What Are Cognitive Radio Networks?
Cognitive (or smart) radio networks like xG’s xMaxsystem are an innovative approach to wireless engineering in which radios are designed with an unprecedented level of intelligence and agility. This advanced technology enables radio devices to use spectrum (i.e., radio frequencies) in entirely new and sophisticated ways. Cognitive radios have the ability to monitor, sense, and detect the conditions of their operating environment, and dynamically reconfigure their own characteristics to best match those conditions.
Using complex calculations, xMax cognitive radios can identify potential impairments to communications quality, like interference, path loss, shadowing and multipath fading. They can then adjust their transmitting parameters, such as power output, frequency, and modulation to ensure an optimized communications experience for users.
The following graphic shows how a cognitive radio network operates in relation to its environment: