CDMA : Code Division Multiple Access

Principles and handling on ICS TELECOM

1.- Basic principles of CDMA

In such a system, base stations and subscribers of the entire network are transmitting and
receiving in the same frequency band.
Interferences are limited owing to a code allocation associated to each transmission.
The following informations do not pretend to give a complete description of CDMA networks,
but present the main concepts used for network planning with ICS TELECOM. For further
details, see [R1].

1.1- Base station

The base station transmits a fraction of its power on a specifc channel called pilot channel
which contains no information but only data used by the subscribers that would like to be
connected to it.
Another fraction of the base station transmitting power is allocated to the traffic channels that
are delivering due information.
Theoretically, other logical channels (synchronization and paging) used by the system to
manage the subscribers are also emitted by the base station with another fraction of the total
avaliable power.
But, for the moment, on ICS TELECOM, powers allocated to those channels are not taken
into account and the total power of the base station is split in two parts : one for the pilot
channel and the other for the traffic. The parameter used to set this division is % traffic
power of the base station.

1.2- Subscriber
The subscriber transmits most of its power on its traffic channel. A minor part (not taken into
account on ICS TELECOM) of its totlal power is used on a logical channel called access
channel which allows it communicating to its parent base station link management
information concerning power control.

2.- Main parameters

The main parameters used to parent the subscribers and to control the quality of the
Forward (BSTSubscriber) and Reverse (Subscriber BST) links are : (Ec/I0)Forward,
(Eb/N0)Forward and (Eb/N0)Reverse.

2.1- Forward link

In order to be connected to a base station, a subscriber constantly needs to get enough
power from it so as to receive a (Ec/I0)F superior to the (Ec/I0)F required. This condition is
necessary but not sufficient to connect a subscribder to a base station.

(EcI0 )
Forward Sub j
=
Pr eceived by Sub j on parent BST pilot channel
N + I

N = Subscriber KTBF.
I = I1 + I2 + I3 + I4 with :
I1 = Preceived by the subscriber from the parent base station control channels
(Synchronization and Paging) other than the pilot channel. Not taken into account for the
moment on ICS TELECOM.

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 I2 = Power sum received by the subscriber on all the contol channels of the other base
stations. I2 is deterministic.

I3 = Power sum received by the subscriber on all traffic channels of the home base station.
I3 depends on the number of the subscribers connected and on the power control made on
the traffic channels of the home base station. ICS TELECOM considers for (Ec/I0)F
calculation that the jamming power coming from the traffic channels of the home base
station is maximum, the whole power alocated to the traffic channels is considered as a
jamming power. This a pessimistic point of view. Besides, there is no power control on the
base stations for the moment.
I4 = Power sum received by the subscriber on all traffic channels of the other base stations.
I4 depends on the number of the subscribers connected to each base station and on the
power control made on the traffic channels of each of them. ICS TELECOM considers for
(Ec/I0)F calculation that the jamming power coming from the traffic channels of all base
stations is maximum, the whole power alocated to the traffic channels of each base station is
considered as a jamming power. This a pessimistic point of view. Otherwise, there is no
power control on the base stations for the moment.

The global (and pessimistic) approach considered for (Ec/I0)Forward calculation with ICS
TELECOM is also the following :

(EcI0 )
Forward Sub j
=
Preceived by Sub j on parent BST pilot channel
N + Preceived by Sub j on parent BST traffic channels + Preceived by Sub j other BST (Ptot)

The forward link quality is measured with the (Eb/N0)F ratio which is compared to the
(Eb/N0)F required.

(NEb0 )
Forward Sub j
=
N + I
( )
Preceived by Sub j on its traffic channel W
.
R

The useful power (Preceived by the subscriber on its traffic channel) is for the moment
considered as coming from the total traffic channels power of the base station on ICS
TELECOM.

(WR ) = Processing gain, W = Transmitting bandwidth of the home base station et R = Bit rate
offered to the subscriber on its traffic channel.

N = Subscriber KTBF.
I = I1 + I2 + I3 + I4 with :
I1 = Preceived by the subscriber coming from the home base station control channels (Pilot,
Synchronization and Paging), multiplied by (1-), being the orthogonality factor. This factor
reduces intra-cell interference. I1 is deterministic.
I2 = Power sum received by the subscriber coming from all control channels of the non-
parent stations. I2 is deterministic.
I3 = Power sum received by the subscriber coming from the home base station traffic
channels different from the subcribers and multiplied by (1-). I3 depends on the number of
subscribers connected and on the power control carried out on the home base station traffic
channels.
On ICS TELECOM, we consider that the jamming power coming from the home base station
traffic channels is maximum, the whole power allocated to the traffic channels is considered

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as a jamming power and is multiplied by (1-). Besides, there is no power control on base
stations for the moment.

I4 = Power sum received by the subscriber coming from all the other base stations traffic
channels. I4 depends on the number of subscribers connected to each base station and on
the power control carried out on the traffic channels of the other base stations. (Eb/N0)F
calculation made by ICS TELECOM considers that the jamming power coming from the
other base stations traffic channels is maximum, the whole power allocated to each base
station traffic channels is considered as a jamming power. This is a conservative point of
view. Besides, there is no power control on base stations for the moment.

