Correlated Nakagami channels with different fading parameters: a generic characterization with applications

Appropriate description of correlated Nakagami (1960) channels is indispensable to many applications in wireless communications such as spatial diversity reception and RAKE receivers. Three essential parameters for generic correlated Nakagami fading channels are correlation, average power and fading parameter. The fading parameter reflects the severity of the fading. The correlated model for Nakagami-faded powers widely used in wireless communications, however, is subject to a severe restriction requiring all fading parameters to be identical. In wireless communications, the fading parameters of different diversity branches can be different as the result of different propagation conditions. We derive a generic characteristic function (CF) for correlated Nakagami powered signals allowing all parameters to be arbitrary. The application of the new theory is illustrated by studying the error performance of an MPSK system with maximum ratio combining.