Cooperative receive diversity for coded GFSK body-area communications

Performance of cooperative communications receive diversity, with relays, for the everyday body-area-network (BAN) radio channel is determined, based on extensive BAN measurements. In accordance with an option for physical layer transmission in the IEEE 802.15.6 BAN draft standard, BCH-coded Gaussian frequency-shift keying (GFSK) modulation is considered at 2.4 GHz carrier frequency. Large improvements over single-link communications are demonstrated with the use of one and two on-body relays, with cooperative selection combining and maximum-ratio combining. The importance of careful relay placement is also demonstrated.