GSM

BASICS
 GSM
IN THIS PRESENTATION
Radio Interface
Frequency Bands & Specifications
Multiple Access Method FDMA & TDMA
FDMA /TDMA Frame Representation
Architecture
Modulation Method
Logical Channels Traffic & Control

Operational Concepts

Other Salient Features of RF I/F- DTX, Time Alignment

Diversity, Fr. Hopping,
Power Control.
 Communication - Mobile

Inter-Exchange
Subscriber
Junction
Line
(2W)

BSC BTS
MS

Telephone Mobile Switching

Exchange Centre (MSC)
 GSM
Uplink & Downlink
Frequency Bands
GSM 900 Mhz
DCS 1800 MHz

NK
LI
UP
B

NK T
I S
NL
O W
D
 GSM Specifications

RF Spectrum :

GSM 900
Mobile to BS (UP-LINK) - 890 to 915 MHz
BS to Mobile (DOWN -LINK) - 935 to 960 MHz
Bandwidth - 25 MHz

GSM 1800 ( DCS )

Mobile to Cell (UP-LINK) - 1710 to 1785 MHz
Cell to Mobile (DOWN -LINK) - 1805 to 1880 MHz
Bandwidth - 75 MHz
 .Channels
It requires less power to transmit a lower frequency
over a given distance.
Uplink frequencies in mobile systems are always the
lower band of frequencies.
This saves valuable battery power of the MSs.
Duplex Distance:
The use of full duplex requires that the uplink &
downlink transmission must be separated in frequency by
a minimum distance, called duplex distance.
Without it , uplink & downlink frequencies would
interfere with each other.
 GSM Specifications

Carrier Separation - 200 kHz

Duplex Distance - 45 MHz

No. of RF Carriers - 124

Access Method - TDMA/FDMA

Modulation Method - GMSK

Transmission Rate - 270.833 Kbps

Speech Coding - Full rate 13 Kbps

Half rate 6.5 Kbps
 FDMA
Each Carrier Carries One
Traffic Channel
Power

Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 5 Ch 6

Centre Freq Frequency

Bandwidth
 GSM - MULTIPLE ACCESS
GSM uses both FDMA & TDMA

FDMA Access along Frequency axis

Each RF carrier 200khz apart

Total 124 RF Channels available.

One or more carrier assigned to each base station

1 2 3 4 5 6 124

...
Freq
890.2 890.4 890.6 890.8 891.0 914.8
Mhz.
 GSM
FDMA

890 915 935 960

25 MHz 25 MHz
0 1 2 0 1 2

Mobile to Base Base to Mobile

(MHz)
890.2 890.4 890.6 935.2 935.4 935.6
200 kHz
200 kHz
45MHz
Channel layout and frequency bands of operation
 GSM
TDMA

Amplitude

45 MHz

7 8 7 8
5 6 5 6
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
Frequency
F1 F2 F1 F2
(Cell Rx) (Cell transmit)

Typical TDMA/ FDMA frame structure

 TDMA
Freq
TDMA Frame Length

Carrier 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6

Carrier 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6

Carrier 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6

Carrier 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6

Carrier 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6

Carrier 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6

Time
Each Time-slot Carries One Traffic
Channel
 Absolute Radio Freq Carrier Number (ARFCN) 1 and 124 not used
until it is co-ordinated with Non -GSM operators in adjacent freq. bands .

Thus for practical purposes only 122 RF Carriers are available.

Frequency for any ARFCN ( n) can be calculated from :

F up-link (n) = 890.2 +0.2* ( n-1 ) MHz

F down-link (n) = 935.2 +0.2* ( n-1 ) MHz

Here 1 n 124.
 Simplified Digital TDMA
Implementation Downlink

Base Transmitters Mobile Receivers

Baseband
1 MS 1
Processing

Time
Mod
MUX Timeslot detection
Demod and Baseband
Baseband M time processing
M slots fd1
Processing
fd1

Baseband MS MxN
1
Processing Combiner

Time
Mod Timeslot detection
MUX
Demod and Baseband
Baseband M time processing
M slots fdN
Processing fdN

M time slots N frequency carriers

 GSM
Speech to Radio waves
Analog Analog

Speech Coding Speech Decoding

Channel Coding Channel Decoding

Interleaving De-interleaving

Burst formatting Burst formatting

Ciphering Deciphering

Modulation Demodulation
200kHz BW 200kHz BW
 GSM
Digital Voice Transmission
Speech Coding

- In GSM speech coding a block of 20 ms is encoded in one set of

260 bits.

- This calculates as 50X 260 = 13 kbps. Thus GSM speech coder

produces a bit rate of 13 kbps per subscriber.

- This provides speech quality which is acceptable for mobile

telephony and comparable with wire-line PSTN phones.
 GSM
Digital Voice Transmission
Channel Coding

- It uses 260 bits from speech coding as input and outputs 456
encoded bits.
Interleaving

- These 456 bits for every 20 ms of speech are interleaved forming

eight blocks of 57 bits each.

