On the Ergodic Capacity of Underlay Cognitive Dual-Hop AF Relayed Systems Under Non-Identical Generalized-K Fading Channels

The ergodic capacity of underlay cognitive (secondary) dual-hop relaying systems is analytically investigated. Specifically, the amplify-and-forward transmission protocol is considered, while the received signals undergo multipath fading and shadowing with non-identical statistics. To efficiently describe this composite type of fading, the well-known generalized-K fading model is used. New analytical expressions and quite accurate closed-form approximations regarding the ergodic capacity of the end-toend communication are obtained, in terms of finite sum series of the Meijer’s-G function. The analytical results are verified with the aid of computer simulations, while useful insights are revealed. Index Terms Amplify-and-forward (AF), cognitive systems, ergodic capacity, generalized fading channels, performance analysis.