes and network
architectures. The physical layer dynamics of CR are captured
thorough simple yet realistic modeling of radio spectrum.
Additionally, the model provides components for some of
the core functions of CR such as spectrum sensing and re-
configurable physical and link layers.
The rest of the paper is organized as follows. Section
II presents the related work on simulation models for CR
networks and summarizes their benefits and shortcomings.
The requirements for a CR specific simulation model are
highlighted in section III. The details of crSimulator model
are given in section IV together with the details on its
implementation and modeling concepts. The limitations of the
crSimulator model are addressed in section V along with the
possible extensions from other models. The details of a CR
specific CSMA MAC protocol are presented in section VI
including some preliminary simulation results of a CR ad hoc
network. The paper concludes in section VII with a summary
of the contributions of this paper and future scope of the work.
II. R ELATED W ORK
Cognitive radio is relatively new field of research when
compared with wireless communication or communication
networks in general. The relative freshness of this field is
one reason why the focus has mainly been laid on the
most important issues for CR networks realization which are
mostly related to physical layer and RF signals. However,
the importance of networking can not be underestimated
since the real benefit of a communication system is generally
measured in application performance which highly depends on
the networking and protocols of communication. A number of
well-known discrete event simulation systems exist including
NS2, NS3, [4] and OMNeT++ [5] but none of these provide
intrinsic CR specific network simulation models. NS2 and
OMNeT++ are open source simulators and are widely used
for communication networks research. The lack of intrinsic
support of these tools for wireless communication have driven
researcher to develop models for these simulation platforms
catering for the needs of specific research groups. Cognitive
radio network simulator is a model developed for NS2 and
available online for download [7]. This model is based on
providing an array of NS2 radio modules which can be dynam-
ically configured through reconfiguration API. The provided
API can be used to reconfigure transmission parameters of
radio model such as frequency, power, modulation scheme,
etc. Although this model has been around for many years, its
adoption in research community is very limited. One of the
prime reason we believe is the inherent complexity of NS2
simulator itself which relies totally on creating OTcl scripts
for simulations. The new version NS3 aims to reduce the
complexity of NS2 but the existing models based on NS2 OTcl
scripts will not work in NS3. NS3 uses C++ programs similar
to OMNeT++ or python scripts to define simulations.
Several studies have advocated the use of OMNeT++ for
network simulation highlighting its benefits over NS2 [8] [9].
To compensate for the lack of built-in support for simulating
wireless networks, several models have been developed for
OMNeT++ by different research organizations such as INET
Framework, Mixim model, and Veins [5] etc. Mixim model is
the most widely used model for wireless and ad hoc network
simulations in OMNeT++. Mixim is a merger of several old
models catering for mobility, localization, signal propagation,
and medium access requirements. However, none of the avail-
able models has been designed for CR networks, resulting
in research efforts of extending these models. The authors in
[10] present a multi-radio based extension of Mixim model.
They modify the physical layer implementation of Mixim
by combining an array of different radio and MAC modules
with application layer module to simulate the modern-day
smartphones. Their implementation essentially combined low
energy consuming radio modules with high energy consuming
modules to represent multi-radio based wireless communi-
cation devices. Although the logic of multiple radios with
different MAC modules applies to CR nodes in an abstract
way, their implementation is not suitable for Software Defined
Radio (SDR) based nodes where one wide-band transceiver is
assumed to operate on many channels with the help of a SDR
module. In [11], the authors extend the ConnectionManager
module of Mixim model which is responsible for determining
wireless connections between nodes based on their distance, to
incorporate sub-channel concept. They implement an Iterative
Water Filling (IWF) algorithm based on their extension. The
most specific extension of Mixim model for CR networks
simulation is presented in [12]. They introduce a CR specific
NIC to the Mixim based nodes. Their extension is also based
on multiple controllable radios within a CR node through a
CR MAC protocol. The CR MAC protocol together with the
array of static and reconfigurable radios are combined into
a OMNeT++ compound module called CR-NIC. They also
implement the spectrum sensing function through a scanner
module and present a Cognitive Engine (CE) module responsi-
ble for reconfiguration. Additionally, they implement a couple
of CR specific MAC protocols to validate their extension.
