Cognitive amplify‐and‐forward relay networks with beamforming under primary user power constraint over Nakagami‐m fading channels

In this paper, we analyze the performance of cognitive amplify‐and‐forward (AF) relay networks with beamforming under the peak interference power constraint of the primary user (PU). We focus on the scenario that beamforming is applied at the multi‐antenna secondary transmitter and receiver. Also, the secondary relay network operates in channel state information‐assisted AF mode, and the signals undergo independent Nakagami‐m fading. In particular, closed‐form expressions for the outage probability and symbol error rate (SER) of the considered network over Nakagami‐m fading are presented. More importantly, asymptotic closed‐form expressions for the outage probability and SER are derived. These tractable closed‐form expressions for the network performance readily enable us to evaluate and examine the impact of network parameters on the system performance. Specifically, the impact of the number of antennas, the fading severity parameters, the channel mean powers, and the peak interference power is addressed. The asymptotic analysis manifests that the peak interference power constraint imposed on the secondary relay network has no effect on the diversity gain. However, the coding gain is affected by the fading parameters of the links from the primary receiver to the secondary relay network. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nth best relay selection with network coding in two‐way relay systems

In this paper, we propose an Nth best relay selection (Nth‐RS) scheme for analog network coding in two‐way relay systems. In traditional two‐way single‐relay selection schemes, only the best one is selected to forward network‐coded signals. However, in practical applications, the best relay may be unavailable because of the scheduling or overload constraints. In this case, we investigate a more general scheme, where the Nth best but available relay is selected. To evaluate the transmission of reliability, the expression of outage probability in exponential–integral form and its asymptotic expression in closed form are presented. Moreover, the upper bound and lower bound of outage probability are also derived. The analysis reveals that the diversity order of Nth‐RS equals to (M ? N + 1), where M is the number of relay nodes, and the results are verified by simulations. In order to improve system performance, transmit power between sources and relay is optimally allocated to minimize the upper bound of outage probability under total power constraint. Simulation results show that Nth‐RS scheme with proposed power allocation can achieve substantial improvement over equal power allocation scheme. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Performance of fixed‐gain amplify‐and‐forward nonlinear relaying with hardware impairments

In this paper, a fixed‐gain amplify‐and‐forward relaying under non‐ideal hardware is analyzed. The relaying system is impaired because of relay's power amplifier (PA) nonlinearity and in‐phase and quadrature‐phase (IQ) imbalance at a destination. Closed‐form expressions for outage probability as well as ergodic capacity approximation and its upper bound are derived. Also, the outage probability and the ergodic capacity asymptotic expressions in the high signal‐to‐noise ratio are deduced. For the first time, the joint influence of PA nonlinearity and IQ imbalance on the system in terms of outage probability, symbol error rate, and ergodic capacity is investigated. The results are compared with the respect to soft envelope limiter and traveling‐wave tube amplifier at the relay. Based on the analytical and the numerical results, important insights into the impact of IQ imbalance and nonlinearity of the aforementioned PA models on the system performance are gained as well as valuable information on the performance of practically deployed fixed‐gain amplify‐and‐forward relaying system. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Particle swarm optimization–based power allocation for Alamouti amplify and forward relaying protocol

The performance of wireless communication systems is improved over flat fading channel by using Alamouti coding scheme, which provides the quality of diversity gain. In this paper, performance analysis of symbol error rate (SER) and particle swarm optimization (PSO)–based power allocation (PA) for Alamouti amplify and forward (AF) relaying protocol using maximum ratio combining (MRC) technique is presented. Analytical expression of SER upper bound and SER approximation is derived for Alamouti AF relaying protocol with quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulation over Rayleigh fading channel and Rician fading channel. In addition, PSO‐based optimum PA factor is calculated on the basis of the minimum SER of proposed method. PSO‐based optimum PA gives 0.5 dB of improved signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) compared with the equal power allocation (EPA). The theoretical approximate SER result is compared with the simulated SER. The proposed protocol provides full diversity gain and reduces SER compared with the existing AF and decode and forward (DF) relaying protocols over Rayleigh fading channel and Rician fading channel.     

