1. In a communications system where OVSF codes are selected from a set of Walsh codes represented as a binary tree having multiple layers such that a zeroth layer has one Walsh code and each successive layer has twice the number of Walsh codes as the layer it succeeds, the method comprising: selecting an OVSF code from the set of Walsh codes using an index p where p represents the (p&plus;1)−2 i th Walsh code of the ith layer of Walsh codes where i is an integer such that 2 i &lE;p<2 i&plus;1.