RFRTWP vs RSCP: Understanding the Difference in WCDMA/UMTS
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This page explains the difference between RTWP and RSCP, two important terms used in WCDMA or UMTS (3G) mobile communication systems. A link to another article detailing the difference between RSCP, Ec/No, and RSSI is also included below.
RTWP - Received Total Wideband Power
RTWP stands for Received Total Wideband Power. This measurement represents the total uplink power received by the NodeB (which is the base station in UMTS/WCDMA). Essentially, it’s the sum of all power received by the base station across the entire bandwidth it’s listening to. This includes the signal power from mobile devices, interference, and noise.
RSCP - Received Signal Code Power
RSCP stands for Received Signal Code Power. It represents the energy per chip in the CPICH (Common Pilot Channel) averaged over a period of 512 chips. The CPICH is a downlink channel transmitted by the NodeB, and the RSCP provides an indication of the signal strength of this channel as received by the mobile device. A higher RSCP generally means a better signal.
Key Differences Summarized
| Feature | RTWP | RSCP |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Received Total Wideband Power | Received Signal Code Power |
| Direction | Uplink (Mobile to Base Station) | Downlink (Base Station to Mobile) |
| What it measures | Total received power across bandwidth | Energy per chip of CPICH |
| Receiver | NodeB (Base Station) | Mobile Device |
| Channel | All Uplink Channels | CPICH (Common Pilot Channel) |