- In one burst one block of 57 bits from one sample and another
block from another sample are sent together.
 GSM
Digital Voice Transmission
Burst Formatting

- To counteract the problems encountered in radio path.

- Additional bits as training sequence added to basic speech/data.

- Total of 136 bits added, bringing overall total to 592 bits.

- Each TS of TDMA frame is 0.577 ms long and during this time

156.25 bits are transmitted.

- One burst contains only 148 bits. Rest of the space, 8.25 bits
time, is empty and is called Guard Period ( GP ).

- GP enables MS/BTS to ramp up and ramp down.

 FDMA/TDMA Scheme
TIME

BP2
BP1
BP8
BURST
BP7
F
BP6
BP5 R
BP4 A
BP3 M
BP2
E
BP1 FREQ
890.2 890.6 891.0
890.0 890.4 890.8 891.2 915.8MHz
3 CC SMS SS 142 3 8.25
T CM Fixed Bits T GP

FCCH Burst

3 CC SMS
57 SS 1 26 1 57 3 8.25
T S Encrypted GP
CM
Encrypted Training S T

Normal Burst
 GSM
Speech to Radio waves
Analog Analog

Speech Coding Speech Decoding

Channel Coding Channel Decoding

Interleaving De-interleaving

Burst formatting Burst formatting

Ciphering Deciphering

Modulation Demodulation
200kHz BW 200kHz BW
 Network Architecture

OSS
HLR

B
PSTN
T
S ISDN

B
T
S BSC
BSC MSC VLR
Data
Networks

B
T
S
MSC VLR
 GSM Radio Interface - CYCLES

Hyperframe = 2048 Superframes

3 Hours 28 Minutes 53 Seconds and 760 milliseconds

0 2047

Superframe = 26 51
multiframes
0 6.12 Seconds 50

0 25

26 Multiframe 51 Multiframe
120 mS Approx 235 mS
0 1 2 24 25 0 1 48 49 50

TDMA frame
4.615 mS
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
 GSM-- TDMA STRUCTURE

TDMA 8 Time Slots / RF Channel

Time slot duration 0.577m sec or 15 / 26 m sec
Frame 8 Burst Periods ( Time Slots)
= 8 15/26 = 4.615 m sec
Multi Frame Traffic 26 4.615 = 120 msec
Control 51 4.615 = 235.365 m sec
Super Frame 51 Traffic Multi frames
26 Control Multi frames
Hyper Frame 2048 Super Frames = 3 28 52.76
hr min sec
GSM
Mobile Identification Numbers

IMEI
MSISDN
IMSI

27
GSM
IMSI
International mobile subscribers
Identity
The IMSI is an unique identity which is
used internationally and used within the
network to identify the mobile subscribers.
The IMSI is stored on the subscriber
identity module (SIM), the HLR, VLR and
AC database.
28
 GSM
LOGICAL CHANNELS
USER INFORMATION( TRAFFIC)
SIGNALLING INFORMATION (CONTROL)
 GSM
CONTOL CHHANELS OVER LOGICAL CHANNELS
Intended to carry signalling and synchronisation

THREE TYPES OF CONTROL CHANNELS

Broadcast control channel BCCH

Common control channel CCCH
Dedicated control channel DCCH
 OPERATIONAL CONCEPTS
Subscribers are not allocated dedicated channels

TCH Allocated to users only when needed

Hence IDLE MODE & DEDICATED MODE

DEDICATED MODE
-- When a full Bi -directional P to P CHL
has been allocated during an established call
IDLE MODE MODE
-- When MS is powered on (active)
without being in dedicated mode
 OPERATIONAL CONCEPTS
IDLE MODE
-- When MS is powered on (active)
without being in dedicated mode
MS stays continuously in touch with BS
Listens to transmissions from BS to intercept
Paging Messages ( for incoming calls)
Monitors Radio Environment in order to evaluate Chl

Quality & choose the most suitable BS

Listens to BS to avail short message broadcast service
 OPERATIONAL CONCEPTS
ACCESS PROCEDURE
-- Access to system
( switch over from IDLE to DEDICATED Mode)
MS indicates to BS that it needs a connection
BS accepts the request & indicates which
traffic CHL it may use
For above purpose specific transmission is done over
Common Channels
 GSM RF Interface

Other Salient Features Of GSM RF I/F:

- Control of Transmitted Power.

- Discontinuous Transmission.

- Timing Advance.

- Diversity.
- Frequency Hopping.

-Hand over.
Discontinuous Transmission (DTX)
Speech activity only 40% of time.

Needs Voice activity detection.

Determination of voice threshold vis--vis noise.

Annoying clicks/inefficient DTX.

Generation of Comfort Noise at receiver to avoid the

feeling of the set being dead.
 GSM RF Interface

Timing Alignment :
- Large distance between BTS and MS causes the problem.

- Each MS on call is allocated a timeslot on TDMA frame.

- The problem occurs when the information transmitted by MS does not

reach BTS on allocated timeslot.

TDMA Frame
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

TS3 B on TS2

TS2

A on TS3

BTS
 GSM RF Interface

Timing Advance : ( To counteract problem of Time Alignment )

- MS instructed to do its transmission certain bit-times earlier or later

to reach its timeslot at BTS in right time.

