Performance of S + N Selection Diversity Receivers in Correlated Rician and Rayleigh Fading

The performances of two signal-/?/wi-noise (S + N) selection diversity receivers employing noncoherent M-ary frequency shift keying (MFSK) in slow, flat, correlated Rayleigh and Rician fading channels are examined. The branches are assumed to be equally correlated for Rician fading. The correlation model for Rayleigh fading is more general than the equally correlated scenario and includes it as a special case. Analytical expressions are derived for the average symbol error rate (SER) and the average bit error rate (BER) of each receiver structure. Extensive Monte Carlo simulation results are presented to validate the analytical expressions. The performances of the S + N SC receivers are compared to the performance of the classical SC receiver. The effects of correlation, average fading power imbalance and diversity order on the performances of the S + N SC receivers are examined.     

Microdiversity on Rician fading channels

The performance of an L-branch equal gain (EG) combiner on slow and nonselective Rician fading channels is analyzed. Two performance criteria are considered; the probability distribution of signal-to-noise power ratio (SNR) at the output of the EG combiner and the average bit error rate (BER). Matched filter receivers are considered for two binary modulation formats, coherent phase shift keying (CPSK) and noncoherent frequency shift keying (NCFSK). Results using both maximal ratio combining (MRC) and selection diversity combining (SC) are presented for comparison. Our results show that from a feasibility and practical tradeoffs point of view, the performance of an EG combiner may be as good as that of a MR combiner. The effects of gain unbalance between branches of the EG combiner on the probability distribution of SNR and on the bit error rates are also investigated. The Rician fading model may be used to model bath the microcellular environment and the mobile satellite fading channel. Hence, the results of this paper may be useful in both of these areas. Furthermore, in the development of the analysis, we present an efficient method for computing the distribution of sums of Rician random variables. This may be useful for other problems involving Rician fading. The suitability of modeling a Rician fading environment by a properly chosen Nakagami model is examined. A formula for determining the corresponding values of Rician parameter K and Nakagami parameter m is also assessed     

Error analysis of noncoherent M-ary FSK with postdetection EGC overcorrelated Nakagami and Rician channels

We analyze the performance for the noncoherent reception of M-ary orthogonal frequency shift keying with postdetection equal gain combining over a correlated fading channel. Two kinds of correlated fading statistics are considered: (1) Nakagami fading in which the diversity branches can have unequal signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) as well as different m-parameters and (2) Rician fading in which the diversity branches can have unequal SNRs. Using the characteristic function of the combiner output SNR, closed-form expressions for the symbol error probability are obtained     

Envelope Correlation Coefficient for Logarithmic Diversity Receivers Revisited

The analysis of the envelope correlation coefficient for logarithmic diversity receivers, given by de Neumann (de Neumann, 1989) for one Rayleigh fading branch in isotropic scattering environments (two independent real Gaussian branches), is extended in this letter to the general case where a maximum ratio combiner (MRC) operates on M ges 1 independent Rayleigh fading branches, with the same temporal correlation coefficient, in nonisotropic scattering environments. The derived exact closed-form expressions include the results by B. de Neumann in 1989 as special cases. In addition, when M is not so small, theoretical analysis and Monte Carlo simulations show that the envelope correlation coefficient can be accurately approximated by the squared amplitude of the channel correlation coefficient.     

Performance of Two Dual-Branch Postdetection Switch-and-Stay Combining Schemes in Correlated Rayleigh and Rician Fading

The performance of binary frequency-shift keying (BFSK) and M-ary frequency shift keying (MFSK) with dual-branch postdetection switch-and-stay combining (SSC) in correlated Rayleigh and Rician fading is studied. Two postdetection SSC receivers are considered and the performances of noncoherent BFSK and MFSK are analyzed. Closed-form expressions are derived for the average bit-error rate (BER) of BFSK and MFSK with postdetection SSC in correlated Rayleigh and Rician fading. Optimum switching thresholds that minimize the average BER are obtained. Extensive Monte Carlo simulations are presented to test the validity of the analytical results. The performance of dual-branch postdetection SSC is compared with the performance of dual-branch predetection SSC. The effects of correlation, fading parameter, average fading power imbalance, and switching threshold on the performances of postdetection SSC receivers are examined     