One of the main problems with models based on extension
of Mixim is their re-use. Mixim itself is a combination of
many earlier models developed for OMNeT++ and some
of the design choices made at the time of development of
those models do not suit the new version and capabilities of
OMNeT++ simulator.
A few models developed from scratch using programming
languages and existing libraries also exist in literature. In [13],
the authors present a C/C++ based simulator for CR research.
They implement a modular CR node with a typical TCP/IP
protocol stack. They provide the architectural details and give
a brief description of all implemented modules. Stemming
from a project, their platform is not available as open source
and hence does not meet any requirements outlined here.
In [14], the authors present another candidate platform for
CR simulation developed in C++. They use IT++ library
to develop an infrastructure-based model for CR simulation.
Their developed model does not cater for the requirements
of CR ad hoc networks and does not provide a component
based template for CR nodes. To summarize the state of the
art, it can be concluded that there is a genuine need for a CR
specific model that is easier to integrate into any particular
network simulation scenario and is extensible. The lack of
such a commonly used model not only creates doubts about
the validation of different CR specific protocols but also results
in duplication of efforts. The available models are either too
complex or based on specific tools which are hard to abstract
into any general CR networking scenario.
III. CR S IMULATION R EQUIREMENTS
Before going into the details of the proposed crSimulator
model, it is important to consider the requirements of a generic
simulation model for CR ad hoc networks. It is also important
to highlight some functional requirements for a model intended
to serve as a template for different types of simulations in a
particular domain such as CR networks.
A. Environment Modeling
Environment modeling is particularly important since the
performance of a CR is highly dependent on the environment
in which it operates. Environment modeling includes the rep-
resentation of the effects of physical objects such as buildings,
trees, cars, etc. The effects of such objects are usually in terms
of improvement or degradation of the signals or packets. A
CR specific model should provide an abstraction of signal
propagation in a simulated physical environment containing
static and mobile objects.
B. Radio spectrum Modeling
The representation of radio signals and their propagation
characteristics depending upon different transmission parame-
ters, environment, and mobility of signal generators/radiators
are fundamental to CR and wireless networks simulation.
For a discrete event simulation model, the continuous/analog
propagation nature of signal and attenuation effects need to
be abstracted through modifying the transmitted data packets
over wireless channels. Additionally, the model should be able
to treat different types of signals in a different manner taking
into consideration the properties of the radiated signal and the
simulated physical environment.
C. Architecture Modeling
For a simulation model intended to support CR networking
research, it must provide support for designing the internal
architecture of all participating radio entities such as primary
and secondary users, base stations, etc. A component based
modular architecture is most suitable for designing internal
architecture of nodes. In addition, the model should provide
abstract API’s for data and control message exchange among
the internal components of a simulated node.
D. Non-functional Requirements
In addition to the above modeling requirements, several non-
functional requirements should be addressed by a simulation
model in order to facilitate its adoption and use. A generic sim-
ulation model should be simple to use in different simulation
scenarios and should be extensible to incorporate additional
functionality and features over time. The implementation of
the core framework of the model should be abstracted from
the developers in order to avoid complexity and facilitate
extensibility. Additionally, the model should be efficient in
execution and should not be a resource sapping entity in the
simulation environment.
IV. CR S IMULATOR M ODEL
The crSimulator model is developed for OMNeT++ sim-
ulation platform with an architecture inspired from Mixim
model and our previous work in [6]. OMNeT++ provides
several benefits which make it a clear choice for networks
simulation research [5]. The separation of functionality im-
plemented in C++ from the design of nodes and networks
through NED language, makes OMNeT++ very suitable for
developing generic models for networking research. Several
implementations can be developed for example for a single
layer of the protocol stack without changing anything in the
architecture of a simulated node. The crSimulator is entirely
based on OMNeT++ ver. 4.2.2 and derives some design
inspiration from Mixim model. This section presents a detailed
top-down description of crSimulator and its implementation.
