Purpose of Channelization Code & Scrambling Code in

WCDMA

Purpose of WCDMA Channelization Code

 Channelization code is used to distinguish different physical channels of one

transmitter
 For downlink, channelization code ( OVSF code ) is used to separate different
physical channels of one cell
 For uplink, channelization code ( OVSF code ) is used to separate different
physical channels of one UE

 For voice service (AMR), downlink SF is 128, it means there are 128 voice
services maximum can be supported in one WCDMA carrier;
 For Video Phone (64k packet data) service, WCDMA downlink SF is 32, it means
there are 32 voice services maximum can be supported in one WCDMA carrier.

Purpose of WCDMA Scrambling Code

 Scrambling code is used to distinguish different transmitters

 For WCDMA downlink, scrambling code is used to separate different cells in one
carrier
 For WCDMA uplink, scrambling code is used to separate different UEs in one
carrier

In addition to spreading, part of the process in the transmitter is the scrambling

operation. This is needed to separate terminals or base stations from each other.

Here us a summary of the main UMTS FDD codes:

Synchronisation Channelisation Scrambling Scrambling

Codes Codes Codes, UL Codes, DL
Gold Codes Orthogonal Variable Complex-Valued Complex-
Spreading Factor Gold Code Valued Gold
Primary Synchronization (OVSF) codes Segments (long) or Code Segments
Type
Codes (PSC) and Secondary Complex-Valued
Synchronization Codes sometimes called S(2) Codes (short) Pseudo Noise (PN)
(SSC) Walsh Codes codes
 Pseudo Noise (PN)
codes
38400 chips /
Length 256 chips 4-512 chips 38400 chips
256 chips
1.04 µs -
Duration 66.67 µs 10 ms / 66.67 µs 10 ms
133.34 µs
512 primary /
= spreading factor
Number of 1 primary code / 16 15 secondary
4 ... 256 UL, 16,777,216
codes secondary codes for each
4 ... 512 DL
primary code
No, does not
No, does not change Yes, increases No, does not
Spreading change
bandwidth bandwidth change bandwidth
bandwidth
UL: to separate
physical data and
To enable terminals to control data from
locate and synchronise same terminal Separation of Separation of
Usage
to the cells' main DL: to separate terminal sectors
control channels connection to
different terminals in
a same cell