Measuring waveform quality, code-domain power, time offsets and phase offsets of CDMA signals

In 1994, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) released the IS-95 and IS-97 standards developed by the TIA TR-45.5 subcommittee. These standards ensure the mobile-station/base-station compatibility of a dual-mode, wideband, spread-spectrum system-the North American CDMA (code division multiple access) cellular telephone system. The CDMA system uses orthogonal codes to provide multiple communications channels in a designated segment of the electromagnetic spectrum. The TIA IS-95/97 standards specify various measurements that must be made on CDMA base station and mobile station transmitters and receivers to ensure their compatibility, This paper describes CDMA signals and the measurements of waveform quality, code-domain power, and time and phase offsets. A signal flow diagram of the measurement algorithms is presented and performance predictions based on mathematical modeling and simulations are given, Some typical results of measurements made with the HP 83203B which is the cellular adapter for the HP 8921A/600 cell site test set are given.