Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) System in Multipath
Environment
Vidya kant Dwivedi 1
1
Senior Lecturer , United College of Engg. & Research, Allahabad
2
Research Scholar, Deptt. of ECE, MNNIT, Allahabad
Key words: CDMA, Spread spectrum, Bit Error Rate, Multipath fading
ABSTRACT
Many Digital cellular and mobile systems are
in use today. Analog cellular systems use
Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA)
technique. Digital systems use Frequency
Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time
Division Multiple Access (TDMA) and Code
Division Multiple Access (CDMA) techniques
[1]. CDMA system separates users through
the assignment of different code sequences.
These sequences should have low cross
correlation properties and should allow the
multipath effects commonly found in wireless
channels. CDMA system uses the idea of
tolerating interference by Spread spectrum
modulation (spreading the spectrum) [1, 6].
In this paper simulation of CDMA system has
been described which is operating in
multipath environment by considering
thermal noise and interference. The
simulation results are analyzed using Ricean
K factor (Racian K factor is a factor that
measures propagation loss in multipath
fading environment).
1. Introduction
Multiple access schemes [1, 6] allow
multiple users to access the services. One
type of multiple access system is, in which a
large number of users share a common
1
Manoj KR Shukla 2
communication channel to transmit information
to a receiver. This can be done by different
methods, viz., Frequency Division Multiple
Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple
Access (TDMA), and Code Division Multiple
Access (CDMA) [1, 6].
Frequency Division Multiple Access
(FDMA), First Generation (1G) cellular
communication networks [2, 7] is an analogue
transmission technique used for mobile phone
communications, in which the frequency band
allocated to a network is divided into sub-bands
or channels. Each frequency channel can carry
either a voice conversation or digital data, and
one channel will be assigned to each subscriber
for the duration of a call. Using FDMA in this
way, multiple users can share the available
band without the risk of interference between
the simultaneous calls.
Time Division Multiple Access
(TDMA) is digital transmission technology
that allows a number of users to access a
single radio frequency (RF) channel
without interference by allocating unique
time slots to each user within each channel.
The TDMA digital transmission scheme
multiplexes three signals over a single
channel. The current TDMA standard for
cellular divides a single channel into six
time slots, with each signal using two slots,
providing a 3 to 1 gain in capacity over
advanced mobile-phone service (AMPS).
Each caller is assigned a specific time slot
for transmission. This technique is used in
second generation (2G) cellular
communication networks [2, 7].
In Code Division Multiple Access
(CDMA), every station uses a code for data
transmission, which is only understood by
partner stations with an identical code. Code
Division Multiple Access (CDMA) has
emerged as the mainstream air interface
solution for the third-generation networks,
since it will provide a multitude of services,
especially multimedia and high-bit-rate
packet data [7].
2. Basics of Cellular communications
A cellular radio system consists of
mobile units linked via a radio network to
switching equipment interconnecting the
different parts of the system and allowing
access to the fixed PSTN [2]. The technology
is hidden from view-incorporated in
numerous transceivers called Base Stations
(BS) which are located at selected strategic
places, and covering a given area or cell -
hence the term cellular communications. A
number of cells grouped together form the
"area" and the corresponding Base Stations
are connected to a Mobile Switching Centre
(MSC) which stores information and directs
calls to phones within its area. The various
Mobile Switching Centers communicate with
each other.
The frequencies used by GSM [2, 7] are:
For transmission 890-915 MHz
For reception 935-960 MHz
2.1. Cellular System Components
The cellular system offers mobile and
portable telephone stations the same service
provided fixed stations over conventional
2
wired loops. It has the capacity to serve tens of
thousands of subscribers in a major
metropolitan area. The cellular communications
system consists of the following four major
components that work together to provide
mobile service to subscribers [2].
