Air Interface

After the module, the participants will be able to: Explain the new GPRS logical channels in the air interface Explain the new parameters in GPRS cells

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GPRS Capacity
TRX 1 TRX 2
CCCH TS TS TS TS TS TS TS

Circuit Switched Territory Packet Switched Territory

TS

TS

TS

TS

TS

TS

TS

TS

Additional GPRS Capacity

Default GPRS Capacity

Dedicated GPRS Capacity

Territory border moves based on Circuit Switched traffic load

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Parameters
Default GPRS capacity (CDEF)
This BTS level parameter determines the share of GPRS channels in a cell. The value of this parameter must be greater than or the same as the dedicated GPRS capacity (CDED) parameter. The default GPRS capacity (CDEF) parameter can be modified online when GPRS is disabled, otherwise it requires BTS locking.

Dedicated GPRS capacity (CDED)

This BTS level parameter determines the share of GPRS channels in a cell that can only be used for GPRS. These dedicated channels are a part of the default GPRS capacity, and thus the value of this parameter must be smaller than or the same as the default GPRS capacity (CDEF) parameter. The dedicated GPRS capacity (CDED) parameter can be modified online when GPRS is disabled, otherwise it requires BTS locking.
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Parameters
GPRS territory update guard time (GTUGT)
This BSC level parameter you use to set the time which must elapse between two subsequent GPRS territory updates

Prefer BCCH frequency GPRS (BFG)

This BTS level parameter defines whether BCCH TRX is preferred in GPRS channel allocation. The parameter can be modified online when GPRS is disabled, otherwise it requires BTS locking.

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Arguments for Determination of GPRS Territory

Amount of TSLs in GPRS Territory

defaultGPRScapacity TRXs having GPRSenabledTRX = T created resources (both working and blocked) TSLs capable of full rate traffic parameters

Location of GPRS Territory (TRX)

preferBCCHfreqGPRS configuration
FR TSL > DR TSL > HR TSL > SDCCH TSL resource situation

idle TSLs > busy TSLs > multislot HSCSD calls

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GPRS Territory Example

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 4.

TRX 1

TRX 3

3.

TRX 4

2.

TRX 2

1.

GPRS territory starts here

B = BCCH TSL

S = SDCCH TSL
preferBCCHfreqGPRS = N = TSL in CS use

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GPRS Territory Upgrade

TRX specific procedure Requires continuous sets of successive TSLs Reasons for starting the upgrade procedure

GPRS is set enabled in a BTS GPRS-TRX is created => default GPRS territory increases GPRS-TRX is deblocked, e.g. the first GPRS-TRX in a BTS TSL inside the GPRS territory is deblocked TCH/F is released from CS use PCU request an Upgrade

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Prerequisites for Starting the Upgrade Procedure

Previous GPRS territory change in the BTS has been completed and guard time has expired (terrUpdateGuardTimeGPRS) There is a sufficient margin of idle TCHs/F in the BTS Idle GPRS capable resources available in the BTS Available capacity in the PCU unit controlling the BTS

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Intra Cell Handover

B C C C C C C

B = BCCH TSL S = SDCCH TSL C = CS call d = default type GPRS TSL D = dedicated type GPRS TSL
DefaultGPRScapacity = 20% DedicatedGPRScapacity = 10% FreeTSLsforCS_U = 3
= GSM territory

existing procedure new handover cause values

= GPRS territory

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Value of Free TSLs for CS_U parameter

Number of TRXs 1-3

margin 1

4-7
2

8-13 14-16
3 4

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GPRS Territory Downgrade

Reasons for starting the downgrade procedure GPRS is set disabled in a BTS TRX carrying GPRS traffic is blocked TSL carrying GPRS traffic is blocked CS resources are blocked => idle resources < FreeTSLsforCS_d TCH is allocated for CS use => idle resources < FreeTSLsforCS_d PCU requests for a downgrade Prerequisites for starting the downgrade procedure previous GPRS territory change in the BTS has been completed

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Logical Channels
DL PBCCH Broadcast of packet data specific information Paging MSs for packet data and circuit switched services MS initiates uplink transfer

DL UP Signalling and Control PCCCH DL DL

PPCH PRACH PAGCH PNCH

Resource assignment to an MS Notifying PtM Packet Transfer

Packet Traffic Channels

PTCH DL & UP

PDTCH PACCH

Packet Data Transfer; ( multislot ) Signalling: resource (re- )allocation, PC, TA, etc.

