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
Power
which the effects of fading
are minimized by the
simultaneous use of two
or more physically
Height

separated antennas
Antennas must be
spatially distant so that no
correlation exists between
fading phases (one or
more wavelengths).
 Polarization Diversity
Time Diversity transmission
and reception
wherein the same
Power Power
(Horizontal) (Vertical) information signal is
transmitted and
received
simultaneously on
orthogonally
polarized waves
 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
Fixed Threshold Average
Comparator Comparator
RSSI
Sync Sync RSSI
RF RF
IF To IF
switch switch To
Detector Detector

FC + FIF FC + FIF

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.
Diversity Combining - Selection
Uses M receivers-
Rx
RSSI
branches, compares
signals and selects the
RSSI
best one.
Rx
Slight performance
Selection Logic

advantage over switch

Detector
diversity
The system is expensive
Using RSSI as indication
RSSI
is unduly affected by
Rx interference
Diversity Combining EGC
Equal Gain
1 Combining
Co-phasing & Summing
All branches are
1 merely co-phased
Detector and summed

1
Diversity Combining MRC
Maximal Ratio
a1 Combining
Co-phasing & Summing
Each branch is
weighted before
a2
summationin
Detector
proportion to its own
signal-to-noise ratio
Slightly better
performance than
aM
EGC but more
complex