MRC performance for binary signals in Nakagami fading with generalbranch correlation

Exact expressions are derived for the performance of predetection maximal ratio combiner diversity reception with L correlated branches in Nakagami fading. Bit error rates are evaluated for both coherent and noncoherent binary phase-shift-keying and frequency-shift-keying signals, starting from the L-variate moment generating function of the random input power vector. The new formulation presented for the bit error rate, in which the covariance matrix of the fading at the L branches explicitly appears, allows arbitrary branch correlation to be taken into account for any diversity order in the case of identical fading severity on the branches. Results are presented for evaluation of the outage probability, for integer values of fading severity, as well as for the effect of the presence of unbalanced channels with arbitrary correlation     

Unified analysis of switched diversity systems in independent andcorrelated fading channels

The moment generating function (MGF) of the signal power at the output of dual-branch switch-and-stay selection diversity (SSD) combiners is derived. The first-order derivative of the MGF with respect to the switching threshold is also derived. These expressions are obtained for the general case of correlated fading and nonidentical diversity branches, and hold for any common fading distributions (e.g., Rayleigh, Nakagami-m, Rician, Nakagami-q). The MGF yields the performance (bit or symbol error probability) of a broad class of coherent, differentially coherent and noncoherent digital modulation formats with SSD reception. The optimum switching threshold (in a minimum error rate sense) is obtained by solving a nonlinear equation which is formed by using the first-order derivative of the MGF. This nonlinear equation can be simplified for several special cases. For independent and identically distributed diversity branches, the optimal switching threshold in closed form is derived for three generic forms of the conditional error probability. For correlated Rayleigh or Nakagami-m fading with identical branches, the optimal switching threshold in closed form is derived for the noncoherent binary modulation formats. We show previously published results as special cases of our unified expression. Selected numerical examples are presented and discussed     

Error probability for coherent and differential PSK over arbitraryRician fading channels with multiple cochannel interferers

This paper discusses the performance of communication systems using binary coherent and differential phase-shift keyed (PSK) modulation, in correlated Rician fading channels with diversity reception. The presence of multiple Rician-faded cochannel users, which may have arbitrary and nonidentical parameters, is modeled exactly. Exact bit error probability (BEP) expressions are derived via the moment generating functions (MGFs) of the relevant decision statistics, which are obtained through coherent detection with maximum ratio combining for coherent PSK modulation, and differential detection with equal gain combining (EGC) for differential modulation. Evaluating the exact expressions requires a complexity that is exponential in the number of interferers. To avoid this potentially time-consuming operation, we derive two low-complexity approximate methods each for coherent and differential modulation formats, which are more accurate than the traditional Gaussian approximation approach. Two new and interesting results of this analysis are: (1) unlike in the case of Rayleigh fading channels, increasing correlation between diversity branches may lead to better performance in Rician fading channels and (2) the phase distribution of the line-of-sight or static fading components of the desired user has a significant influence on the BEP performance in correlated diversity channels     

Average probability of packet error with diversity reception over arbitrarily correlated fading channels

Closed form expressions for the average probability of packet error (PPE) are presented for no diversity, maximum ratio combining (MRC), selection combining (SC) and switch and stay combining (SSC) diversity schemes. The average PPE for the no diversity case is obtained in two alternative expressions assuming arbitrarily correlated Nakagami and Rician fading channels. For the MRC case, L diversity branches are considered and the channel samples are assumed to follow Nakagami distribution and to be arbitrarily correlated in both time and space. For the SC diversity scheme with L diversity branches, two bounds on the average PPE are derived for both slow and fast fading channels. The average PPE in this case is obtained in an infinite integral form for Nakagami channels while it is reduced to a closed form expression for the Rayleigh case. The average PPE is also derived in the case of SSC diversity with dual branches for both slow and fast Rayleigh fading channels. The new formulas are applicable for all modulation schemes where the conditional probability of error has an exponential dependence on the signal‐to‐noise ratio. The average PPE is then used to obtain a modified expression for the throughput for network protocols. In general, the diversity gain exhibits a little diminishing effect as the number of diversity branches increases. In addition, the system is found to be more sensitive to the space correlation than to the time correlation. The effects of different system parameters and diversity schemes are studied and discussed. Specific figures about the system performance are also provided. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bit error probability for MDPSK and NCFSK over arbitrary Ricianfading channels

