Fundamentals of Cellular

Engineering
Prepared By :
Maulik Patel
Outline

Introduction to cellular system

Concept of frequency reuse

Channel Assignment Strategies

Handoff Process and Generation

Handoff Priority

Enhancing Capacity And Cell Coverage !he "ey !rade#off

Cell Splitting

Sectoring

$icrocell %one Concept

&eference
Introduction

Goals of a Cellular System :

High capacity
'arge coverage area
Efficient use of limited spectrum

&euse of radio channel

Ena(le a fi) num(er of channels to serve an

ar(itrarily large num(er of users (y reusing
the channel throughout the coverage region
*hat is cell +

Each cellular (ase station is allocated a group of radio channels

,ithin a small geographic area called a cell-

.eigh(oring cells are assigned different channel groups-

/y limiting the coverage area to ,ithin the (oundary of the cell0

the channel groups may (e reused to cover different cells-

Consider a cellular system ,hich has a total of S duple) channels-

Each cell is allocated a group of " channels0 1 2 S

!he S channels are divided among . cells-

!he total num(er of availa(le radio channels0 S 3 ".

!he . cells ,hich use the complete set of channels is called cluster-

!he cluster can (e repeated $ times ,ithin the system- !he total
num(er of channels0 C0 is used as a measure of capacity-
C 3 $". 3 $S

!he capacity is directly proportional to the num(er of replication $-

!he cluster si4e0 .0 is typically equal to 50 60 or 78-

!he frequency reuse factor is given (y 79.-

Frequency reuse

He)agonal geometry has

exactly six equidistance neighbors
the lines joining the centers of any cell and each of its neighbors are
separated by multiples of ! degrees"

Only certain cluster si4es and cell layout are possi(le-

!he num(er of cells per cluster0 .0 can only have values ,hich satisfy
N=i
2
+ij +j
2
Frequency reuse :Cont-;
Channel Assignment Strategies

Goal is to minimi4e interference < ma)imi4e use of capacity-

One of the Channel assignment strategies is

7- Fi)ed Channel Assignment

Channels are divided in sets-

A set of channels is permanently allocated to each cell in the

net,or"- Same set of channels must (e assigned to cells
separated (y a certain distance to reduce co#channel
interference-

Any call attempt ,ithin the cell can only (e served (y the
unused channels in that particular cell- !he service is (loc"ed
if all channels have used up

$ost easiest to implement (ut least fle)i(ility-

An modification to this is =(orro,ing scheme>- Cell :acceptor cell; tha

has used all its nominal channels can (orro, free channels from its
neigh(oring cell :donor cell; to accommodate ne, calls-

/orro,ing can (e done in a fe, ,ays (orro,ing from the ad?acent cell
,hich has largest num(er of free channels0 select the first free
channel found0 etc-

!o (e availa(le for (orro,ing0 the channel must not interfere ,ith

e)isting calls- !he (orro,ed channel should (e returned once the
channel (ecomes free-
FCA:cont-;
8- @ynamic Channel Allocation :@CA;

Aoice channels are not allocated to any cell permanently- All channels
are "ept in a central pool and are assigned dynamically to ne, calls as
they arrive in the system-

Each time a call request is made0 the serving /S requests a channel

from the $SC- It then allocates a channel to the requested cell
follo,ing an algorithm that ta"es into acount the li"elihood of future
(loc"ing ,ithin the cell0 the reuse distance of the channel and other
cost functions increase in comple)ity

Centrali4ed @CA scheme involves a single controller selecting a

channel for each cell- @istri(uted @CA scheme involves a num(er of
controllers scattered across the net,or"-

For a ne, call0 a free channel from central pool is selected (ased
on either the co#channel distance0 signal strength or signal to noise
interference ratio-
@CA:cont-;

#andoff :
*hen a user moves from one cell to the other0 to "eep the
communication (et,een the user pair0 the user channel has to
(e shifted from one /S to the other ,ithout interrupting the
call
,hen a $S moves into another cell0 ,hile the conversation is
still in progress0 the $SC automatically transfers the call to a
ne, F@@ channel ,ithout distur(ing the conversation- !his
process is called as handoff-

