Overview of Mobile Radio Systems in North America
By RF Wireless Expert Team
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This page provides an overview of various mobile radio systems used in North America, including AMPS, NAMPS, USDC, CDPD, IS-95, GSC, POCSAG, FLEX, DCS-1900 (GSM), PACS, MIRS, and iDEN.
Mobile Radio System Overview
The following table summarizes the key characteristics of these systems:
| TYPE | YEAR | MULTIPLE ACCESS | FREQUENCY BAND | MODULATION | BW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMPS | 1983 | FDMA | 824-894 MHz | FM | 30 kHz |
| NAMPS | 1992 | FDMA | 824-894 MHz | FM | 10 kHz |
| USDC | 1991 | TDMA | 824-894 MHz | Pi/4 DQPSK | 30 kHz |
| CDPD | 1993 | FH/ Packet | 824-894 MHz | GMSK | 30 KHz |
| IS-95 | 1993 | CDMA | 824-894 MHz/ 1.8-2.0 GHz | QPSK /BPSK | 1.25 MHz |
| GSC | 1970s | Simplex | Many | FSK | 12.5 KHz |
| POCSAG | 1970s | Simplex | Many | FSK | 12.5 KHz |
| FLEX | 1993 | Simplex | Many | 4-FSK | 15 KHz |
| DCS-1900 (GSM) | 1994 | TDMA | 1.85-1.99 GHz | GMSK | 200 KHz |
| PACS | 1994 | TDMA/ FDMA | 1.85 -1.99 GHz | Pi/4 DQPSK | 300 KHz |
| MIRS | 1994 | TDMA | Many | 16QAM | 25 KHz |
| iDen | 1995 | TDMA | Many | 16QAM | 25 KHz |
Explanation of Terms:
- TYPE: The name of the mobile radio system. This could be a cellular standard, a paging system, or a specialized mobile radio (SMR) system.
- YEAR: The year the system was introduced or became commercially available.
- MULTIPLE ACCESS: The method used to allow multiple users to share the same frequency band (FDMA, TDMA, CDMA).
- FREQUENCY BAND: The range of radio frequencies used by the system.
- MODULATION: The type of modulation used to encode information onto the radio signal (FM, GMSK, QPSK, etc.).
- BW: The bandwidth or channel width occupied by a single communication channel.
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