Handoff performance analysis for 1xEV-DO Rev. A systems

We present performance analysis of handoffs on the forward link (i.e., downlink) of packet-switched 1xEV-DO Rev. A systems by a combination of theoretical analysis and simulation results. A theoretical approach is developed to evaluate slot error probability (SEP) relevant to 1xEV-DO Rev. A. The novelty of the theoretical analysis lies in the fact that unlike the existing literature we consider the combined effects of Rayleigh and shadow fading, filtering, and handoff delay on the handoff algorithm. Contrary to the general assumption, a practical filter cannot eliminate Rayleigh fading completely. We evaluate the handoff performance by considering the effects of filtering, hysteresis, and other system parameters. Tradeoffs in choosing handoff algorithm parameters are studied in terms of the SEP, packet error rate (PER), and number of handoffs.