Effect of imperfect channel state information and co‐channel interferences on two‐hop fixed gain amplify‐and‐forward relay networks with beamforming

This letter investigates the joint effects of imperfect channel state information and co‐channel interferences on a two‐hop fixed gain amplify‐and‐forward (AF) relay network with beamforming. Specifically, the analytical expressions of the outage probability and the average symbol error rate for the AF relaying are derived. Moreover, the asymptotic analysis at high signal‐to‐noise ratio is also presented to reveal the diversity order and array gain of the considered AF relay system. Finally, computer simulations are given to confirm the validity of the analytical results. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial modulation and physical layer network coding based bidirectional relay network with transmit antenna selection over Nakagami‐m fading channels

In this paper, a high data rate bidirectional relay network is proposed by combining the merits of spatial modulation (SM) and physical layer network coding. All nodes in the network are equipped with multiple antennas. Spatial modulation technique is used to reduce hardware complexity and interchannel interference by activating only one antenna at any time during transmission. In the proposed bidirectional relay network, transmit antennas are selected at the source nodes and relay node on the basis of the order statistics of channel power. It increases received signal power and provides a significant improvement in the outage performance. Also, the data rate of the proposed network is improved by physical layer network coding at the relay node. A closed form analytical expression for the outage probability of the network over Nakagami‐m fading channel is derived and validated by Monte Carlo simulations. In addition, asymptotic analysis is investigated at high signal‐to‐noise ratio region.The outage performance of the proposed network is compared with SM and physical layer network coding bidirectional relay network without transmit antenna selection and point‐to‐point SM. With approximate SNR≈1 dB difference between the two networks, the same data rate is achieved.     

Exact SEP and performance bounds for orthogonal space‐time block codes in cooperative multiantenna AF relaying networks

In this paper, we derive a moment generating function (MGF) for dual‐hop (DH) amplify‐and‐forward (AF) relaying networks, in which all nodes have an arbitrary number of antennas, with orthogonal space‐time block code (OSTBC) transmissions over Rayleigh fading channels. We present an exact error rate expression based on the derived MGF and another analytical approach to derive achievable performance bounds as closed‐forms of symbol error rate, outage probability, and normalized channel capacity. Furthermore, we derive the asymptotic behavior of symbol error rate and outage probability. From this asymptotic behavior, it is shown that the diversity order and its dependence on antenna configurations can be explicitly determined. Simulation results are also presented to verify their accuracy by comparing with numerical results and to provide an insight to the relationship between relaying networks' antenna configuration and diversity order. It is confirmed that the transmit antenna gain of the source node and the receive antenna gain of the relay node can be obtained only when the relay is close to the destination, and then, the transmit antenna gain of the relay node and the receive antenna gain of the destination node can be obtained only when the relay is close to the source.     

General switch‐and‐examine relaying for demodulate‐and‐forward cooperative diversity

Two new demodulate‐and‐forward schemes of multi‐relay cooperative diversity with switch‐and‐examine relaying (SER) are analyzed. To reduce relay usage and enhance bandwidth efficiency, the two new cooperative diversity schemes employ a switch‐based relay selection. The proposed schemes consume less communication resource than regular relaying schemes, such as the selection combining (SC) or maximal ratio combining (MRC) schemes that always use all relays, and also achieve better performance than distributed switch‐and‐stay schemes. In the first scheme, the decision statistic for relay usage and selection is based on the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR). In the second scheme, the log‐likelihood ratio (LLR) of received signals is used for the decision of relay usage and selection. With the two SER schemes, the bit error probability (BEP) of binary phase shift keying (BPSK) and the average number of used paths are derived and expressed in closed‐form for the independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) Rayleigh fading channels. Numerical and simulation results are presented for performance illustrations. According to the numerical results, the LLR‐based SER not only achieves a lower BEP but also consumes less relay resource than the SNR‐based SER. Furthermore, the LLR‐based SER scheme even outperforms the corresponding SNR‐based SC scheme for a range of average SNR. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Performance analysis of MIMO cognitive amplify‐and‐forward relay networks with orthogonal space–time block codes

In this paper, we study the performance of multiple‐input multiple‐output cognitive amplify‐and‐forward relay networks using orthogonal space–time block coding over independent Nakagami‐m fading. It is assumed that both the direct transmission and the relaying transmission from the secondary transmitter to the secondary receiver are applicable. In order to process the received signals from these links, selection combining is adopted at the secondary receiver. To evaluate the system performance, an expression for the outage probability valid for an arbitrary number of transceiver antennas is presented. We also derive a tight approximation for the symbol error rate to quantify the error probability. In addition, the asymptotic performance in the high signal‐to‐noise ratio regime is investigated to render insights into the diversity behavior of the considered networks. To reveal the effect of network parameters on the system performance in terms of outage probability and symbol error rate, selected numerical results are presented. In particular, these results show that the performance of the system is enhanced when increasing the number of antennas at the transceivers of the secondary network. However, increasing the number of antennas at the primary receiver leads to a degradation in the secondary system performance. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Performance analysis of selective combining decode‐and‐forward relay networks over Nakagami‐n and Nakagami‐q fading channels

In this paper, we present the performance of selective combining decode‐and‐forward relay networks in independent and non‐identically distributed Nakagami‐n and Nakagami‐q fading channels by using the best–worse and the decoding‐set approaches. The outage probability, moment generation function, symbol error probability and average channel capacity are derived in closed‐form using the signal to noise ratio (SNR) statistical characteristics. After that, we analyze the outage probability at high SNRs, and then, we optimize it. Beside the optimum method, we have proposed a sub‐optimum adaptive method. Also, we derive the outage probability for the selection‐combining case with the direct link between the source and the destination. Finally, for comparison with analytical formulas, we perform some Monte‐Carlo simulations. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Performance analysis of AF OFDM system using multiple relay in presence of nonlinear‐PA over inid Nakagami‐m fading

