Distributed detection for diversity reception of fading signals in noise

A multiple-antenna diversity scheme is investigated for digital communications. Antenna observations are immediately quantized and sent to a fusion center. At the fusion center, the quantized observations are combined to form a final, decision on which symbol was transmitted. The optimum reception scheme is described for the case where frequency-shift keying is employed and where slow Rayleigh fading and Gaussian additive noise are present. Two cases are studied. In the first case, an accurate estimate of the signal-to-noise ratio is available at each receiver. In the second case, estimates are not available. Results indicate that two- or three-bit quantizations may be most appropriate. Further, if binary decisions are made at each antenna, performance may not improve if an estimate of the signal-to-noise ratio is available at each antenna or if two antennas are used instead of one.