Theoretical performance of multiple-branch equalization in broadband wireless channels

This paper analyzes the theoretical performance of M-branch linear diversity/equalization receivers operating in highly-dispersive Rayleigh channels. We present analytical results for the output signal-to-distortion ratio of a range of important receiver types: matched filter bound; matched filter; zero-forcing; minimum mean-square error; and pre-equalizing. Our results reveal insights into the tremendous benefit of diversity combining to receivers using linear equalization, and into the sub-optimality of the matched filter receiver in dispersive channels.