 Public switched telephone network
(PSTN)
 Mobile telephone switching office
(MTSO)
 Cell site with antenna system
 Mobile subscriber unit (MSU)
2.1.1 PSTN [2]
The PSTN is made up of local
networks, the exchange area networks, and the
long- haul network that interconnect telephones
and other communication devices on a
worldwide basis.
2.1.2 Mobile Telephone Switching Office
(MTSO) [2]
The MTSO is the central office for
mobile switching. It houses the mobile
switching center (MSC), field monitoring, and
relay stations for switching calls from cell sites
to wire line central offices (PSTN). In analog
cellular networks, the MSC controls the system
operation. The MSC controls calls, tracks
billing information, and locates cellular
subscribers.
2.1.3. The Cell Site [2]
The term cell site is used to refer to the
physical location of radio equipment that
provides coverage within a cell. A list of
hardware located at a cell site includes power
sources, interface equipment, radio frequency
transmitters and receivers, and antenna
systems.
2.1.4. Mobile Subscriber Units (MSUs) [2]
The mobile subscriber unit consists of
a control unit and a transceiver that transmits
and receives radio transmissions to and from
a cell site. The following three types of MSUs
are available:
 The mobile telephone (typical
transmit power is 4.0 watts)
 The portable (typical transmit power
is 0.6 watts)
 The transportable (typical transmit
power is 1.6 watts)
The mobile telephone is installed in
the trunk of a car, and the handset is installed
in a convenient location to the driver.
Portable and transportable telephones are
hand-held and can be used anywhere. The use
of portable and transportable telephones is
limited to the charge life of the internal
battery.
3. CDMA Concepts
In CDMA each user is assigned a
unique code sequence it uses to encode its
information-bearing signal. The receiver,
knowing the code sequences of the user,
decodes a received signal after reception and
recovers the original data. This is possible
since the cross correlations between the code
of the desired user and the codes of the other
users are small. Since the bandwidth of the
code signal is chosen to be much larger than
the bandwidth of the information-bearing
signal, the encoding process enlarges
(spreads) the spectrum of the signal and is
therefore also known as spread-spectrum
modulation. The resulting signal is also called
a spread-spectrum signal, and CDMA is often
denoted as spread-spectrum multiple access
(SSMA) [6].
The spectral spreading of the transmitted
signal gives to CDMA its multiple access
capability. It is therefore important to know
the techniques necessary to generate spread-
3
spectrum signals and the properties of these
signals. A spread-spectrum modulation
technique must fulfill two criteria:
The transmission bandwidth must be
much larger than the information bandwidth.
The resulting radio-frequency bandwidth is
determined by a function other than the
information being sent (so the bandwidth is
statistically independent of the information
signal). This excludes modulation techniques
like frequency modulation (FM) and phase
modulation (PM) [1, 6]. The ratio of
transmitted bandwidth to information
bandwidth is called the processing gain, G p, of
the spread-spectrum system,
Bt
Gp  ; where Bt is the
Bi
transmission bandwidth and Bi is the bandwidth
of the information-bearing signal.
The receiver correlates the received signal with
a synchronously generated replica of the
spreading code to recover the original
information-bearing signal. This implies that
the receiver must know the code used to
modulate the data.
Because of the coding and the resulting
enlarged bandwidth, SS signals have a number
of properties that differ from the properties of
narrowband signals. To have a clear
understanding, each property has been briefly
explained with the help of illustrations, if
necessary, by applying direct sequence spread-
spectrum techniques.
3.1 Multiple Access Capability [6]
If multiple users transmit a spread-
spectrum signal at the same time, the receiver
will still be able to distinguish between the
users provided each user has a unique code that
has a sufficiently low cross-correlation with the
other codes. Correlating the received signal
with a code signal from a certain user will
then only despread the signal of this user,
while the other spread-spectrum signals will
remain spread over a large bandwidth. Thus,
within the information bandwidth the power
of the desired user will be larger than the
interfering power provided there are not too
many interferers, and the desired signal can
be extracted.
