Message Error in Diversity Frequency-Shift Reception

Diversity methods are used to reduce receiving errors caused by carrier fading; for a keyed signal, such errors are easily specified in terms of the binary error. The attainable reduction in error depends upon the type of diversity selection used at the receiver. Several selection methods are examined, and the binary error is calculated for each, assuming narrow-band FSK transmission, fluctuation noise interference, and a Rayleigh distribution of carrier amplitudes. The results are used to determine the equivalent carrier-to-noise power gain for each diversity method. A numerical example is given in conclusion.