On performance of combining methods for three-node half-duplex cooperative diversity network

We analysis the performance of the ad-hoc network with a base station, a mobile and a third station acting as a relay. Three combining methods for the Amplify-and-Forward (AF) protocol and the Decode-and-Forward (DF) protocol are compared. Simulations indicate that the Amplifyand-Forward (AF) protocol beats the Decode-and-Forward (DF) protocol under all these three combining methods. To combine the incoming signals the channel quality should be estimated as well as possible, more estimation accuracy requires more resource. A very simple combining method can obtain the performance compared with that by optimal combining methods approximately. At the same time, all three combining methods for both diversity protocols can achieve the maximum diversity order.