Downlink performance analysis of a BPSK-based WCDMA using conventional RAKE receivers with channel estimation

We consider the downlink of a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System terrestrial radio access-wideband code division multiple access (UTRA-WCDMA) system and we investigate the performance of the conventional RAKE receiver. A multipath slowly Rayleigh fading channel is assumed. For the purpose of channel tap weight estimation, a common control physical channel, that is either serial or parallel multiplexed with the dedicated physical channels, is used. The receiver sensitivity to imperfect knowledge of the path delays, to the number of pilot symbols, and to the power ratio of pilot to data channels is also investigated. The system performance is evaluated by means of bit-error rates (BERs) derived using quadratic forms and characteristic functions for a BPSK modulation. The mean-squared estimation error (MSEE) of the channel tap weights is also computed and compared to the classical Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB). The mutual interference between pilot and data symbols is taken into account.