Overview of code division multiple access technology for wireless communications

Paging, cellular and personal communications have become the fast growing segments of the communications services in the past decade. The demand for wireless technology has been exploding. Several competing digital wireless access technologies including CT-2, DECT/CT-3, GSM, TDMA, and IS-95 CDMA have been used for providing the low tier and high-tier wireless services. This presentation focuses on the code division multiple access (CDMA) technology. Specifically it describes the following aspects of the CDMA technology: (a) background and fundamentals; (b) personal communication services and growth; (c) CDMA concepts and reception; (d) CDMA channel structures; (e) IS-95 radio link processes and signaling; (f) typical CDMA based system architecture and operations including call setup, call handoffs, call terminations and dynamic power control; and (g) roles of wideband CDMA technology in the third generation digital wireless communications and its applications in voice, data, and multimedia communications