A. Architecture
The fluctuations of a RF channel in opportunistic commu-
nication of CR networks are fundamental for a CR simula-
tion model. The crSimulator abstracts the channel dynamics
through a Spectrum module which is simple yet sufficient for
CR network simulations. In most communication networks,
the issues of networking are addressed through stacked pro-
tocols implemented in different layers. Most of the internal
architecture of a node is modeled through the TCP/IP based
layered structured. To model a node, the crSimulator pro-
vides a layered structure for implementing communication
protocols but also provides additional components responsible
for carrying out CR specific tasks such as spectrum sensing.
The overall structure of a basic CR node is shown in figure
1. The base CR node is an implementation of a practical
node architecture presented in our previous work in [6] and
has been developed using the simple and compound modules
concept of OMNeT++. The base CR node however is easily
extensible by sub-classing the base modules provided by the
model. In essence, the base CR node can also be used to
model a primary user in the simulation setup. We shall now
present an overview of the modules shown in figure 1 and
their implementation. For details on the specific purpose of
components such as Cognitive Engine and Resource Map
within a CR node architecture, the reader is encouraged to
refer to [6].
B. Layers of Protocol Stack
The class and module hierarchy for the protocol layers
inside the base CR node is shown in figure 2. The module
interface defines the structure of the layer which consists of
many gates providing interfaces for data and control message
exchange and is similar to the Mixim model implementation.
Providing separate interfaces for control and data message
 Base Cognitive Radio
Node
Battery Statistics
Application Layer
Signaling & Communication
Resource
Map
Cognitive
Engine
Spectrum
Sensor
Data Links
Control Links
RF Spectrum
Fig. 1. Architecture of a base cognitive radio node [6]
exchange is very useful for simplifying the protocol imple-
mentation. Contrary to the Mixim implementation however,
the base layer provides inout gates instead of separate input
and output gates. The base layer provides ctrlUpper, ctrlLower,
dataUpper, and dataLower gates which are used for commu-
nication with upper and lower layers for control and data
message exchange respectively. Additionally, the base layer
also provides an inout gate called sclInterface which is used
for enabling cross-layer design and communication. The base
layer module does not enforce connectivity of gates by default
and hence the ctrlUpper and dataUpper of application layer
for example can remain unconnected. The base layers do not
provide any functionality and have to be extended into CR
specific implementation modules as shown in figure 2. At the
current stage of the development, the crSimulator provides an
implementation of Application, CR MAC and Physical layers,
Spectrum Sensor, and RF spectrum modules. The other mod-
ules only provide the necessary functionality to support the
existing simulations scenarios in the model. Network layer for
example is implemented to select any random neighbor node
as a destination for communication while the transport layer
only pipes the data and control messages. It is understandable
however, that the implementation of algorithms for different
layers be open to the research community and in time will
be integrated in the model. The details of the most important
functional modules is provided below.
• Application Layer: The application layer implementa-
tion allows for simulation of normal and heavy load
scenarios. The application layer can generate bursts of
fixed or random amounts of data for transmission based
on the settings in the configuration file. In addition,
the application layer can collect statistics of successful
and failed communication attempts through the signal-
ing feature introduced in newer versions of OMNeT++
simulator.
• CR MAC Layer: Medium access in CR networks is
most important for achieving the intelligent behavior of
spectrum selection and mobility. The MAC protocols
Module Interface
Base Layer
Transport Layer
Network Layer
Base CR Implementation
CR MAC Layer
Fig. 2. Module and class hierarchy of layers
Physical
Layer
for CR must provide additional features not required in
legacy wireless networks. Since channel availability is
dynamic, the CR MAC protocol must have a channel
mobility/handover mechanism and need to interface with
a spectrum sensor which can provide it with information
about the activities on all available channels. Addition-
ally, when a large number of channel are available for
communication, selecting the most appropriate channel
in quick time can only be done through an efficient
CR specific MAC protocol. Currently, a CSMA based
MAC protocol with channel mobility functionality is
implemented in crSimulator. This protocol is highly con-
figurable through many parameters through the config-
uration file. The protocol can work with/without frame
acknowledgment at the link layer, can sense the used
channel periodically for primary users appearance, and
publish many run-time parameters to other modules such
as the Resource Map. The user can also control the time
which the protocol takes to switch communication to a
new data channel in case of primary user appearance to
model different hardware properties.
