Diversity Reception

To reduce fading effects, diversity reception

techniques are used. Diversity means the
provision of two or more uncorrelated
(independent) fading paths from transmitter to
receiver
These uncorrelated signals are combined in a
special way, exploiting the fact that it is unlikely
that all the paths are poor at the same time. The
probability of outage is thus reduced.
Uncorrelated paths are created using
polarization, space, frequency, and time diversity
Space Diversity
A method of transmission
or reception, or both, in
which the effects of fading
are minimized by the
simultaneous use of two
or more physically
separated antennas
Antennas must be
spatially distant so that no
correlation exists between
fading phases (one or
more wavelengths).
Power
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Polarization Diversity
Diversity transmission
and reception
wherein the same
information signal is
transmitted and
received
simultaneously on
orthogonally
polarized waves
Power
(Horizontal)
Time
Power
(Vertical)
Frequency Diversity
Transmission and reception in which the
same information signal is transmitted and
received simultaneously on two or more
carrier frequencies.
The frequency difference must be high
enough so there no correlation exists
between their fading phases
Diversity Combining - Switching
The current branch remains selected until a metric fails a
certain threshold, the Received Signal Strength Indicator
(RSSI). The next branch is then blindly selected.
An adaptive threshold removes unnecessary switching.
When the signal fades relative to the mean, switching
occurs
Cheap and simple.
RF
switch
IF
Comparator
Fixed Threshold
RSSI
F
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+ F
IF
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Detector
Sync
RF
switch
IF
Comparator
RSSI
F
C
+ F
IF
To
Detector
Sync
Average
Diversity Combining - Selection
Uses M receivers-
branches, compares
signals and selects the
best one.
Slight performance
advantage over switch
diversity
The system is expensive
Using RSSI as indication
is unduly affected by
interference
Rx
RSSI
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Rx
RSSI
Rx
RSSI
Detector
Diversity Combining EGC
Equal Gain
Combining
All branches are
merely co-phased
and summed
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Detector
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Diversity Combining MRC
Maximal Ratio
Combining
Each branch is
weighted before
summationin
proportion to its own
signal-to-noise ratio
Slightly better
performance than
EGC but more
complex
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