2.2- Reverse link

In order to connect a subscriber to a base station, the subscriber has to transmit to it enough
power to have a (Eb/N0)R received by the base station superior to the (Eb/N0)R required.
This is a necessary but not sufficient condition to connect a subscriber.

(NEb0 )
Reverse Sub j
=
N + I
( )
Preceived by the home base station coming from Sub j traffic channel W
.
R

The useful power received by the home base station comes from the subscriber total power.
It is allocated to its traffic channel and depends on the power control made on the
subscriber.

(WR ) = Processing gain, W = Transmitting bandwidth of the subscriber et R = Bit rate sent by
the subscriber to its home base station.

N = Home base station KTBF.

I = I1 + I2 with :
I1 = Power sum received by the home base station coming from its other parented
subscribers. I1 depends on the number of subscribers connected to this station and on the
power control made on these subscribers.
I2 = Power sum received by the home base station coming from all the traffic channels of the
subscribers connected to the other base stations. I2 depends on the number of subscribers
connected to each base station and on the power control made on these subscribers.

3.- CDMA parenting with ICS TELECOM

Two types of parenting are available with ICS TELECOM :

- Connecting to best server CDMA+ATPC
- Connecting to best server CDMA

3.1- Connecting to best server CDMA+ATPC

- A map of (Ec/I0)F is calculated assuming that there is no traffic in the network. In

each receiving point of this map, the antenna is oriented towards the base station currently
analyzed. The subscribers that are not in the covered area are rejected and are not
considered for the next calculations. The covered area is a best server zone in terms of
(Ec/I0)F received.

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 - The resulting jamming powers I0 Forward and N0 Reverse are evaluated
assuming that all the subscribers traffic channels are considered one after the other as
wanted and unwanted.

- For each subscriber, (Ec/I0)F and (Eb/N0)R calculations.

- ( I0 )
If Ec F evaluated (EcI0 )F required and if

Eb )R required - ( Eb )R evaluated
(N0
Dynamic
,
N0 2
then the subscriber is parented to the station giving it the better (Eb/N0)R. A power
control is then performed on the subscriber in order to have (Eb/N0)R equal to the
(Eb/N0)R required.

- The first parenting pass is ended.

- The resulting jamming powers I0 Forward and N0 Reverse are evaluated again
and we go back to the third step of the process.

- The parenting process ends either when ten passes have been performed or when
the n+1-ary pass loses subcribers compared to the n-ary one. Results of the n-ary
pass are then considered.

Once parenting is performed, system perfomances are analyzed (See. 4).

3.2- Connecting to best server CDMA

For CDMA applications such as WLL, one can assume that the base station power control is
not necessary and that the subscribers power control is not dynamic but carried out only
once so that the received power at the home base station is adjusted to the base stations
carrier.Consequently, the parenting process is the following :
- The subscribers are parented if the received (Ec/I0)F is greater than the (Ec/I0)F
required.
- A power control is performed on each parented subscriber to have a received power
at the home base station equal to the carrier of this station.
- System performances are then evaluated in terms of (EC/I0)F, (Eb/N0)F and
(Eb/N0)R (See 4). If (Eb/N0)R is less than the (Eb/N0)R required, the subscriber
has to be rejected (declared orphan) and the performances have to be evaluated
again.

4.- CDMA Network performances analysis

Once the parenting process has ended, network performances analysis can be evaluated
with the Eb/N0 calculation function in the Subscribers/Noise calculation menu.
We can then get for each link and for each subscriber the transmitting power obtained after
power controls, minimum and maximum power around the (mean) power used at the
beginning according to the dynamic factor (Mean Power +/- dynamic/2). We can also obtain
a final calculation of the three CDMA parameters : (Ec/I0)Forward, (Eb/N0)Forward and
(Eb/N0)Reverse.

A right clic on the mouse placed on a subscriber and Subscriber interference gives the
following results for each link SubscriberEvery activated stations of the network

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(hypothetic link): (Ec/I0)Forward, C/N+I downlink, threshold impairment obtained on the
subscriber, I/N of the subscriber and power received by the subscriber.

This functionnality can also be used for non-CDMA networks.

5.- Prospective planning for CDMA networks

A site is placed on the map according to the greatest number of subscribers that can be
covered in term of (Ec/I0)Forward. We assume that there no traffic yet. The stations already
placed on the map are taken into account while searching a next site. Then, validation of
each site is performed using the same parenting rules as described below.

6.- Other CDMA functions on ICS TELECOM

- Menu Coverage/Network interfence/IRF mode

Ec/I0 forward calculation

This function displays a (Ec/I0) Forward map in the pessimistic approach explained in 2.1.
The Display best server when Ec/I0 X dB option can filter the displaying.

Ec/I0 pilot contamintion

This function displays a map representing the simultaneous coverage areas in terms of
(Ec/I0) Forward. The Minimum Ec/I0 = X dB option calculates the recoverage areas where
(Ec/I0) Forward equals at least X dB.

[R1] : CDMA RF System engineering by Samuel C. YANG, Artech House Publishers

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