On the statistics of dual-hop semi-blind relaying systems with partial relay selection

In this paper, making use of the relaying concept, which enables single-antenna devices to benefit from spatial diversity, a statistical analysis of dual-hop cooperative links using semi-blind (fixed gain) relays and partial relay selection, is provided. The selection scheme considers that the source monitors the connectivity among the nodes (relays) of the first hop only; an interesting assumption which finds applicability in practical ad-hoc and sensor networks. In our analysis, compact closed-form expressions are obtained for the outage probability (OP), probability density function (PDF), moment generating functions (MGFs), and generalized moments of the end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Furthermore, the influence of the relay selection on the system performance is analyzed and discussed. The analysis is also sustained by numerical results and comparisons. In particular, it is shown that the power imbalance between the hops may have positive or negative effects on the overall system performance, irrespective of the number of selected relays.