Performance and parameter optimization of UWB RAKE reception with interchip interference

Abstract

In this paper, performance and parameter optimization of RAKE reception for time-hopping Ultra Wideband (TH-UWB) systems is investigated when interchip interference (ICI) is taken into consideration. For a TH-UWB system, ICI is closely related to the relationship between the number of chips in a frame (Nc), and the period of the TH code (Nf). In a fixed data-rate case, larger Nf implies higher transmitted symbol signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and larger ICI in RAKE fingers. So there is a tradeoff between Nc and Nf to optimize the RAKE performance. In this paper, two models are suggested to describe the ICI, and this tradeoff is investigated in the single user case based on the traditional Gaussian approximation method and other flexible methods. Given the lack of explicit knowledge of the relationship among Nf, Nc and the interference, a rule of thumb is proposed to configure Nf and Nc.