G. S.

Sanyal School of Telecommunications

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

MOOC: Spread Spectrum Communications & Jamming

Assignment 11: Solutions to problems on Multiuser CDMA Networks

Due date: Max. marks: 20

Note: Please find the table of notations at the end of document.

1. A hand-held direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DS/SS) radio is part of a

cellular CDMA system. The system specifications are as follows: data
and SS-code modulation is BPSK, data rate (R) is 8000 bit/s, carrier
frequency (fc ) is 1 GHz, chip rate (Rch ) is 25 Mchips/s, worst-case path
loss (Lp ) is 138.6
 
dB, gain of transmitting antenna (Gt ) is 5 dBi, receiver
Gr
figure-of-merit T is −18 dB/K, occasional deep small-scale fading loss
 0

Eb
Lo is 30 dB, other losses (Lo ) are 4 dB, required N o
is 4 dB. Assume
link Margin, LM is unity.
The required transmitted power (Pt ) during deep small-scale feeding is:
Pt Gt ( GTr )
Hint: The link margin is given by, LM =  E  0
and k is Boltz-
b RkLp Lo Lo
No
reqd
mann’s constant.
Solution:
P G ( Gr )
Since, LM =  E  t t T
b
No
RkLp Lo L0o
reqd
We now solve for P in decibles:
  t
Eb 0 Gr
Pt = LM + N o reqd
+ R + k + Lp + Lo + Lo − (Gt + T
)
where, R = 10 log(8000) ≈ 39.031 dB
k = 10 log(1.38 × 10−23 ) ≈ −228.601 dB

1
 Pt = 0 + 4 + 39.031 − 228.601 + 138.6 + 4 + 30 − (5 − 18)
∴ Pt = 0.03 dBW ≈ 0 dBW = 1 W
(correct option iv.)

2. Referring to question 1, the level can Pt be powered down when there is

no small-sacle fading is:
Solution:
0
When Lo = 0 dB, Pt can be reduced to −30 dBW = 1 mW
(correct option i.)

3. Referring to question 1, the processing gain, Gp is:

Solution:
6
Processing gain, Gp = RRch = 25×10
8000
= 3125 ≈ 34.949 dB = 35 dB.
(correct option ii.)

4. Referring to question 1, the maximum number of users per cell is approx-

imately:
Hint: Assume the system is interference limited. i.e, (NoE+Ib
o)
≈ EIob .
Solution:
Gp
Eb
(No +Io )
S/R
≈ EIob = I/Wss
= WI/S
ss /R
= I/S = GIp S = S(M
Gp S
−1)
= MG−1
p

M ≈ Gp (dB) − Eb /Io (dB) = 35 dB − 4 dB = 31 dB = 1258

(correct option iii.)

5. Consider a CDMA direct-sequence cellular telephone system, where each

user requires an EIob of 6 dB for acceptable voice quality. The chip rate
(Rch ) is 3.68 MChips/sec, and the data rate (R) is 14.4 kbit/s. Assume
that the factors Nonsynchronous interference factor (γ), Voice activity
factor (Gv ), and Outer-cell interference factor (Ho ) are 1.5, 2.5 and 1.5
respectively, and the transmission ceases during speech pauses.
The number of users per cell can be supported are:
Hint: By taking γ, Gv , and Ho into consideration, the number of users
that can be supported are M = γG Eb
Gp
v

Io
Ho

Solution:
3.68×106
M = γG
Eb
Gp
v
= 1.5×2.5
4×1.5
Gp Where Gp = 14.4×103
= 255.55
Io
Ho

2/8
 ∴ M = 2.5
4
× 255.55 ≈ 160 users/cell
(correct option ii.)

6. Referring to question 5, if a powerful error-correcting code is used to lower

the required EIob by 1 dB, the number of users per cell can be supported
are:
Solution:
If EIob can be lowered by 1 dB (or the factor 1.259), it directly affects the
user population by an increase in the same amount. Thus now, M≈ 201
users/cell.
(correct option i.)

