Comparison of accumulation units for analog realizations of a path searcher for a UMTS receiver

Two different serial and a parallel structures of an analog current mode accumulator are presented and analyzed. They are intended to be used in the path searcher module of a rake receiver for UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) mobile communication. The noise performance as well as the area requirements of the parallel accumulator increase with the number of values to be accumulated. The signal to noise ratio of the serial structure is better when operated with the absolute values of the signal.