Generalised approach for performance analysis of SIR-based multiple selection diversity over constant correlated alpha - µ fading channels

Selection combining (SC) is commonly used space-diversity technique in wireless communication systems to alleviate effects of channel fading and interference influence. In this paper, we analyse the performance of multibranch signal-to-interference-ratio (SIR)-based SC diversity over correlated α – µ fading channels with arbitrary parameters. The novel formulae for the probability density function (pdf) and cumulative distribution function (cdf) of output SIR are derived. Some numerical and simulation results are obtained pointing out the effects of fading severity, level of correlation, input SIR unbalance and diversity order to the outage probability. Also, the average error probability for several modulation schemes is numerically evaluated. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.