Dual-Layer Downlink Multi-User MIMO

Feature Description

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Copyright

© Ericsson AB 2021, 2022. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be
reproduced in any form without the written permission of the copyright owner.

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 Contents

Contents

1 Overview 1

2 Dependencies 2

3 Feature Operation 3

4 Network Impact 4

5 Parameters 5

6 Performance 6

7 Activate the Feature 8

8 Deactivate the Feature 9

9 Feature Change History 10

9.1 22.Q4: Dual-Layer Downlink Multi-User MIMO Performance
Enhancement 10
9.2 22.Q4: Dual-Layer Downlink Multi-User MIMO without
Antenna Selection for Fixed Wireless Access 11

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Dual-Layer Downlink Multi-User MIMO

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1 Dual-Layer Downlink Multi-User MIMO
Overview

This feature provides support for downlink dual-layer multi-user

beamforming for each UE.

Access Type: LTE

Feature Identity: FAJ 121 5370
Value Package Name: Multi-User MIMO
Value Package Identity: FAJ 801 1011
Node Type: Baseband Radio Node
Licensing: Licensed feature. One license is required for each
node.

Summary
The MU-MIMO exploits the channel separation properties between UEs within
the same cell by allowing multiple users to be scheduled on the same frequency
and time resource. This feature allows multiple users to be co-scheduled with up
to two layers for each UE in downlink MU-MIMO.

This feature provides the following benefits in FWA with high degree of Line of
Sight (LoS) propagation:
— Downlink cell throughput can be increased.

— Downlink Spectral Efficiency can be increased.

— Downlink UE throughput can be increased.

— The average number of downlink MU-MIMO layers can be increased

compared to single layer downlink MU-MIMO.

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 Dual-Layer Downlink Multi-User MIMO

2 Dependencies of Dual-Layer Downlink Multi-

User MIMO

This feature requires prerequisite features to be operational. It also has

hardware-specific dependencies.

Table 1 Feature Dependencies

Feature Relationship Description

Basic AAS for TDD (FAJ 121 4882) Prerequisite The Basic AAS for TDD feature is a
prerequisite feature of the Dual-Layer
Downlink Multi-User MIMO feature. It
must be activated for the Dual-Layer
Downlink Multi-User MIMO feature to
be operational.
Multi-User MIMO Downlink Layers Prerequisite The Multi-User MIMO Downlink
Extension (FAJ 121 4877) Layer Extension feature must
be activated for the Dual-Layer
Downlink Multi-User MIMO feature to
be operational.

Hardware
This feature supports all hardware and frequency bands which support the Basic
AAS for TDD feature. The UE must support antenna selection to fully function of
this feature.

Limitations
Narrowband SRS with antenna selection is not supported.

Network Requirements
No specific network requirements.

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3 Feature Operation of Dual-Layer Downlink
Multi-User MIMO

This feature controls the function of dual-layer MU-MIMO.

The feature uses the EUtranCellTDD.antennaSelectionEnabled attribute to

enable the antenna selection function at cell level. It allows UEs to transmit the
SRS among their transmission antennas and provides the capability for downlink
dual-layer multi-user beamforming.

Note: Only 1T2R transmit antenna selection is supported. When the value
of the EUtranCellTDD.antennaSelectionEnabled attribute is set to
false, only single-layer MU-MIMO for each co-scheduled user is
enabled.

The feature uses the EUtranCellTDD.woasDualLayerEnabled attribute to

enable the function of co-scheduling UEs without antenna selection capability
with up to two layers at cell level.

If single-layer capable and dual-layer capable candidates can be co-scheduled

at every subframe in every cell, the eNodeB determines the UE candidates to
effectively use the system bandwidth as shown in Figure 1.
Number of Layers

UE 4 Layer 1
UE 4 Layer 0
UE 3 Layer 0
UE 2 Layer 1
UE 2 Layer 0
UE 0 UE 1 Layer 0
System Bandwidth
TM3 SRS-based TM8
(non-multi-user-capable) (multi-user-capable) PRB Limit
L0003096A

Figure 1 Dual-Layer TM8 MU-MIMO Scheduling

The UE-specific beamforming enables transmitting to different UEs in the same

PRBs. For every co-scheduled UE, beamforming is calculated and applied in the
downlink transmission.