7. A direct-sequence spread-spectrum system uses QPSK modulation for

transmitting data. It is required that the bit-error probability (Pb ) be
10−5 and that chip energy-to-interference power spectral density ratio,
Ech /Io ≤ −30.4 dB.
The processing gain, Gp is:
Hint: Processing gain, Gp = EEchb /I/Ioo
Note: (NoE+I
b
o)
is bit energy-to-interference and noise power spectral den-
sity ratio. Assume that (NoE+I b
o)
≈ EIob .
Note: Forq
QPSK, with perfect synchronization and bit-error probability,
Pb = Q( 2E Io
b
) = 10−5 requires EIob of 9.6 dB.
Solution:  
Eb
Io
Processing gain, Gp = 
Ech

Io

Let EIch
o
= −30.4 dB.
Then Gp (dB) = EIob (dB) − EIch
o
(dB) = 9.6 + 30.4 = 40 dB.
Ech
If Io < −30.4 dB, then processing gain would be greater than 40 dB
(correct option iv.)

8. Referring to question 7, the minimum number of chips/bit required are:

Solution:
Processing gain, GP is ≥ 10000 (40 dB) in linear scale. So, for a direct-
sequence spread spectrum system, there must be ≥ 10000 chips/bit to
meet these specifications.

3/8
 (correct option i.)

9. A direct-sequence spread-spectrum system with a processing gain 

of 20
1 k
dB uses QPSK modulation for transmitting data. A rate 2 n error-
correcting code is used, and the required bit-error probability is 10−5 .
Assuming perfect synchronization, find the minimum values of the fol-
lowing parameters that are needed to support these requirements.
 
Chip energy-to-interference power spectral density ratio EIch
o
is:
Hint: Processing gain, Gp = EEchb /I/Ioo
Note: (NoE+I
b
o)
is bit energy-to-interference and noise power spectral den-
sity ratio. Assume that (NoE+Ib
o)
≈ EIob .
Note: Forq
QPSK, with perfect synchronization and bit-error probability,
Pb = Q( Io ) = 10−5 requires EIob of 9.6 dB.
2Eb

Solution:
Since, Gp = EEchb /I/Ioo
Ech /Io (dB) = Eb /Io (dB) −Gp (dB) = 9.6 − 20 = −10.4 dB
(correct option ii.)

10. Referring to question 

9, channel bit energy-to-interference power spectral
Ec
density ratio Io is:
Hint: EIoc Rc = EIch o
Rch = EIob R
Hint: nk = RRc
Solution:
Since, EIoc Rc = EIob R
then, EIoc = ( RRc ) EIob
∴ EIoc = ( nk ) EIob
Ec
Io
(dB) = EIob (dB) + nk (dB) = 9.6 dB − 3 dB = 6.6 dB
(correct option iii.)

11. There is a rich set of signaling elements used in CDMA systems that are
designed to IS-95 specifications: data bits, channel bits, Walsh waveforms,
Walsh chips, spread-spectrum chips, and BPSK waveforms. Consider a
reverse traffic channel that is carrying full-rate digitized speech (R) at 9.6
kbits/s, with a received NoE+I
b
o
≈ EIob = 7 dB (assuming that No <<  o
I ).
Pr
The received power-to-interference power spectral density ratio Io is:

4/8
          
Hint: PIor = EIob R = EIoc Rc = EIow Rw = EIwch o
Rwch = Ech
Io
Rch
Solution:
Eb
Io
= 7 dB = 100.7 = 5.01187 ≈ 5
Pr
Io
= ( EIob )R = 5 × 9.6 kbps = 48,000 Hz or 46.8 dB-Hz.
(correct option iii.)

12. Referring to question 11, the channel bit energy-to-interference power

spectral density ratio EIoc is:
 
k
Hint: For the reverse traffic channel, the code rate n
is 13 .
Hint: nk = RRc
Solution:
Since, EIoc Rc = EIob R
Ec
Io
= ( RRc ) EIob = ( nk ) EIob
Ec
Io
= ( 13 ) EIob = ( 13 ) × 5 = 53 = 2.2 dB
(correct option ii.)

13. Referring to questions 11 and 12, the channel bit rate (Rc ) is:
Solution:
Since, nk = RRc
Rc = nk × R = 3 × R = 3× 9600 = 28,800 channel bits/s
(correct option iv.)