In this paper, performance of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing–based variable‐gain amplify and forward cooperative system using multiple relay with relay selection is analyzed over independent but not necessarily identically distributed frequency selective Nakagami‐m fading channels. For the analysis, nonlinear power amplifier is considered at the relay, and selection combining is adopted at destination node. Closed‐form expressions of the outage probability for various threshold signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) values and average symbol error rate for M‐ary quadrature amplitude modulation techniques are derived for the considered system. Further, the outage probability analysis is performed in high SNR regime to obtain the diversity order. Furthermore, impact of different fading parameters, multiple relay, and nonlinear power amplifier is highlighted on the outage probability and asymptotic outage probability for various threshold SNRs and on the average symbol error rate for various quadrature amplitude modulation constellations. The derived analytical expressions are generalized for various fading environments while considering the integer‐valued fading parameters. Finally, all the analytical results are verified through the Monte Carlo simulations for various SNR levels and system configurations.     

Performance Analysis of Nonlinear Energy‐Harvesting DF Relay System in Interference‐Limited Nakagami‐m Fading Environment

A decode‐and‐forward system with an energy‐harvesting relay is analyzed for the case when an arbitrary number of independent interference signals affect the communication at both the relay and the destination nodes. The scenario in which the relay harvests energy from both the source and interference signals using a time switching scheme is analyzed. The analysis is performed for the interference‐limited Nakagami‐m fading environment, assuming a realistic nonlinearity for the electronic devices. The closed‐form outage probability expression for the system with a nonlinear energy harvester is derived. An asymptotic expression valid for the case of a simpler linear harvesting model is also provided. The derived analytical results are corroborated by an independent simulation model. The impacts of the saturation threshold power, the energy‐harvesting ratio, and the number and power of the interference signals on the system performance are analyzed.     

Mixed AF and DF cooperative relay systems and their performance bounds analyses

This paper analyzes the performance bounds of a wireless relay system consisting of several relay stations working on both amplifier‐and‐forward (AF) and decode‐and‐forward (DF) protocols. We want to study the outage probability behavior of the proposed mixed AF and DF relay systems under independent Nakagami‐m fading channels. In particular, we will derive the lower and upper bounds of outage probability of the mixed AF and DF relay systems based on maximal ratio combining diversity reception. The results give optimal configuration of AF and DF relays under a specific channel condition, thus helping us to design an optimized mixed AF and DF relay system in a generic fading environment. The trade‐off between complexity and performance is discussed in this paper. In addition, we will use computer simulations to verify the effectiveness of the proposed mixed AF and DF relay configurations. Finally, the power allocation issues for such a mixed AF and DF relay system will also be discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Distributed BLAST with relay selection for multi‐antenna AF relaying

By examining the diversity–multiplexing tradeoff (DMT) of an amplify‐and‐forward (AF) multi‐antenna multi‐relay network, a procedure to select the optimal number of relays and relay candidates is established. Subsequently, a distributed BLAST transmission scheme in conjunction with successive nulling and cancellation at destination is proposed to achieve the optimal DMT. Illustrative results indicate that the proposed method can significantly enhance the outage probability performance, and for a selected number of relays in use, the performance enhancement can be further improved by increasing the number of available relays in the AF network. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Opportunistic Decode‐and‐Forward Cooperation in Mixed Rayleigh and Rician Fading Channels

We consider a two‐hop multiple‐relay network implemented with opportunistic decode‐and‐forward cooperative strategy, where the first hop and second hop links experience different fading (Rayleigh and Rician). We derive the exact expressions of end‐to‐end outage probability and analyze the approximate results in high signal‐to‐noise ratio region. The analysis shows that the same diversity order can be achieved even in different mixed fading environments. Simulation results are provided to verify our analysis.     

On the secrecy performance of integrated satellite‐aerial‐terrestrial networks

This paper investigates secure transmission of an integrated satellite‐aerial‐terrestrial network (ISATN), where multiple eavesdroppers (Eves) attempt to overhear the satellite signals cooperatively. The ISATN adopts an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with multiple antennas as a relay with threshold‐based decode‐and‐forward (DF) protocol. By assuming that perfect instantaneous channel state information (CSI) of the satellite‐UAV link and the statistical CSI of the UAV‐user link are available, we first propose a beamforming (BF) scheme for maximizing the achievable secrecy rate (ASR) of the considered network. Then, we derive the analytical expressions of the secrecy outage probability (SOP) and ergodic secrecy rate (ESR) of the considered system with the BF strategy under an assumption that the satellite‐UAV link undergoes the shadowed‐Rician fading, while the UAV‐user link experiences the correlated Rayleigh fading. Finally, numerical results are given to demonstrate the superiority of the proposed BF scheme against zero forcing (ZF) and maximal ratio transmission (MRT) schemes and the validity of the secrecy performance analysis.     

