Fading Effects on the Performance of a Spread Spectrum Multiple Access Communication System

The effects of fading on the performance of a spread spectrum multiple access communication system using direct sequence modulation are investigated. Expressions for the system signal-signal-to-noise ratio and for the mean and variance of the desired and interfering users are derived in terms of the spreading code and fading correlation functions. The system error probability is also evaluated for the special case of slow Rayleigh fading. The results suggest that under conditions of fading and interference, long code sequences may be required to maintain low error rates.