Unified approach for performance analysis of Cognitive Radio Spectrum Sensing over correlated multipath fading channels

In this work, we analyse the performance of Cognitive Radio Spectrum Sensing (CRSS) systems with multiple receiving antennas considering the effect of correlation among fading branches. Exact closed-form expressions for the average detection probabilities (P̅_D) are derived employing Probability Density Functions (PDF) approach for n.i.i.d.-L number of diversity branches over Nakagami-m fading channels with Maximal Ratio Combining (MRC) diversity. Performance analysis reveals the detrimental effect of the correlation on detection performance thus decreasing detection probability. However, results also show that this effect could be compensated through employing diversity combining technique and by increasing the diversity branches.