Abstract
Performance of RAKE receiver in cellular environments from physical channel model point of view is discussed. Simple decision rule for the appropriate number of RAKE fingers based on SINR is adopted from the literature. General physical channel model is employed to study the effect of changing its parameters on the performance of RAKE receiver. Simulation results demonstrate the change in the appropriate number of RAKE fingers as a result of change in distance between BS and MS and/or the inclusion/exclusion of influential scatterers. The study supported the proposition of dynamically changing the number of RAKE fingers in accordance to the SINR, which is directly related to the model parameters. RAKE receiver suitability for macrocells was evident because of the steady performance observed in simulations as compared to micro- and picocells.