A code-division-multiple-access (CDMA)
system employing spread-spectrum modulation. The CDMA
system has a
base station (BS), and a plurality of subscriber units. The signals transmitted between the
base station and subscriber unit use spread-spectrum modulation. The improvement apparatus for adaptive forward
power control (APC) from a
base station (BS) to a subscriber unit (SU), includes sending from the base
station, using spread-spectrum modulation, a BS-spreading code on a forward channel. The subscriber unit despreads the BS-spreading code on the forward channel as a despread
signal, determines a first
power level Pd which includes power of the despread
signal plus
noise and a second
power level PN, which includes despread-
noise power. The subscriber unit determines a first
error signal e1, from the first
power level Pd, the second power level PN, and a required
signal-to-
noise ratio SNRREQ for service type, and a second
error signal e2, from a measure of total received power Pr and an
automatic gain control (AGC)
set point Po. The subscriber unit forms a combined
error signal from the first error signal e1, the second error signal e2, a first weight a1 and a second weight a2, and hard limits the combined error signal to form a single APC bit. The APC bit is transmitted to the base
station. In response to the APC bit, the base
station adjusts
transmitter power to the subscriber unit.