Performance evaluation of 2D RAKE algorithms for WCDMA-DL applications at the handset

Several 2D RAKE algorithms have been evaluated for performance improvement over a conventional single antenna RAKE receiver at the handset for WCDMA downlink air interface. The main focus of the research is to study the feasibility of smart antenna algorithms for handset application and to identify the best candidate algorithm in terms of performance improvement (BLER) and relative hardware complexity (power and area requirements on a chip). The candidate algorithms are based on the following performance metrics: maximum signal-to-noise ratio (MSNR), maximum signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (MSINR) and minimum mean squared error (MMSE). The algorithms have been investigated for hardware complexity based on TSMC 0.18 μm technology. 3GPP specified propagation channels and test conditions have been employed to evaluate coded BLER performance. The improvement in error rate performance combined with relative hardware complexity are used to assess the feasibility of an algorithm for handset applications.