Uplink Packet Scheduling in WCDMA Systems

The objective of this thesis report is to make a comparative study of three scheduling algorithms for the uplink of a WCDMA system restrictive, pre-emptive and random scheduling. Performance and complexity issues are addressed. To this end, scheduling algorithms were modeled in a MATLAB environment with predefined WWW traffic model. Interesting load scenarios were defined and simulated. Results show that channel speed is traded off for sensitivity to system delays. High bit rates are not as beneficial as was believed, due to system constraints. Choice of common channels diminishes the control overhead of scheduling. Exploitation and performance of Dynamic Resource Allocation Control procedure in WCDMA is illustrated via restrictive and random scheduling. Random scheduling proves to lack in performance. Restrictive scheduling does better with less complexity, which also makes it more robust to system delays. Pre-emptive scheduling performs even better than restrictive scheduling in a limited range of system delays, but looses this andvantage for practical values. On the other hand, it provides excellent interference control and possibility of priority management.