- In GSM systems maximum 63 bit-times can be used.

Start
- This limits the GSM cell size to 35 Km radius. Sending

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Time
 Diversity Schemes
Diversity reception techniques are used to reduce the effects
of fading and improve the reliability of communication
without increasing either the transmitters power or the
channel bandwidth.

Space,
Polarization,
Frequency,
Time and
Hopping diversity schemes.
 Space Diversity

Rake Receiver Soft Handoff Diversity Antenna

Correlator

Correlator

RX1

Correlator
RX0
MS

Diversity receiver is useful in reducing multipath fading

 Tx 1 Rx 1
Input Output
Combiner

Rx 2
SPACE DIVERSITY
 Polarization Diversity:
It takes advantage of the orthogonality of the polarized wave.
The two components of the polarized wave travel through
similar paths, the obstacles encountered by these waves scatter
each one of them differently. They reach their destination in the
form of a large number of scattered waves with amplitudes and
phase varying randomly.
The orthogonality between the waves plus the randomness of
amplitudes and phases greatly contribute to strengthening the
uncorrelation between the two components of the polarized waves.
Disadvantages:-
1. Only two diversity branches can be used.
2. 3-dB(half of the power) is effectively lost because the signal is
divided into two transmitting antennas.
 Time Diversity:
Time separation can also provide diversity. This technique is
widely used in data transmission and consists in repeating the
message(or part of it) according to some criterion.

If the inter transmission time is conveniently determined,

the received signals may experience independent fading.
Similar to the data transmission, speech signals can be
sampled and appropriately delayed to be used as a
diversity branch.
At the reception, the samples (or the data) are stored
for a period of time equal to the required time delay.
Then the correct (or the best) information can be
selected.
 Diversity by hopping:

Frequency hopping and time(slot) hopping

constitute efficient ways of using frequency or
time diversities, respectively.
The aim is for the information to hop from
one frequency or from one time slot to another
so that the information experiences independent
fading.
If only the resources (in time or frequency)
of each base station are used, there is no need for
synchronization between base stations.
 GSM RF Interface

Antenna Diversity :
Space Diversity -
- Mounting two receiver antenna physically separated a distance.

- Probability of both of them being affected by a deep fading dip

at same time is low.
- At 900 MHz with antenna spacing of 5-6 m we get 3 db gain.
Polarization Diversity -
- Dual polarized antenna vertical and horizontal arrays.
Tx
Tx Rx Rx (A) Rx ( B)

No Diversity Antenna Diversity

 FREQUENCY HOPPING

Change of frequency after every frame in a pre-determined manner

SFH improves performance in multi-path fading
Provides interference diversity

Decreases required C/I

Mandatory for MS when requested by BS
FCCH ,SCH ,BCCH are not hopped
Algorithm : Cyclic or pseudorandom
 Call Handover
An essential part of any cellular
radio system
Enables conversations to continue as Base 1

mobiles move between base station

coverage areas
Base 2
Process controlled by the system
Decision mainly based on
measurements by the mobile of the
best available servers Received
Power
Decision
A margin is allowed before the Margin

decision is made - this prevents Base 1

ping-ponging
Base 2

Distance
Handover
Point
 GSM Handover
To
Frequency 9
Time Slot 7
MSC

From
Frequency 6
Time Slot 3

BSS

MS

Subscriber BSS
Set

Lanline switched at MSC

Frequency and time slot changed at MS
 Network Coverage
Depends on:
system characteristics (e.g. antenna gains etc)
type of service required (i.e. on-street, in-building etc)
terrain characteristics
surroundings (i.e. clutter - trees, buildings etc)
Typically use smaller cells in urban areas
high traffic 1 km radius
dense clutter
Larger cells in rural areas
lower traffic
less clutter 40 km radius
 Network Capacity & Frequency
There are many
combinations of
Reuse
sectorisation and re-
use patterns
A2
C3 C2 D3 B3 B2

A2 C1 A3 A2 A2 B1 D1 D2
A2 C1 A3

B1 C3 C2 D3 B3 B2 C3 C2 D3
B1 C3 A1

B3 B2 B3 B2 A1 D1 D2 C1 A3 A2 B1 D1
A1

C1 A3 A2 C1 A3 C3 C2 D1 B3 B2 A1

3/9 Re-use 4/12 Re-use

Omni/Sectored Base Stations

Omni-directional Cells:
360 degree coverage
low network capacity
cost-effective
Sectored Cells:
120 degree coverage
increases network capacity
smaller coverage area
improved frequency reuse
3 times as much equipment
improved antenna gain
 GSM - RADIO INTERFACE
SUMMARY
Radio Interface
Frequency Bands & Specifications
Multiple Access Method FDMA & TDMA
FDMA /TDMA Frame Representation

Modulation Method

Logical Channels Traffic & Control

Operational Concepts

Other Salient Features of RF I/F- DTX, Time Alignment

Diversity, Fr. Hopping,
Power Control.
MOBILE COMMUNICATION

THANKS !!