Selective Combining for Hybrid Cooperative Networks

In this study, we consider the selective combining in hybrid cooperative networks (SCHCNs scheme) with one source node, one destination node and $N$ relay nodes. In the SCHCN scheme, each relay first adaptively chooses between amplify-and-forward protocol and decode-and-forward protocol on a per frame basis by examining the error-detecting code result, and $N_c$ ($1\leq N_c \leq N$) relays will be selected to forward their received signals to the destination. We first develop a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) threshold-based frame error rate (FER) approximation model. Then, the theoretical FER expressions for the SCHCN scheme are derived by utilizing the proposed SNR threshold-based FER approximation model. The analytical FER expressions are validated through simulation results.Comment: 27 pages, 8 figures, IET Communications, 201

Timing synchronization for cooperative wireless communications

In this work the effect of perfect and imperfect synchronization on the performance of single-link and cooperative communication is investigated. A feedforward non- data-aided near maximum likelihood (NDA-NML) timing estimator which is effective for an additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel and also for a flat-fading channel, is developed. The Cramer Rao bound (CRB) and modified Cramer Rao bound (MCRB) for the estimator for a single-link transmission over an AWGN channel is derived. A closed form expression for the probability distribution of the timing estimator is also derived. The bit-error-rate (BER) degradation of the NDA-NML timing estimator with raised cosine pulse shaping for static timing errors over an AWGN channel is characterized. A closed form expression is derived for the conditional bit error probability (BEP) with static timing errors of binary phase shift keying modulation over a Rayleigh fading channel using rectangular pulse shaping. The NDA-NML timing estimator is applied to a cooperative communication system with a source, a relay and a destination. A CRB for the estimator for asymptotically low signal-to-noise-ratio case is derived. The timing complexity of the NDA-NML estimator is derived and compared with a feedforward correlation based data-aided maximum likelihood (DA-ML) estimator. The BER performance of this system operating with a detect-and-forward relaying is studied, where the symbol timings are estimated independently for each channel. A feedforward data and channel aided maximum likelihood (DCA-ML) symbol timing estimator for cooperative communication operating over flat fading channels is then developed. For more severe fading the DCA-ML estimator performs better than the NDA- NML estimator and the DA-ML estimator. The performance gains of the DCA-ML estimator over that of the DA-ML estimator become more significant in cooperative transmission than in single-link node-to-node transmission. The NDA-NML symbol timing estimator is applied to three-node cooperative communication in fast flat-fading conditions with various signal constellations. It is found that timing errors have significant effect on performance in fast flat-fading channels. The lower complexity NDA-NML estimator performs well for larger signal constellations in fast fading, when compared to DA-ML estimator. The application of cooperative techniques for saving transmit power is discussed along with the related performance analysis with timing synchronization errors. It is found that power allocations at the source and relay nodes for transmissions, and the related timing errors at the relay and the destination nodes, have considerable effect on the BER performance for power constrained cooperative communication. The performance of multi-node multi-relay decode-and-forward cooperative com- munication system, of various architectures, operating under different fading con- ditions, with timing synchronization and various combining methods, is presented. Switch-and-stay combining and switch-and-examine combining are proposed for multi-node cooperative communication. Apart from the proposed two combining methods equal gain combining, maximal ratio combining and selection combining are also used. It is demonstrated that synchronization error has significant effect on performance in cooperative communication with a range of system architectures, and it is also demonstrated that performance degradation due to synchronization error increases with increasing diversity. It is demonstrated that decode-and- forward relaying strategy with timing synchronization, using a very simple coding scheme, performs better than detect-and-forward relaying with timing synchronization. Analytical expressions are derived for BEP with static and dynamic timing synchronization errors over Rayleigh fading channels using rectangular pulse shaping for amplify-and-forward and detect-and-forward cooperative communications. Moment generating function (MGF) based approach is utilized to find the analytical expressions. It is found that timing synchronization errors have an antagonistic effect on the BEP performance of cooperative communication. With the relay intelligence of knowing whether symbols are detected correctly or not, detect- and-forward cooperative communication performs better than the low complexity amplify-and-forward cooperative communication

Dispensing with channel estimation: differentially modulated cooperative wireless communications

As a benefit of bypassing the potentially excessive complexity and yet inaccurate channel estimation, differentially encoded modulation in conjunction with low-complexity noncoherent detection constitutes a viable candidate for user-cooperative systems, where estimating all the links by the relays is unrealistic. In order to stimulate further research on differentially modulated cooperative systems, a number of fundamental challenges encountered in their practical implementations are addressed, including the time-variant-channel-induced performance erosion, flexible cooperative protocol designs, resource allocation as well as its high-spectral-efficiency transceiver design. Our investigations demonstrate the quantitative benefits of cooperative wireless networks both from a pure capacity perspective as well as from a practical system design perspective

Performance Analysis of AF Relaying With Selection Combining in Nakagami-m Fading

This paper investigates the performance analysis of a selection combining scheme, which utilizes a variable gain amplify and forward relay over a Nakagami-m fading channel. A selection combiner at a destination node chooses the better link between a relay channel and a direct channel. We derived exact closed-form expressions for moments of signal to noise ratio (SNR), ergodic capacity, and average symbol error probability. Simulation examples confirm that our exact formulas offer a more accurate analysis tool for selection combining than other prevailing approximations without extra complexity. The derived expressions serve as a useful tool for system design due to their validity for any SNR and arbitrary system parameters