#andoff operation :
identifying a ne, (ase station
re#allocating the voice and control channels ,ith the ne, (ase
station-
*hat is Handoff +
Handoff
Handoff Process

Once a signal level is set as the minimum accepta(le for good

voice quality :Prmin;0 then a slightly stronger level is chosen as the
threshold :PrH;at ,hich handoff has to (e made-

A parameter0 called po,er margin0 defined as

$ % Pr# & Prmin

If B is too small0 then there may not (e enough time to complete

the handoff and the call might (e lost even if the user crosses the
cell (oundary-

If B is too high o the other hand0 then $SC has to (e (urdened

,ith unnecessary handoffs- !his is (ecause $S may not intend to
enter the other cell-
Handoff Generation

Handoff for first generation analog cellular systems

10 secs handoff time
is in the order of 6 dB to 12 dB

Handoff for second generation cellular systems, e.g., GSM

1 to 2 seconds handoff time
mobile assists handoff
is in the order of 0 dB to 6 dB
Handoff decisions based on signal strength, co-channel interference,
and adjacent channel interference.

IS-95 CDMA spread spectrum cellular system

Mobiles share the channel in every cell.
o !hysical change of channel d"ring handoff
M#$ decides the base station %ith the best receiving signal as the
service station

@ropped call is considered a more serious event than call (loc"ing-

Channel assignment schemes therefore must give priority to
handover requests-

A fraction of the total availa(le channels in a cell is reserved only

for handover requests- Ho,ever0 this reduces the total carried
traffic- @ynamic allocation can improve this-

It reduces rate of handoff failure

It is desira(le from user>s point of vie,

Prioriti4ing Handoff
'" Guard channels concept
(" )ueuing handoff requests
Handoff Priority
A Cell
e% $alls
Handoff $alls
&rom
neighboring cells
$ommon
$hannel
'ool
$all com!letion
Handoff o"t
(o neighboring
cells
*ireless Cellular System !raffic
in a cell
Guard Channel $ethod

A fraction of availa(le channels is reserved e)clusively for handoff

requests

It has disadvantage of reducing total carried traffic

It Offers efficient spectrum utili4ation ,hen dynamic channel

assignment strategies (y minimi4ing num(er of required guard
channels

It reduces num(er of (loc"ed handoffs

It reduces system capacity

Handoff dro!!ing less desirable than ne% call bloc)ing*
Handoff call has Higher 'riority+ ,"ard $hannel #cheme
,$#+ g channels are reserved for handoff calls.
g trade-off bet%een '
b
- '
d

Here, e% call bloc)ing !robability, P
b
Handoff call dro!!ing !robability, P
d
Guard Channel Scheme

*hen a ne, call :.C; is attempted in an cell covered (y a (ase

station :/S;0 the .C is connected if an idle channel is availa(le in the
cell- Other,ise0 the call is (loc"ed

If an idle channel e)ists in the target cell0 the handoff call :HC;
continues nearly transparently to the user- Other,ise0 the HC is
dropped
Guard Channel Scheme :Cont-;
Cueuing Handoff &equests

First0 Put handoff requests in a queue

!hen Serves handoffs on a FCFS (asis

It reduces num(er of failed handoffs

It reduces system capacity

!he !rade#off
Enhancing Capacity And Cell
Coverage
range
.)m/
(hro"gh!"t
0cell
.Mb!s/ 102.11b
oise
2imited
3nterference
2imited
4-M4#
Benefit
*echnical +nterpretation

noise0 fading0 --- e)pands envelope to right

Interference mitigation :D gain; e)pands it

up,ards
,conomic +nterpretation

Coverage improvements reduce CapE)0 OpE) :esp- (ac"haul0 sites;

Capacity improvements reduce delivery cost0 spectrum requirements

!he num(er of channels availa(le to customers :equivalently0

the channel density per square "ilometer; could (e increased
(y decreasing the cluster si4e-

