New Exact ABER for MRC Receiver in $\kappa-\mu$ Faded Channels

We present an analysis of the performance of maximal ratio combining receivers in channels subject to
$\kappa-\mu$
fading. New expressions for the exact average bit error rate (ABER) are derived for binary coherent modulation schemes using a moment-generating function-based method. The ABER expressions are expressed as Appell's two-variable confluent hypergeometric function. The asymptotic ABER and diversity order are also provided. A thorough exploration of the impact of fading parameters and the number of diversity paths on the performance of ABER is showcased. Additionally, the accuracy of the derived ABER is confirmed by conducting Monte Carlo simulations.