A Comparison Study of 3G

System Proposals:
cdma2000 vs. WCDMA
Emre A. Yavuz and Dr. Victor C. M.
Leung
University of British Colombia
Vancouver, BC

Objective

To discuss the similarities and the

differences between the two radio
interface proposals, ARIB/ETSIs WCDMA
and TIAs cdma2000, for future mobile
multimedia communications (IMT-2000)
by comparing the technical features of
each proposal.
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Agenda

The motives behind the efforts to increase

capacity
and
the
data
rates,
the
standardization efforts of ITU and other
bodies.
The similarities between the two proposals.
The differences that are affecting the
performance of the systems.
The main issues in detail to find out the
benefits or the drawbacks that those issues
bring to each proposal.
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Motives

To extend 2nd generation capabilities (voice and

low/medium rate data) to introduce multimedia
and new supported services such as support for
high bit rates and introduction of packet data/IP
access into mobile communications.
To find standards and recommendations to
develop a mobile communication network with
a service quality similar to fixed network.

Similarities (1)

Coherent downlink and uplink.

Fast power control on downlink as well as uplink.
Variable length orthogonal Walsh sequences for
downlink and uplink channelization in order to
separate users.
Variable spreading factor to achieve higher rates
and to support blind rate estimation for simple
services (e.g. voice).

Similarities (2)

Turbo codes for higher data rates.

Convolutional codes used as baseline.
Complex QPSK spreading on downlink.
Soft handoff and mobile assisted interfrequency hard handoff procedures.

Differences (1)
1. Downlink RF Channel Structure - while the DS
technique is used for both channel structures, cdma2000
also uses multicarrier cdma technique. The advs. are:

Achieves the same type of system performance

that a conventional signal carrier would provide.
Allows backward compatibility with IS-95.

Although DS is more spectrally efficient in the vehicular

environment than MS method, its only slightly better or
comparable in the pedestrian and indoor environments.
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Differences (2)
Service

Voice
9.6 kbps
1% FER

Packet Data
76.8 kbps
10% FER

Environment

Spectrum Efficiency (RL/FL)

(users/MHz/cell) for voice
(Mbps/MHz/cell) for data
Multicarrier (MC)

Direct Spread (DS)

Vehicular

29 / 28.2

29 / 45.1

Pedestrian

42.1 / 45.8

43.2 / 45.3

Indoor

38.9 / 32.5

34.7 / 33.6

Mixed

34.1 / 34.6

35.7 / 46.1

Vehicular

0.176 / 0.094

0.209 / 0.138

Pedestrian

0.253 / 0.099

0.264 / 0.111

Indoor

0.218 / 0.064

0.226 / 0.070

Differences (3)

2. Chip Rates - Rates of 3.84 Mbps and 3.6864 Mbps

are assigned for WCDMA and cdma2000, respectively.
3. Power control - both systems have similar open and
fast closed loops other than the rates they are using:
1.6 kHz for WCDMA vs. 800 Hz in cdma2000.

Differences (4)
4. Frame lengths - 10ms/20ms (opt.) for WCDMA,
20ms for data and control / 5ms for control information
on control channels for cdma2000.

5 & 10ms frame lengths are appropriate for

cont.
messages
and
low-delay
data
applications.
End-to-end delay is less for 10ms, but it reduces
time diversity and increases SNR requirement.
20ms based frame length is considered as the
basis for voice and data applications and
provides better overhead percentage. (11% as
opposed to 20%)

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Differences (4)
5. Coherent detection - no common pilot for downlink in
WCDMA, common continuous and auxiliary pilot
channels for downlink in cdma2000.

Time and code muxed pilot

symbols in the downlink and
uplink, respectively.
Primary and Secondary pilot
channels .

Downlink (F-PICH) & common

auxiliary pilot (F-CAPICH)
channels.
Additional channels; downlink
dedicated aux. (F-DAICH),
transmit (F-TDPICH) and aux.
transmit
diversity
pilot
(F-ATDPICH) channels.

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Differences (5)
6. Channel multiplexing in uplink and downlink

Combined IQ and code

mux.
solution
(dual
channel QPSK) in uplink
to avoid EMC problems
with DTX.
Time muxed dedicated
channels (DPDCH and
DPCCH) in the downlink.

Code muxed control, pilot,

fundamental & supplemental
channels in both uplink and
downlink.

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Differences (6)
7. Spreading for both downlink and uplink

Var. length orthogonal

sequence
for
ch.
separation and Gold seq.
218 for cell and user
separation in downlink.
Var. length orthogonal
sequence
and
Gold
sequences 241 for user
separation.

Var. length Walsh seq. for

channel separation and
M-sequence
215
in
downlink.
Var. length orthogonal
sequences, M-sequence 215
and 241 for user separation.

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Differences (7)
8. Base station synchronization - Asynchronous and
synchronous base stations are used synchronously in
WCDMA and cdma2000, respectively.

quick in acquisition and

neighbor detection.
Suits better for battery
saving techniques.
permit the operation of
common overhead and
signaling channels into soft
handoff.

requires highly stable

timing references.
needs higher complexity.
performance issues for
hard,
inter-frequency
handoff.

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Differences (8)

Sync. channels - two subchannels for WCDMA limits

the search of long codes to a subset of all the codes.
Broadcasting channels - the frame structure for
cdma2000 reduces battery consumption.
Paging channels - cdma2000 has a quick paging
channel for informing mobiles to listen to the paging.
Others in downlink - DPCCH and DPDCH to F-DCCH
and F-FCH, channels that can not be corresponded
to each other, PDSCH, F-PCCH, F-CACH.
Others in uplink - DPDCH to R-FCH and R-SCH,
DPCCH to R-PICH and RDCCH etc.

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Overview and
Conclusion

The motives and the standardization

efforts of ITU and other bodies.
The similarities between the proposals.
The differences that are affecting the
performance.
The main issues in detail to find out the
benefits or the drawbacks that those
issues bring to each proposal.
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THANKS
!
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