3.2 Protection Against multi-path
interference [6]
In a radio channel there is not just
one path between a transmitter and receiver.
Due to reflections (and refractions) a signal
will be received from a number of different
paths. The signals of the different paths are
all copies of the same transmitted signal but
with different amplitudes, phases, delays, and
arrival angles. Adding these signals at the
receiver will be constructive at some of the
frequencies and destructive at others. In the
time domain, this results in a dispersed signal.
Spread-spectrum modulation can combat this
multi-path interference; however, the way in
which this is achieved depends very much on
the type of modulation used.
3.3 Privacy [6]
The transmitted signal can only be dispread
and the data recovered if the receiver knows
the code.
3.4 Interference Rejection [6]
Cross-correlating the code signal with
a narrowband signal will spread the power of
the narrowband signal thereby reducing the
interfering power in the information
bandwidth. The spread-spectrum signal (s)
receives narrowband interference (i). At the
receiver the SS signal is "despread" while the
interference signal is spread, making it appear
4
as background noise compared to the despread
signal.
3.5 Anti-Jamming Capability [6]
This is more or less the same as
interference rejection except the interference is
now willfully inflicted on the system. It is this
property, together with the next one, that makes
spread-spectrum modulation attractive for
military applications.
3.6 Low Probability of Interception (LPI) [6]
Because of its low power density, the
spread-spectrum signal is difficult to detect and
intercept by a hostile listener.
There are a number of modulation techniques
that generate spread-spectrum signals:
3.6.1 Direct sequence spread-spectrum [6]
The information-bearing signal is
multiplied directly by a high chip rate code
signal.
3.6.2 Frequency hopping spread-spectrum
[6]
The carrier frequency at which the
information-bearing signal is transmitted is
rapidly changed according to the code signal.
3.6.3 Time hopping spread-spectrum [6]
The information-bearing signal is not
transmitted continuously. Instead the signal is
transmitted in short bursts where the times of
the bursts are decided by the code signal.
4. Results
A simulation [3, 4, and 5] has been done of
CDMA system operating in a multi path/ fading
environment. Thermal noise and interference
are also included in the simulation model. The
simulation model can generate a number of
performance results. These include the Bit
Error Rate (BER) as a function of the thermal
noise level (PE vs Eb/No) with ricean factor
included.
 Eb /No is stepped from 0-10 dB in one
dB steps. Ricean K factor is a factor that
measures propagation loss in multi-path
fading environment. This factor is included
and results are obtained. Three values of
Ricean K factor are used -20 dB, 0 dB and 20
dB.
K– factor of -20 dB (k=0.01) produced
results close to Raleigh fading. The K-factor
of 0 dB (K=1) curve is less smooth than other
curves. This is due to time varying nature of
channel, which is more pronounced for
intermediate values of K, where the power in
the LOS component and total scattered power
are approximately equal.
5. References
[1] John G. Proakis “Digital
Communication systems” Mc-Graw Hill
publication
[2] William C.Y.Lee “Mobile Cellular
Telecommunications”, Pearson Education
6. Appendix
Fig. 5.1 Graph between Eb/No and Probability of Symbol Error
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[3]K.S.Shanmugan, “Simulation and
Implementation Tools for Signal
Processing and Communication Systems”
IEEE Communications Magazine July
1994
[4] William H. Tranter, Kurt L. Kosbar,
“Simulation of Communication Systems”
IEEE Communications Magazine, July
1994
[5] Brian D. Woerner, Jeffrey H. Reed, and
Theodore S. Rappaport “Simulation
Issues for Future Wireless Modems”
IEEE Communications Magazine, July
1994
[6] Kamilo Feher, “Wireless Digital
Communications” Modulation and
Spread spectrum applications, Prentice
Hall PTR, NJ 1994
[7] Http:// www.umts-forum.org
Fig. 5.2 Graph between Eb/No and Probability of Symbol Error with ricean factor