RAKE Receiver

Marcel Bautista
February 12, 2004

Propagation of Tx Signal

Multipath

Multipath occurs when RF

signals arrive at a location
via different transmission
paths due to the reflection of
the transmitted signal from
fixed and moving objects.
The combination of the
direct and reflected signals
most often leads to
significant signal loss due to
mutual cancellation.

RAKE Receiver: Basic Idea

The RAKE receiver was designed to

equalize the effects of multipath.
It uses a combination of correlators,
code generators, and delays, or
fingers, to spread out the individual
echo signals of the multipath.
Each signal is then delayed according to
peaks found in the received signal.

Impulse Response
Measurement

RAKE Receiver Continued

The same symbols obtained via different

paths are then combined together using the
corresponding channel information using a
combining scheme like maximum ratio
combining (MRC).
The combined outputs are then sent to a
simple decision device to decide on the
transmitted bits.

RAKE Receiver Block Diagram

Another Block Diagram

Maximum Ratio Combining of

Symbols

MRC corrects channel

phase rotation and weighs
components with channel
amplitude estimate.
The correlator outputs are
weighted so that the
correlators responding to
strong paths in the
multipath environment
have their contributions
accented, while the
correlators not
synchronizing with any
significant path are
suppressed.

End Result of RAKE Receiver

By simulating a multipath environment

through a parallel combination of
correlators and delays, the output
behaves as if there existed a single
propogation path between the
transmitter and receiver.

Gaussian Minimum Shift

Keying

Gaussian Minimum Shift

Keying

GMSK is based on minimum shift keying which is a

special form of frequency shift keying.
Minimum shift keying (MSK) is generated as
follows:

Gaussian Minimum Shift

Keying

GMSK is similar to MSK except it

incorporates a premodulation Gaussian
LPF
Used extensively in 2nd generation
digital cellular and cordless telephone
apps. such as GSM

GMSK Block Diagram

h( ): Gaussian impulse response

b( ): rectangular pulse train
p( ): smoothed (Gaussian filtered)
pulse train

GMSK: Impulse Response,

Pulse Width

B: -3dB bandwidth of the Gaussian filter

Pulse shape characterized by 3dB
bandwidth times the bit period, BTb
Pulse width increases as BTb decreases

GMSK Example

GMSK Improvement

Achieves smooth phase transitions

between signal states which can
significantly reduce bandwidth
requirements

GMSK Tradeoffs

There are no well-defined phase

transitions to detect for bit
synchronization at the receiving end.
With smoother phase transitions, there
is an increased chance in intersymbol
interference which increases the
complexity of the receiver.

GMSK Tradeoffs Continued

A compromise between spectral

efficiency and time-domain
performance must be made.