Performance study of multi-hop communication systems with decode-and-forward relays over α - μ fading channels

In this study, we investigate the performance of multi-hop systems with decode-and-forward relaying over α-μ fading channels. Specifically, the authors derive closed-form expressions for the probability density function, cumulative distribution function, and moment generating function of the end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio. In addition, they derive closed-form expressions for the end-to-end capacity (ergodic and outage) and average symbol error rate (coherent and non-coherent) of the system. The derived expressions can be transformed to study the performance of multi-hop communication systems over other well-known fading channel models by using the proper values for the α and μ parameters. Finally, the performance of multi-hop scenario is analysed and investigated using numerical evaluation. Results are provided to illustrate the system's performance and the impact of number of hops and fading parameters on network performance. The derived expressions, in this study, are very important for the prediction of the performance metrics and statistics such that efficient designs of multi-hop wireless systems can be realised.