In this paper, we analyze the bit error probability (BEP) of binary and quaternary differential phase shift keying (2/4 DPSK) and noncoherent frequency shift keying (NCFSK) with postdetection diversity combining in arbitrary Rician fading channels. The model is quite general in that it accommodates fading correlation and noise correlation between different diversity branches as well as between adjacent symbol intervals. We show that the relevant decision statistic can be expressed in a noncentral Gaussian quadratic form, and its moment generating function (MGF) is derived. Using the MGF and the saddle point technique, we give an efficient numerical quadrature scheme to compute the BEP. The most significant contribution of the paper, however, lies in the derivation of a closed-form cumulative distribution function (cdf) for the decision statistic. As a result, a closed-form BEP expression in the form of an infinite series of elementary functions is developed, which is general and unifies previous published BEP results for 2/4 DPSK and NCFSK for multichannel reception in Rician fading. Specialization to some important cases are discussed and, as a byproduct, a new and general finite-series expression for the BEP in arbitrarily correlated Rayleigh fading is obtained. The theory is applied to study 2/4 DPSK and NCFSK performance for independent and correlated Rician fading channels; and some interesting findings are presented     

Switching rates of two-branch selection diversity in correlated Doppler fading

The switching rate of a correlated dual branch selection diversity combiner in Rayleigh and Rician fading is derived in noise-free conditions. Balanced and unbalanced branches are considered. Numerical results are presented for a space-diversity system with horizontally spaced omnidirectional antennas at a mobile station.     

Postdetection optimal diversity combiner for DPSK differentialdetection

Postdetection diversity reception weights and combines all the detector outputs before symbol decision to combat the effects of multipath fading. A theoretical analysis of a postdetection optimal diversity combiner that can minimize the symbol error probability for differential phase shift keying (DPSK) differential detection in the presence of multiplicative Rayleigh fading, and co-channel interference (CCI) is presented. The effect of unequal average powers among diversity branches is taken into account. It is shown that the postdetection maximal-ratio combiner (MRC) described previously by the author is not optimal unless all branches have the same average power. It is also found that the combiner optimized for the effect of CCI (fading induced random FM noise) should weight each branch detector output in inverse proportion to the average CCI power (desired signal power). Assuming two-branch diversity, calculated BER (bit-error-rate) performance of π/4-shift QDPSK due to AWGN, CCI, and random FM is presented. In addition, the BER due to multipath channel delay spread (which is not treated in the theoretical analysis) is also computed to find the optimal combiner     

Maximum ratio combining of correlated Rayleigh fading channels with imperfect channel knowledge

The bit error probability for binary modulation and multiple correlated Rayleigh fading diversity branches is derived. The receiver performs maximum ratio combining of the diversity branches based on noisy channel estimates. Our results provide new analytical insights into performance, design, and optimization of some known communication receivers.     

Error Performance of DQPSK with EGC Diversity Reception over Fading Channels

This paper derives the average bit error probability (BEP) of differential quaternary phase shift keying (DQPSK) with postdetection equal gain combining (EGC) diversity reception over independent and arbitrarily correlated fading channels. First, using the associated Legendre functions, the average BEP of DQPSK is analyzed over independent Rayleigh, Nakagami-m, and Rician fading channels. Finite-series closed-form expressions for the average BEP of DQPSK over L-branch independent Rayleigh and Nakagami-m fading channels (for integer Lm) are presented. Besides, a finite-series closed-form expression is given for the average BEP of differential binary phase shift keying (DBPSK) with EGC over independent Rician fading channels. Second, an alternative approach is propounded to study the performance of DQPSK over arbitrarily correlated Nakagami-m and Rician fading channels. Relatively simple BEP expressions in terms of a finite sum of a finite-range integral are proposed. Moreover, the penalty in signal to noise ratio (SNR) due to arbitrarily correlated channel fading is also investigated. Finally, the accuracy of the results is verified by computer simulation.     

