Amplify-and-Forward Relaying in Two-Hop Diffusion-Based Molecular Communication Networks

TL;DR

This paper explores amplify-and-forward relaying in molecular communication networks, deriving formulas for error probability and optimal amplification to enhance nano-network performance.

Contribution

It introduces AF relaying protocols with fixed and variable amplification, providing analytical expressions for error probability and optimization in molecular communication.

Findings

AF relaying can significantly improve communication range and reliability.

Derived closed-form expressions for error probability and optimal amplification.

Simulation results confirm the potential benefits of AF relaying in nano-networks.

Abstract

This paper studies a three-node network in which an intermediate nano-transceiver, acting as a relay, is placed between a nano-transmitter and a nano-receiver to improve the range of diffusion-based molecular communication. Motivated by the relaying protocols used in traditional wireless communication systems, we study amplify-and-forward (AF) relaying with fixed and variable amplification factor for use in molecular communication systems. To this end, we derive a closed-form expression for the expected end-to-end error probability. Furthermore, we derive a closed-form expression for the optimal amplification factor at the relay node for minimization of an approximation of the expected error probability of the network. Our analytical and simulation results show the potential of AF relaying to improve the overall performance of nano-networks.