Comprehensive error performance analysis of distributed selection combining with multi-antenna amplify-and-forward relay over Nakagami-m fading channels

Abstract

A unified analytical framework is developed using a general two-parameter received signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) model for two-hop amplify-and-forward (AF) relaying with a multi-antenna relay, to determine error performance of binary modulation schemes over independent but non-identically distributed Nakagami-m faded links. The multi-antenna relay employs selection combining (SC) and the destination adopts distributed SC. Exact analytical expression is obtained for the cumulative distribution function of received SNR. A pair of generalised closed form expressions for bit error probability has been obtained for two specific AF relay configurations.