A simple approach to probability of error for equal gain combiners over Rayleigh channels

A new technique for determining the probability of error of a general equal gain (EG) combiner over Rayleigh channels is presented in this paper. Unlike the existing methods, the new procedure takes a single step and directly derives the error performance from the characteristic function of the decision variable, thereby avoiding the lengthy process of deriving the distribution of the sum of Rayleigh variates and thus eliminating all approximations required therein. The new solution is exact and much simpler compared to the existing results. It takes the form of a one-fold integral, which can be easily evaluated by using the Hermite numerical method