• Physical Layer: The physical layer models the hardware
of a transceiver and adds the transmission related infor-
mation to every outgoing data packet on any particular
channel. These information is used by the RF spectrum
module to apply signal propagation abstractions to the
data. The rationale behind having only one physical
layer module interfaced to all available channels of RF
spectrum is that of a Software Defined Radio (SDR) in
which a wide-band transceiver is considered to be the
radio front-end and all the signal processing is done in
software. This is in contrast to many available models
for wireless simulation where every MAC protocol is
associated with one or many pre-defined NIC modules.
We believe that SDR based CR nodes should be modeled
with one radio front-end which can dynamically alter
the transmission parameters instead of switching the
transmission to a new NIC module whenever a change is
needed. This design is particularly suitable for a model
for CR simulation since the MAC protocol can be relieved
from dynamically interfacing with many radio front-ends.

C. Spectrum Sensor Module
Spectrum sensing is fundamental in CR for finding com-
munication opportunities and for protecting PUs from in-
terference. The spectrum sensor module actively senses the
available channels for primary and secondary users’ activities
and updates an internal list of channels state. By default, the
spectrum sensor modules always keeps the accurate channel
availability information but a level of uncertainty can be
introduced through configuration. The spectrum sensor module
is tightly interfaced with CR MAC protocol which can query it
for different types of channel sensing operations. For example,
at the start of transmission, the MAC layer can ask for any
available channel free for transmission but during transmission
the MAC can also ask for sensing only the active data channel
in order to avoid interference with PUs. The spectrum sensing
is also very important for modules such as Resource Map
and Cognitive Engine which are responsible for knowledge
aggregation and decisions making respectively. The details of
those modules including the Signaling and Communication
module however, is beyond the scope of this paper and
interested reader can find more details in [15] [16]. Additional
configuration of spectrum sensor module includes the pattern
of channel sensing, the time consumed in sensing each chan-
nel, and the energy consumed during sensing. The channel
sensing pattern is important for example for the research on
adaptive spectrum sensing in CR.
D. RF Spectrum Module
In a discrete event simulation system such as OMNeT++,
the signal propagation effects can be modeled through mod-
ification of data inside a packet traveling via a particular
wireless channel. This approach has been used in Mixim
model in which a signal object is attached to every application
data packet containing channel and transmission information.
Mixim uses a centralized approach for this and alters the
contents of the signal object based on many parameters such as
distance between nodes, the channel on which packet was sent,
and other attributes of fading and noise. crSimulator models
a similar approach where each outgoing packet from a node
is additionally piggybacked with control information similar
to those discussed above. The RF spectrum module looks into
this information and can treat each packet according to the
transmission parameters. Figure 3 shows an abstraction of
this concept. The user can specify the number of channels
in a spectrum and the channel properties according to their
simulation requirements. The capability of a CR node to
operate on all or a subset of the available radio spectrum is
assigned in the physical layer of the node. This also implies
that different CR nodes can operate on different channels
thereby requiring an initial Rendezvous or network setup phase
before any communication can take place. Alternatively, one
channel among the available can be used as common control
channel for all network or a subset of nodes. When a node
sends data on channel 1 for example, the RF spectrum module
looks into the control information of the packet and can
handle it differently from communication of channel 2. The
RF Spectrum Module
Ch 1 {channel properties}
Ch 2
.
