Error Rates for a Class of Binary Receivers

An error rate expression for a canonic binary receiver operating over channels that are characterized by both a nonfading component and a selectively fading random component and additive Gaussian noise is derived. The canonic receiver consists of independent diversity branches. Most practical binary receivers for FSK, noisy-reference PSK, such as for example, DPSK, pilottone PSK, etc., are special cases of the canonic receiver. The results are applied to evaluate performance of incoherent detection of orthogonal FSK transmission over the HF channel that includes time and frequency selective fading and a nonfading component. The effect of intersymbol interference is also considered. The irreducible error rate for typical values of multipath and fading rates are illustrated for no diversity and dual diversity reception.