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 Dual-Layer Downlink Multi-User MIMO

4 Network Impact of Dual-Layer Downlink

Multi-User MIMO

This feature can increase downlink cell throughput and spectral efficiency. It
also affects the RRC protocols on the Uu interface.

Capacity and Performance

This feature can increase downlink cell throughput and spectral efficiency if most
of the UEs are capable of antenna selection and TM8 in FWA cells with a high
degree of LoS propagation.

Using antenna selection can increase the time to sound two real channels.
This causes performance degradation during mobility for dual-layer MU-MIMO
compared to the single layer MU-MIMO in which the antenna selection is
disabled.

In case the dual-layer multi-user function is activated, UEs in the cell with
incorrect transmit antenna selection capability report can be identified to avoid
performance degradation in terms of the downlink cell and UE throughput and
the downlink spectral efficiency.

In case of EIRP restriction, the downlink throughput of SRS-based single-layer

MU-MIMO UEs improve.

Interfaces
The feature affects the following RRC protocols on the Uu interface:

— The ue-TransmitAntennaSelection IE in AntennaInfoDedicated IE

— The ue-TransmitAntennaSelection IE in AntennaInfoDedicated-r10 IE

Other Network Elements

No impact.

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5 Parameters for Dual-Layer Downlink Multi-
User MIMO

This feature introduces a parameter to control antenna selection.

Table 2 Parameters
Parameter Type Description
EUtranCellTDD.antenn Introduced See MOM description.
aSelectionEnabled
EUtranCellTDD.woasDu Introduced See MOM description.
alLayerEnabled

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 Dual-Layer Downlink Multi-User MIMO

6 Performance of Dual-Layer Downlink Multi-

User MIMO

This feature introduces PM counters to observe the number of antenna

selection-capable UEs and the distribution of MU-MIMO UEs by layer
number for downlink. It improves downlink cell throughput, spectral
efficiency and average downlink layer number.

KPIs
No new KPIs are introduced. This feature uses the following existing KPIs:

DL cell throughput

DL spectral efficiency

Average DL layer per PRB#

Counters
This feature introduces the following PM counters:
— EUtranCellTDD.pmAntennaSelectionCapable

— EUtranCellTDD.pmMultiUserMimoLayersDlDistr

The following PM counters are used to observe the benefits of the feature:

— EUtranCellTDD.pmPrbUsedMimoLayersDlDistr

— EUtranCellTDD.pmPdcpVolDlDrb

— EUtranCellTDD.pmRadioThpVolDl

— EUtranCellTDD.pmSchedActivityCellDl

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 Events

Table 3
Event Event Parameter Description
LOCAL_EVENT_ANTEN N/A The event is generated in
NA_SELECTION_UE_CA the following cases:
PABILITY
— UE setup

— UE capability is
fetched

— Handover

— Re-establishment

The event contains

UE antenna selection
capability.
LOCAL_PER_BB_CELL4 EVENT_PARAM_MU_MI Number of UEs
_EVENT MO_LAYERS_DL_DISTR scheduled with one
_0 layer.
LOCAL_PER_BB_CELL4 EVENT_PARAM_MU_MI Number of UEs
_EVENT MO_LAYERS_DL_DISTR scheduled with two
_1 layers.

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 Dual-Layer Downlink Multi-User MIMO

7 Activate Dual-Layer Downlink Multi-User

MIMO

To use the feature, it must be activated following the usual feature

activation procedure.

Prerequisites

— The Basic AAS for TDD and Multi-User MIMO Downlink Layers Extension
features are activated on the node.

— The license key is installed in the node.

— CCTR is active for at least one week before this procedure to collect enough
troubleshooting data.

Steps

1. Set the FeatureState.featureState attribute to ACTIVATED in the

FeatureState=CXC4012571 MO instance.

2. Set the EUtranCellTDD.antennaSelectionEnabled MO attribute to true.

3. Set the EUtranCellTDD.woasDualLayerEnabled MO attribute to true.

After This Task

Keep CCTR active for at least one week after this procedure for continued
collection of troubleshooting data.

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8 Deactivate Dual-Layer Downlink Multi-User
MIMO

If the feature is no longer needed, it can be deactivated following the

usual feature deactivation procedure. It must also be deactivated before the
activation of any conflicting feature.

Prerequisites

— CCTR is active for at least one week before this procedure to collect enough
troubleshooting data.

