Error rate performance analysis of cooperative MRC receivers over generalized fading channels

Cooperative diversity is widely used in the new emerging wireless communication systems. In this paper, the average error rate performance of Cooperative Maximum Ratio Combing (CO-MRC) receiver is analyzed over generalized statistically-measured fading channels. The diversity links are assumed to be independent but not necessarily identically-faded. The general CO-MRC SNR-PDF is simulated for different values of the average Signal-to-Noise Ratio (γ_o). Then, the SNR-PDF expression is utilized to derive a closed-form expression for the approximated average error rate using different coherent modulation techniques. Monte Carlo simulation results are presented to validate the SNR-PDFs and the derived average error rate expressions.