Energy detection sensing of unknown signals over Weibull fading channels

Energy detection is a widely used method of spectrum sensing in cognitive radio and Radio Detection And Ranging (RADAR) systems. This paper is devoted to the analytical evaluation of the performance of an energy detector over Weibull fading channels. This is a flexible fading model that has been shown capable of providing accurate characterization of multipath fading in, e.g., typical cellular radio frequency range of 800/900 MHz. A novel analytic expression for the corresponding average probability of detection is derived in a simple algebraic representation which renders it convenient to handle both analytically and numerically. As expected, the performance of the detector is highly dependent upon the severity of fading as even small variation of the fading parameters affect significantly the value of the average probability of detection. This appears to be particularly the case in severe fading conditions. The offered results are useful in evaluating the effect of multipath fading in energy detection-based cognitive radio communication systems and therefore they can be used in quantifying the associated trade-offs between sensing performance and energy efficiency in cognitive radio networks.