Steps

1. Set the FeatureState.featureState attribute to DEACTIVATED in the

FeatureState=CXC4012571 MO instance.

2. Set the EUtranCellTDD.antennaSelectionEnabled MO attribute to false.

3. Set the EUtranCellTDD.woasDualLayerEnabled MO attribute to false.

After This Task

Keep CCTR active for at least one week after this procedure for continued
collection of troubleshooting data.

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 Dual-Layer Downlink Multi-User MIMO

9 Feature Change History

This section lists changes that affected this feature and the impact it had on
the network.

9.1 22.Q4: Dual-Layer Downlink Multi-User MIMO

Performance Enhancement
The feature enhancement improves the performance of the feature as it
schedules UEs with incorrect transmit antenna selection capability report as
single-layer MU-MIMO and optimizes EIRP control.

Feature Name Dual-Layer Downlink Multi-User MIMO

Feature Identity FAJ 121 5370
Value Package Name Multi-User MIMO
Value Package Identity FAJ 801 1011
Node Type Baseband Radio Node
Access Type LTE
Impact at Upgrade Optional

Summary and Benefits

This feature enhancement has the following benefits:

— In case the dual-layer multi-user function is activated, and there are UEs
in the cell with an incorrect transmit antenna selection capability report,
the downlink cell and UE throughput and the downlink spectral efficiency
improve.

— In case of EIRP restriction, the downlink throughput of SRS-based single-

layer MU-MIMO UEs improve.

Capacity and Performance

The performance of the feature improves because of the optimized process for
UEs with an incorrect transmit antenna selection capability report and EIRP
control. This can be observed in the improved downlink throughput and downlink
spectral efficiency.

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 Feature Change History

Operation
No impact.

Interfaces
No impact.

Hardware
The feature enhancement is only for TDD LTE AAS-capable hardware.

Other Network Elements

This feature enhancement is only for TM8-capable UEs in the FWA.

TM8 and transmit antenna selection are supported in Release 9.

RELATED INFORMATION

Dual-Layer Downlink Multi-User MIMO

9.2 22.Q4: Dual-Layer Downlink Multi-User MIMO without

Antenna Selection for Fixed Wireless Access
This feature enhancement introduces an attribute to support dual-layer
downlink MU-MIMO without Antenna Selection (AS) for FWA.

Feature Name Dual-Layer Downlink Multi-User MIMO

Feature Identity FAJ 121 5370
Value Package Name Multi-User MIMO
Value Package Identity FAJ 801 1011
Node Type Baseband Radio Node
Access Type LTE
Impact at Upgrade Optional

Summary and Benefits

This feature enhancement allows non-AS-capable UEs to be co-scheduled with
up to two layers for each user in downlink MU-MIMO for FWA.

This feature enhancement has the following benefits:

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 Dual-Layer Downlink Multi-User MIMO

— Downlink cell throughput can be increased.

— Downlink UE throughput can be increased.

— Downlink spectral efficiency can be increased.

— Average number of downlink MU-MIMO layers for each PRB can be

increased compared to a single layer downlink MU-MIMO.

Capacity and Performance

There is a performance trade-off that using dual-layer MU-MIMO without AS
causes performance degradation when the UEs are not separated well compared
to single layer MU-MIMO.

This feature enhancement and related benefits can be observed through the
following PM counters:
— EUtranCellTDD.pmMultiUserMimoLayersDlDistr

— EUtranCellTDD.pmPrbUsedMimoLayersDlDistr

— EUtranCellTDD.pmPdcpVolDlDrb

— EUtranCellTDD.pmRadioThpVolDl

— EUtranCellTDD.pmSchedActivityCellDl

Operation
This feature enhancement introduces the
EUtranCellTDD.woasDualLayerEnabled attribute to control the function of the
dual-layer MU-MIMO without AS.

Interfaces
No impact.

Hardware
The feature enhancement is only for TDD LTE AAS-capable hardware.

Other Network Elements

This feature enhancement is only for TM8-capable UEs in the FWA.

It is recommended to use ENM version 22.4 or later to support the MOM changes
introduced by this feature enhancement. If the Release Independence Manager
application is used, the MOM changes are supported on earlier ENM versions
also.

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 Feature Change History

RELATED INFORMATION

Dual-Layer Downlink Multi-User MIMO

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