Amplify-and-forward strategy using MRC reception over FSO channels with pointing errors

Free-space optical (FSO) systems offer ultrahigh data rates for a number of terrestrial applications. This paper presents what we believe is the first characterization of average bit error rate (BER) for a cooperative FSO system that uses channel side information-assisted amplify- and-forward (AF) relaying when line-of-sight (LOS) is available. This paper uses maximum ratio combining reception at the destination node to maximize the output …