Transmitter gain control for CDMA signals

A system for controlling the amplification gain of an input transmit signal in order to operate a radio transmitter at a desired cumulative distribution level, the input transmit signal including a plurality of spread spectrum channels, the spread spectrum channels having individual channel gains, the system comprising:

• an amplifier inputting the input transmit signal and outputting an amplified transmit signal, the amplifier configured to amplify the input transmit signal in response to a gain control signal;
• a digital-to-analog converter coupled to the amplified transmit signal;
• and
• a gain control unit coupled to the gain control signal, the gain control unit configured to approximate a total variance of the input signal and to adjust the gain control signal based on an amplification function dependent on the total variance of the input transmit signal.

A computer program product embodied in a tangible media comprising:

• computer readable program codes coupled to the tangible media for controlling amplification of an input transmit signal coupled to a digital-to-analog converter in a transmitter in order to operate the digital-to-analog converter such that its clipping point corresponds to a desired cumulative distribution level, the input transmit signal including a plurality of spread spectrum channels, the spread spectrum channels having individual channel gains, the computer readable program codes configured to cause the program to:
• approximate a total variance of the input transmit signal;
• and
• determine an amplification gain corresponding to the desired cumulative distribution level using an amplification function dependent on the total variance of the input transmit signal.