MATLAB Implementation of RAKE Receiver with Code Explanation

This article presents a MATLAB implementation of the RAKE receiver based on the work of a distinguished American professor. The RAKE receiver is a crucial signal processing technique for wireless communications that combats multipath fading by combining multiple signal paths using maximal ratio combining. The implementation includes: - Multipath channel simulation with configurable delay spreads - Finger management algorithms for identifying significant signal paths - PN code generation and correlation detection functions - Maximum ratio combining implementation with adaptive weighting - BER performance analysis with comparative simulations Key MATLAB functions utilized: 1. xcorr() - for calculating cross-correlation between transmitted and reference signals 2. filter() - simulating multipath channel effects 3. findpeaks() - identifying multipath component delays 4. Custom MRC algorithm implementing optimal combining weights The code structure features modular design with separate functions for channel modeling, finger assignment, and signal combining. Each module includes detailed comments explaining the underlying mathematical principles and implementation considerations. For technical questions or assistance with adapting this implementation to specific wireless scenarios, please contact us at 02212090@bjtu.edu.cn. We welcome discussions about optimization techniques, performance enhancements, and practical applications of RAKE receivers in modern communication systems.