Outage Probability Analysis of Coded Cooperation with Multiple Relays

Cooperative communications enable single antenna mobiles in a multi-user environment to share their antennas and form a virtual multiple antenna array that allows them to achieve transmit diversity. In order to achieve improved diversity over the classical coded cooperation method in fading channels, we consider a coded cooperation diversity strategy that is suitable for multiple relays channels. We derive a finite range single integral solution for the outage probability, which characterize the coded performance with multiple relays at various rates. Numerical results demonstrate the merits of coded cooperation and other repetition-based methods, under various relay and uplink channel conditions, and show that it achieves the full diversity order.

I. Introduction

Transmit n order to provide reliable transmission at high data rates and offer a variety of multimedia services in future wireless communication systems, diversity has been considered as an effective technique in combating detrimental effects of channel fading caused by multi-path propagation and Doppler spread. However, in cellular network, due to the limited size, cost and hardware limitations, it may not be possible equip a mobile terminal with multiple transmit antennas. Recently, the cooperative communications technique is emerging to enable a new form of spatial diversity in wireless systems. Single antenna mobiles in a multi-user environment share their antennas and form a virtual multiple antenna transmitter that is able to achieve transmit diversity.