It might (e that an increase in channel density is required only

in specific parts of the system to support an increased demand
in those areas-

Cell#splitting is a technique ,hich has the capa(ility to add ne,

smaller cells in specific areas of the system-

Sectoring is (asically a technique ,hich can increase the SI&

,ithout necessitating an increase in the cluster si4e-

$icrocell 4one
!rade#off
Cell @escription

*hy cell shape is he)agonalE+

*hy Cell Splitting 0 Sectoring and $icrocell 4oneE--+

As users increases per cell the channel capacity decreases

!echniques needed to provide e)tra channel

Cell Splitting

In (ase stations ,here usage of cellular net,or" is high0

these cell split into smaller cell
Cont--

A ne, cell site must (e constructed ,hen the cell is

split

Such that the radio frequencies are reassigned0 and

transmission po,er is reduced

Each ,ith its o,n (ase station and a corresponding

reduction in antenna height

!he process of su(dividing a congested cell into smaller

cell leads to increase in capacity

Cell splitting is one of the easy and less costly solution

,hen increasing the capacity of cellular net,or"
Sectoring

Sectori4ation consist of dividing an omnidirectional :FGH

degree;vie, of cell site into non overlapping slices called
sectoring

!o overcome some limitations li"e co#channel

interference cell sectoring is done

!here are 8 methods for cell sectoring

7; GH degree

8; 78H degree
Cont5

&eplacing a single omnidirectional antenna at (ase station

,ith several directional antenna achieves capacity
improvement (y essentially rescaling the system

Advantages

It reduces interference ,hich increases capacity

It ena(les to reduce the cluster si4e and provides an

additional freedom in assigning channels

'imitations

Increased num(er of antennas at each (ase station

'oss of traffic

Since sectoring reduces the coverage area of a particular

group of channels0 the num(er of handoffs increases as ,ell
$icrocell

As the splitting of cell idea evolves0 the usage of smaller

cell (ecomes efficient and it leads the creation of
microcell

!he aim of creating a microcell are increasing the

capacity of cellular net,or"s in areas ,here population
is very high

$icrocell %one Concept

/y the use of sectori4ation technique0 ,e can increase

the system performance (ut there ,ill (e a large
increment of handoffs ,hich results in the increment of
load on the s,itching and control lin" elements of the
mo(ile system

So a $icrocell %one Concept is introduced ,hich leads

to an increased capacity ,ithout any degradation in load
and s,itching caused (y sectoring

'arge control (ase system is replaced (y several lo,er

po,ered transmitters on the edge of the cell
ContE

!he mo(ile retains in the same channel and the (ase station
simply s,itches to a different 4one site and the mo(ile
moves from 4one to 4one

A channel is active only in a particular 4one in ,hich mo(ile is

travelling 0 (ase station radiation is locali4ed and
interference is reduced
&eference

Evolved universal terrestrial radio access :E#I!&A;0 physical

channelsand modulation-FGPP !& FG-8770 A-J-K-H0 8HHJ-

Channel assignment strategiesL Srilasa" 0 *ongthavara,at0

'immong"olL ,ireless Innovation < security 'a(-0 .at- Electron0-<
Comput- !echnol- Center0 Pathymthani0 !hailand--

Influence of the Handoff Process on the Channel Holding !ime

@istri(ution for Cellular Systems-@oiningo 'ara#&odrigue4- Center
for &esenrcli and Advanced Studies- Electricill Engineering

&ay0 SL Pa,li"o,s"i0 1L Sirisena0 HL 0 MHandover in $o(ile *i$AN

.et,or"s !he State of Art and &esearch Issues0M IEEE Commun-
Surveys < !utorials 0 vol-PP0 no-OO0 pp-7#850 8H7H

Adaptive cell sectoring using fi)ed overlapping sectors in C@$A

net,or"sL alagan S- Anpalagan elvino S- SousaL @epartment of
electrical and computer engineeringL Iniversity of toronto-
!han" Pou