Ch 3
Ch n
Fig. 3. Abstraction of channels into Spectrum module
modifications to the data packets by RF spectrum module
should be based on accurate propagation models especially
when doing research on physical layer issues. The connection
management among nodes is left to topology generators in
OMNeT++ and the user can also create his/her own topologies
and connections. This also implies that crSimulator does not
currently support the mobility of the nodes within simulation
environment which is addressed later in the paper.
E. Battery & Statistics
The purpose of these modules is evident form their name.
The battery modules is provided for energy efficiency related
research. It can receive direct signals from all components
within the base CR node and can reduce the abstract battery
level depending upon the signal. The statistics module is
used for collection of different parameters from the protocols
working in different layers. Both these modules are extensible
and can also be switched off altogether, if not required.
F. Message Types
The crSimulator model defines only three message types
which are data, control, and timer messages. All the commu-
nication over wireless channels is done through data message
types. These include both the application data and control
messages. The timer and control message types are used only
within a CR node and different layers can use them for
different purposes. Keeping the number of message types to
a minimum is useful for their handling and for programming
protocols in C++.
V. L IMITATIONS & E XTENSION
The development of crSimulator is an ongoing work in
Cognitive Radio Networks Group (CRNG) within the scope
of International Graduate School on Mobile Communication
[17]. Many extensions are planned to broaden the scope of
crSimulator for CR research. This section addresses some of
the existing limitation and possible future extensions.
A. Mobility
The crSimulator model currently does not support mobility
of nodes. One reason for not integrating mobility in the first
development cycle is the level of complexity it introduces
especially for CR networks where channel dynamics are
very high even for static scenarios. In a traditional wireless
network simulator for example, mobility of nodes mainly
implies disconnection from one segment of the network and
then reconnecting at another based on mobility pattern. The
handover protocol in such cases is simpler since the channels

Fig. 4. Simulation scenario with two CR nodes and one PU node
are fixed and all nodes can follow a similar approach to
connecting with a network. In CR ad hoc networks however,
the dynamic channel availability makes it much more difficult
to reconnect to another segment of a CR ad hoc network.
Although mobility introduces high complexity for CR ad
hoc networks, it is also difficult to justify ad hoc networks
without mobility. The crSimulator therefore, can be extended
for introducing mobile CR nodes. A possible solution could
be to incorporate the modules responsible for node mobility
in Mixim model into crSimulator. This will however, require a
considerable programming effort and therefore the decision of
developing a mobility solution from scratch or incorporating
mobility from other existing models, needs to be carefully
considered.
B. Signals and connection management
The connection management in a static ad hoc network
scenario is not a complicated task. In fact, the topology
generator available in OMNeT++ can create many types of
static networks with RF spectrum module based connections.
Alternative approach to static connections among CR nodes
is dynamic connection management through a centralized
module. This approach is used in Mixim model where a
global ConnectionManager module creates all the connections
between nodes of particular NIC type based on SINR and
distance among nodes. We did not use such a dynamic
connection approach for two main reasons. First, for static ad
hoc networks, a topology generator can create all the necessary
connections among nodes based on their distance. Since the
nodes do not move, there is a lesser need of keeping track
of distance among them and the effects on channels due to
mobility. Second, the RF spectrum module can abstract the
channel dynamics between two or more nodes as it can treat
each individual packet passing through it based on the control
information in the packet. If mobility of nodes is introduced
however, the static connection management does not work in
OMNeT++ and hence a module similar to ConnectionManager
in Mixim has to be introduced.
TABLE I
S IMULATION SETUP AND PARAMETERS SETTING
Parameter Value
Simulation Time 20sec
CR Transmission 100% Persistent
Total Data Channels 1-2
Sensing Interval 100ms
Link Layer Acknowledgments Enabled
PU Arrival Rate Variable 0.1-1s
PU Tx Duration 0.5s
VI. S IMULATIONS WITH CR S IMULATOR
For the initial use and validation of implemented modules,
this section presents some preliminary simulation results. We
have implemented a CR specific CSMA protocol called CR-
MAC with spectrum mobility feature. The protocol is tightly
integrated with Spectrum Sensor module which enables it to
make handovers to new channels when a data channel is
lost due to PU appearance. The CRMAC uses a common
control channel for control traffic between transmitter and
receiver nodes for example for RTS/CTS handshake. The
results provided in this section are for a simple network
of two CR nodes and one PU node as shown in figure 4.
