TAS/MRC diversity system design over fading channel model of arbitrary Nakagami-m

This paper considers transmit antenna selection /maximal-ratio combining (TAS/MRC) system design over arbitrary Nakagami-m channel model. An exact expression for bit error rate (BER) in independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) Nakagami-m fading channels is derived as a single infinite series of tabulated function while the fading index is a real value. The expression holds for arbitrary m parameters and provides a comprehensive framework for TAS/MRC system design with a specified BER performance of binary modulation. At high signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), the asymptotic BER expression is derived to show a full diversity order equal to the product of the m parameter, the number of transmit antennas and the number of receive antennas. The derived expression is verified by Monte Carlo simulations.