On relay selection for decode-and-forward relaying

Abstract

In this letter, we consider a multi-relay network operating in decode-and-forward mode. We propose a novel relay selection method with a low implementation complexity. Unlike the competing schemes, it requires neither error detection methods at relay nodes nor feedback information at the source. We derive a closed-form symbol error rate (SER) expression for multi-relay network under consideration and demonstrate that the proposed selection method is able to extract the full diversity. Extensive Monte Carlo simulations are also presented to confirm the derived SER expressions and to compare the performance of the proposed scheme with its competitors.