The University of British Columbia

We propose a hybrid non-orthogonal amplify- decode and forward (NADF) transmission protocol for two half- duplex relay nodes. This strategy allows simple amplify and forward (AF) nodes and more complex decode and forward (DF) nodes to participate jointly in the transmission of information. Such a strategy is useful in networks with heterogeneous devices. Analysis of the diversity-multiplexing trade-off (DMT) shows our protocol to be better than the dynamic decode and forward (DDF) protocol for rates between 1/2 and 2/3. Our technique demonstrates that the DDF protocol is not an upper bound and that protocols exist which perform closer to the DMT limit. The NADF protocol has equal performance to the DDF protocol for rates between 2/3 and one. It has a DMT performance below the DDF protocol and identical to or better than the slotted amplify and forward (SAF) protocol and non-orthogonal amplify and forward (NAF) schemes for rates from zero to 1/2.