Energy‐efficient outage‐constrained power allocation based on statistical channel knowledge for dual‐hop cognitive relay networks

This paper investigates the power allocation problem in decode‐and‐forward cognitive dual‐hop systems over Rayleigh fading channels. In order to optimize the performance of the secondary network in terms of power consumption, an outage‐constrained power allocation scheme is proposed. The secondary nodes adjust their transmit power subject to an average interference constraint at the primary receiver and an outage probability constraint for the secondary receivers while having only statistical channel knowledge with respect to the primary nodes. We compare this approach with a power allocation scheme based on instantaneous channel state information under a peak interference constraint. Analytical and numerical results show that the proposed approach, without requiring the constant interchange of channel state information, can achieve a similar performance in terms of outage probability as that of power allocation based on instantaneous channel knowledge. Moreover, the transmit power allocated by the proposed approach is considerably smaller than the power allocated by the method based on instantaneous channel knowledge in more than 50% of the time. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Outage Probability of Decode‐and‐Forward Relaying Systems with Efficient Partial Relay Selection in Nakagami Fading Channels

Recently, efficient partial relay selection (e‐PRS) was proposed as an enhanced version of PRS. In comparing e‐PRS, PRS, and the best relay selection (BRS), there is a tradeoff between complexity and performance; that is, the complexity for PRS, e‐PRS, and BRS is low to high, respectively, but vice versa for performance. In this paper, we study the outage probability for e‐PRS in decode‐and‐forward (DF) relaying systems over non‐identical Nakagami‐m fading channels, where the fading parameter m is an integer. In particular, we provide closed‐form expressions of the exact outage probability and asymptotic outage probability for e‐PRS in DF relaying systems. Numerical results show that e‐PRS achieves similar outage performance to that of BRS for a low or medium signal‐to‐noise ratio, a high fading parameter, a small number of relays, and a large difference between the average channel powers for the first and the second hops.     

A two‐hop equalize‐and‐forward relay scheme in OFDM‐based wireless networks over multipath channels

Relay communications have attracted increasing research attentions as a cost‐effective technique to improve spatial diversity, service coverage, and energy efficiency in wireless networks. However, existing relay schemes (e.g., amplify‐and‐forward and decode‐and‐forward (DF) schemes) still face several major challenges, particularly the accumulation of multipath channels effect in AF and long processing latency in DF. To address these issues, we propose a novel equalize‐and‐forward (EF) relay scheme to enhance the retransmission reliability while maintaining low processing delay at the relay node. In particular, the proposed EF relay estimates and equalizes the channel between source and relay to eliminate the channel accumulation effect without signal regeneration. To further reduce the relay processing time, the channel estimation and equalization in the proposed EF design are performed in parallel. The proposed equalization is realized by presetting the equalizer coefficients with the current channel response that is predicted in parallel using multiple past channel responses. Numerical results show that the proposed EF relay scheme can achieve comparable symbol error rate performance as the DF relay with much less relay latency. In addition, the EF relay exhibits low outage probability at the same data rate as compared with traditional amplify‐and‐forward and DF schemes. schemes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd     

Performance analysis of two‐way wireless‐powered Amplify‐and‐Forward relaying in the presence of co‐channel interference

In this paper, we investigate the performance assessment of a bidirectional relaying system using energy harvesting techniques. We assume independent and nonidentically distributed (i.n.i.d.) Nakagami‐m fading channels where the amplify‐and‐forward relay is subject to co‐channel interference (CCI) due to transmissions of other transmitters. Two different scenarios, namely, scenario I and scenario II are evaluated. In scenario I, both end‐sources provide the required energy for the relay, whereas the relay also harvests energy from the co‐channel interferes. Then, in the first phase of cooperation, both end‐sources send the information to the relay, and after amplifying the received signal, relay transfers information to the appropriate destination in the second time‐slot. In the scenario II, both end‐sources harvest energy from the relay. After that, the information cooperative transmission is done similar to the first scenario. For both considered scenarios, tight closed‐form expressions of outage probability, symbol error probability, ergodic capacity, and throughput are obtained at arbitrary signal‐to‐noise‐ratios (SNRs). To get more insights, simplified high SNR results for both scenarios are also deduced where the diversity orders are obtained. Monte Carlo simulation results are presented to validate the correctness of our proposed analysis. Our results explicitly demonstrate that the first scenario has a better performance than the second one in the medium and high SNR region, whereas the second scenario outperforms the first one in the low SNR regime.