The simulations were carried out to evaluate the impact of
PU activity on the achievable CR network throughput and
channel handovers. Many parameters can be configured even
for this simple network setup resulting in many performance
outputs. The parameters chosen for the preliminary evaluation
of crSimulator are presented in table I.
Figure 5 shows the impact of PU transmission on the achiev-
able throughput for CR network with fixed PU transmission
duration and variable arrival rate. The figure shows results of
two simulation scenarios having one and two data channels
for communication respectively. As evident from figure 5,
when the PU arrival rate increases, the achievable throughput
of CR network decreases accordingly. In the two channels
scenario, the CR network can handover the communication
to the vacant channel when one is occupied by PU and the
drop in throughput is mainly from the handover process. The
throughput is not highly affected by the duration of the PU
transmission as it is fixed for each appearance. When the PU
is not activated (at point 0 on x-axis), the throughput achieved
by CR network is similar in both scenarios representing the
maximum achievable throughput of CRMAC protocol. The
throughput drops considerably in one channel scenario when
the PU is activated. This is due to the fact that in one channel
scenario the throughput not only gets affected by PU arrival
rate but also by the PU transmission duration as it has to
wait for the channel to become free again. It should be noted
that the arrival rate implies the appearance of PU in any of
the available channels with equal probability and considered
with respect to previous PU transmission session. In other
words, when the arrival rate is high the PU transmission
sessions are more frequent. The probability distribution of PU
 100
2 Data Channels
80
Throughput (Packets/sec)
60
40
20
0
0 0.2
Fig. 5. Effect of PU arrival rate on achievable throughput
17.5
15
Avg Channel Handovers
12.5
10
7.5
5 http://www.mathworks.co.uk/
2.5
0
0 0.2
Fig. 6. Effect of PU arrival rate on CR handovers
arrival on any of the two data channel was kept uniform and
hence the direct impact of PU transmission can be observed
in figure 5. A similar result was observed with variable PU
transmission duration and fixed arrival rate. In essence, a large
PU transmission duration implied a smaller number of PU
sessions during the simulation time and vice-versa. Figure
6 shows the number of handovers performed by CR nodes
with respect to the PU arrival rate in the two data channels.
Here again, the effect is logical as the higher arrival rate of
PU transmission causes higher number of handovers for CR
network. This result can be matched to the result in figure
5 where the throughput curve goes in the opposite direction.
The drastic difference between the PU not enabled at 0 point
on x-axis and PU enabled at 0.1, is also the reason for the
throughput slump in figure 5 at the same points.
VII. C ONCLUSION
In this paper we introduced a new discrete simulation
model called crSimulator for CR networks simulations in
OMNeT++. We presented an overview of the state of the art
and highlighted some of the main problems of existing tools
for the purpose. We also presented the main requirements of
a CR network simulation model. The crSimulator model pro-
vides simple, extensible, and sufficient modeling capabilities
required for carrying out CR networks simulations. The model
provides an implementation of a specific CR node architecture
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together with an abstraction of radio spectrum. This paper
1 Data Channel
also highlighted some of the possible future extensions of this
model and presented basic simulation results of a CR MAC
protocol. The extension of this model is an ongoing work. The
model can ba obtained currently from the servers of Integrated
Communication Systems (ICS) group of TU Ilmenau and will
be made open source in near future.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work is being carried out within the scope of the
0.4 0.6 0.8 1 International Graduate School on Mobile Communications
PU Arrival Rate (Mobicom) at Ilmenau University of Technology, supported
by the German Research Foundation (GRK1487) and the Carl
Zeiss Foundation, Germany.
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