Average level crossing rates and average fade durations for maximal-ratio combining in correlated Nakagami channels

For uncorrelated Nakagami channels in wireless systems, the level crossing rates (LCKs) and average fade durations (AFDs) of maximum ratio combining have been derived. However, this assumption is usually violated in the real world. In this paper, we derive the LCRs and AFDs for correlated Nakagami channels, which have not been addressed in the literature. Simulation results demonstrate that the LCRs and AFDs of the correlation signals are larger than those of the uncorrelated signals at lower levels. Furthermore, the effects of fading severity of the channel and the number of diversity branches on the LCRs and AFDs are also studied.