14. Referring to question 11, 

the Walsh waveform energy-to-interference power
Ew
spectral density ratio Io is:
Hint: Each 64-ary Walsh waveform corresponds to 6 channel bits. i.e, RRwc
=6
Solution:
Since, EIow Rw = EIoc Rc
Ew
Io
= RRwc × EIoc = 6 × EIoc = 6 × ( 53 ) = 10 = 10 dB.
(correct option i.)

15. Referring to questions 11 and 14, the Walsh waveform rate (Rw ) is:
Solution:
Rw = ( 16 )Rc = 16 × 28,800 = 4800 Walsh waveforms/s
(correct option iv.)

5/8
16. Referring to question 11, the 
Walsh chip energy-to-interference power
Ewch
spectral density ratio Io is:
Hint: A Walsh waveform is composed of 64 Walsh chips. i.e, RRwch w 1
= 64
Solution:
Since, EIwch
o
Rwch = EIow Rw
Ewch
Io
= ( RRwch
w
) EIow = ( 64
1 Ew 1
) Io = ( 64 10
) × 10 = 64 = −8.1 dB
(correct option i.)

17. Referring to questions 11 and 16, the Walsh chip rate (Rwch ) is:
Solution:
Rwch = 64 ×Rw = 64× 4800 = 307,200 Walsh-chips/s.
(correct option ii.)

18. Referring to question

 
11, the chip energy-to-interference power spectral
Ech
density ratio Io is:
Hint: In IS-95, the spread-spectrum chip rate (Rch ) is 1.2288 Mchips/s.
Solution:
Since, PIor = ( EIch
o
)Rch
Ech 48,000
Io
= PIor × ( R1ch ) = ( 1.2288×10 6 ) = 0.039 = −14.1 dB.

(correct option iii.)

19. Referring to questions 11 and 18, the

number

of spread spectrum (SS)
chips correspond to one Walsh chip RRwch ch
is:
Solution:
6
SS-chips per walsh chip: RRwch
ch
= 1.2288×10
307,200
= 4.
(correct option ii.)

20. Consider a DSSS downlink with bandwidth expansion, Gp = 100. As-

sume the system is interference-limited and there is no multipath on any
user’s channel. How many users can the system support under BPSK
modulation such that each user has a BER less than 10−3 .
Hint: Assume the system is interference limited. i.e, (NoE+I
b
o)
≈ EIob .
q
2Eb Eb
Hint: For BPSK, bit-error probability Pb = Q( Io
), and Io
= 6.79 dB
yields Pb = 10−3 .
Solution:

6/8
Eb
Io
= 6.79 dB = 4.775
Eb
Io
= MG−1
p

4.775 = M100
−1
100
Solving for M (the number of users) yields M ≤ 1 + 4.775 = 21.94. Since
−3
M must be an integer and we require Pb ≤ 10 , 21.94 must be rounded
down to 21 users, although typically a designer would build the system
to support 22 users with a slight BER penalty.
(correct option iii.)

7/8
Parameter Notation
Carrier frequency fc
Transmitter power Pt
Data (bit) rate R
Chip rate Rch
Channel bit rate Rc
Walsh waveform rate Rw
Walsh chip rate Rwch
One user’s received power S
Spread-spectrum bandwidth Wss
k
Error correcting code rate n
Path loss Lp
Transmitting Antenna Gain Gt
Gr
Receiver figure of merit T
0
Small-scale fading loss Lo
Other losses Lo
Boltzmann’s constant K
Link Margin LM
The number of supported users per cell M
Processing Gain Gp
Bit-error probability Pb
Nonsynchronous interference factor γ
Voice activity factor Gv
Outer-cell interference factor Ho
Interference power I
Interference power spectral density Io
Pr
Received power-to-interference power spectral den- Io
sity ratio
Eb
Energy per bit-to-Noise power spectral density ratio
No 
Eb
Required Energy per bit-to-Noise power spectral No
reqd
density ratio
Eb
Energy per bit-to-Interference power spectral density Io
ratio
Eb
Energy per bit-to-Noise and Interference power spec- No +Io
tral density ratio
Ech
Spread spectrum chip energy-to-interference power Io
spectral density ratio
Ec
Channel bit energy-to-interference power spectral Io
density ratio
Ew 8/8
Walsh waveform energy-to-interference power spec- Io
tral density ratio
Ewch
Walsh chip energy-to-interference power spectral Io
density ratio

Table 1: Table of notations