In this paper, we analyze the best relay selection scheme for the soft-decision-and-forward (SDF) cooperative networks with multiple relays. The term `best relay selection' implies that the relay having the largest end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio is selected to transmit in the second phase transmission. The approximate performances in terms of pairwise error probability (PEP) and bit error rate (BER) are analyzed and compared with the conventional multiple-relay transmission scheme where all the relays participate in the second phase transmission. Using the asymptotics of the Fox's H-function, the diversity orders of the best relay selection and conventional relay scheme for the SDF cooperative networks are derived. It is shown that both have the same full diversity order. The numerical results show that the best relay selection scheme outperforms the conventional one in terms of bit error rate.

In this paper, the performance of the soft-decision-and-forward (SDF) protocol in the cooperative communication network with one source, one relay, and one destination, where each node has two transmit and receive antennas, is analyzed in terms of the bit error rate (BER) obtained from the pairwise error probability (PEP). Using the moment generating function and Q-function approximation, the PEP of SDF protocol is calculated and we confirm that the SDF with two antennas achieves the full diversity order. For the slow-varying Rayleigh fading channel, the optimal power allocation ratio can be determined so as to minimize the average PEP (or BER). Due to the difficulty of deriving the optimal value analytically, an alternative strategy of maximizing the product signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of direct and relay links, which we call the suboptimal power allocation, is considered. Through a numerical analysis, we show that the performance gap between the suboptimal and optimal power allocation strategies is negligible in the high SNR region.