Reference-based dual switch and stay diversity systems over correlated Nakagami fading channels

We provide new generic and exact analytical results for the performance of nonideal reference-based dual predetection switch and stay diversity systems in receiving M-ary digitally modulated signals in the presence of additive white Gaussian noise and correlated slow and nonselective Nakagami-m fading channels. Pilot-tone-aided, pilot-symbol-aided, and differential detection (DD) reference-based systems are considered. The impact of symbol alphabet cardinality, normalized distance between antennas, fading severity, and normalized Doppler frequency on the performance of these systems is analyzed. Optimum switching threshold and optimum pilot-to-signal power ratio as a function of channel fading characteristics, normalized distance between antennas, and modulation type are determined. Furthermore, some fixed switching strategies - minimum cost strategy, fixed average strategy, and midpoint strategy - that allow one to obtain diversity gain with a reduced complexity receiver are considered.