Performance of parallel and serial concatenated codes on fading channels

The performance of parallel and serial concatenated codes on frequency-nonselective fading channels is considered. The analytical average upper bounds of the code performance over Rician channels with independent fading are derived. Furthermore, the log-likelihood ratios and extrinsic information for maximum a posteriori (MAP) probability and soft-output Viterbi algorithm (SOVA) decoding methods on fading channels are developed. The derived upper bounds are evaluated and compared to the simulated bit-error rates over independent fading channels. The performance of parallel and serial codes with MAP and SOVA iterative decoding methods, with and without channel state information, is evaluated by simulation over independent and correlated fading channels. It is shown that, on correlated fading channels, the serial concatenated codes perform better than parallel concatenated codes. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that the SOVA decoder has almost the same performance as the MAP decoder if ideal channel state information is used on correlated Rayleigh fading channels.     

Structures and performance of noncoherent receivers for unitary space-time modulation on correlated fast-fading channels

Fast fading used in this paper refers to multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) channels with channel gains changing from sample to sample, even within a block symbol. The impact of spatially correlated and sample-to-sample variant (SCSSV) fading channels on the design and error performance of noncoherent receivers is not yet clear in the literature. In this paper, we derive optimal and suboptimal noncoherent receivers for operating on SCSSV MIMO fading channels. The joint effect of spatial correlation and sample-to-sample variation of channel gains on various receivers in Rayleigh and Rician fading is investigated by the derivation of their pairwise error performance. Numerical and simulation results are also presented to illustrate the theory and to compare the performance of the optimal and suboptimal receivers.     

Performance of M-PSK with GSC and EGC with Gaussian weighting errors

Using a moment-generating function (MGF)-based approach, we study the performance of M-ary phase-shift keying (M-PSK) with generalized selection combining (GSC) and equal gain combining (EGC) in fading channels (including Rayleigh, Rician, Nakagami-m, and Nakagami-q fading) with independent and identically distributed (i.i.d) branches. Analytical expressions for the error and outage probabilities, the signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) statistics, and the channel capacity of M-PSK diversity receivers are derived, taking into account the effects of Gaussian weighting errors and all relevant system and channel parameters. Unlike the case of perfect channel-state information (CSI), the outage probability for the case of imperfect channel estimation (ICE) is not only a function of the normalized SNR with respect to the SNR threshold, but also a function of the operating SNR itself. The SNR loss of the M-PSK GSC and EGC receivers due to ICE and the relation between the receiver input and output SNRs for ICE are derived. Our results show that, even with ICE, GSC and EGC are effective in improving the output SNR and significantly reduce the error floor and the channel-capacity loss caused by ICE.     

Moment analysis of the equal gain combiner output in equally correlated fading channels

Moments of the multibranch equal gain combiner (EGC) output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are only known for independent fading channels or exponentially correlated Nakagami-m fading channels. In this paper, we derive the moments of the EGC output SNR in equally correlated Rayleigh, Rician, and Nakagami-m fading channels. Our moment expressions can be used to evaluate the outage and the average error rate as well as purely moments-based measures such as the average output SNR and the amount of fading as functions of the fading correlation. Numerical results that illustrate the effect of fading correlation on the distribution of the EGC output SNR are also provided.     

Explicit Analytical Expressions for Outage and Error Rate of Diversity Cellular Systems in the Presence of Multiple Interferers and Correlated Rayleigh Fading

The outage probability of maximal ratio combining diversity with an arbitrary number of antennas in the presence of an arbitrary number of cochannel interferers and thermal noise is derived when the branch gains of the desired user signal and interfering signals experience Rayleigh fading and have the same correlation matrix. Two special cases, when the correlation matrix is equicorrelated and when the correlation matrix has different eigenvalues, are considered for both the equal-power cochannel interference case and the unequal-power cochannel interference case. Further, the average bit-error rate of a coherent binary phase-shift keying (BPSK)-modulated cellular system using maximal ratio combining diversity in cochannel interference and correlated Rayleigh fading is derived. The effects of the average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the average signal-power-to-interference-power ratio on the system performance are examined.     

Optimal maximal ratio combining with correlated diversity branches

It is proved that a maximal ratio combiner operating on correlated branches and weighting the branch signals as though they were independent is optimal. It is also proved that performance measures of maximal ratio combining operating with correlated Rayleigh or Ricean fading input branches are identical to performance measures of an equivalent diversity system operating with independent and, in general, unbalanced inputs