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Channel Descriptions
PBCCH

The Packet Broadcast Control Channel is a downlink only channel for broadcasting packet data specific system information messages. If the PBCCH is not allocated, the packet data specific system information is broadcast on the BCCH.

PCCCH

The Packet Common Control Channel (PCCCH) consists of logical channels used for common control signalling for packet data. If PCCCH is not allocated, information is broadcast on the CCCH.

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Channel Descriptions
PRACH

The Packet Random Access Channel is an uplink only channel, which the MSs use for uplink traffic channel reservation and for obtaining the timing advance. The normal GSM RACH can also be used for this. The Packet Paging Channel is a downlink only paging channel used to page the MS prior to downlink packet transfer. The PPCH can be used for paging of both CS & PS data services. The normal GSM PCH can be used for GPRS in case there is no PCCCH allocated in the cell.

PPCH

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Channel Descriptions
PAGCH

The Packet Access Grant Channel is a downlink only channel used for resource assignment during the packet transfer establishment phase. The normal GSM AGCH can be used in case there is no PCCCH allocated in the cell.

PNCH

The Packet Notification Channel (only in GPRS Phase2) is a downlink only channel used for the PTM-M notifications to a group of MSs before PTM-M packet transfer.

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Channel Descriptions
PDTCH

The Packet Data Traffic Channel is reserved for the actual GPRS data transfer. A PDTCH corresponds to the resource allocated to a single MS on one physical channel for user data transmission. In multislot operation, one MS may use multiple PDTCHs in parallel for individual packet transfer. The Packet Associated Control Channel (bi-directional) is a signalling channel dedicated for a certain MS. The signalling information could include acknowledgements, power control, resource assignments or reassignment messages.

PACCH

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Channel Descriptions
PTCCH

The Packet Timing advance Control Channel is used in uplink direction for the transmission of random access bursts to estimate the timing advance for one mobile. In the downlink direction one PTCCH is used to transmit timing advance information to several MSs.

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Channel Combinations
Allowed PDCH Combinations are:

PBCCH + PCCCH PBCCH + PCCCH + PDTCH + PACCH + PTCCH PCCCH + PDTCH + PACCH + PTCCH PDTCH + PACCH + PTCCH Where PCCCH = PPCH+PRACH+PAGCH+PNCH

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Channel Allocation
GPRS channels are allocated according to the following rules:

Downlink and uplink are separate resources Multiple mobiles can share one traffic channel, but the traffic channel is dedicated to one MS at a time. Channels allocated to a TBF must be allocated from the same TRX Those traffic channels which give the maximum possible capacity for the TBF are allocated within the limits of the multislot class of the mobile; exceptions are TBFs for which only one channel is allocated.

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Channel Allocation
Uplink and downlink scheduling are independent, the PCU can assign multiple MSs to the same uplink traffic channels. ETSI specifications allow the scheduling of uplink transmission turns to be done by three different Medium Access modes (MAC):

dynamic allocation extended dynamic allocation fixed allocation

The BSC S9 release supports dynamic allocation.

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In Dynamic Allocation
The BSC gives the MS a USF value for each assigned traffic channel in the assignment message. The MS monitors the downlink Radio Link Control (RLC) blocks on the traffic channels it has been assigned. Whenever the MS finds the USF value in the downlink RLC block, it may send an uplink RLC block in the corresponding uplink frame.

The scheduling of RLC data block in each time slot is independent of other time slots.

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USF
B9 B10 B11 =3 USF

B6 B5 B3 B2
B0 B1 =1 USF
B8 B9

B7

B8
=2 USF
B1 B2
B4

B4

B5 B6 B7
B3

USF=2: B5- B9

USF=1: B0- B4

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B0

Multiframe
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 GSM Signalling timeslot TDMA frame TS 0 TS 1 FCCH SCH BCCH BCCH BCCH BCCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH FCCH SCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH FCCH SCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH FCCH SCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH FCCH SCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH PCH+AGCH IDLE GSM Traffic TS TS 2 TS 3 TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH SACCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH IDLE TS 4 TS 5 GPRS traffic TS TS 6 TS 7 Radio Block 0 Radio block 1

Radio Block 2 PTCCH

Radio Block 3

Radio Block 4

Radio Block 5 IDLE

Radio Block 6

Radio Block 7

Radio Block 8 PTCCH

Radio Block 9

Radio Block 10

Radio Block 11 IDLE

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Temporary Block Flow (TBF)

APP TCP/UDP IP SNDCP LLC RLC MAC GSM RF MS RLC MAC GSM RF BSS BSSGP NW sr L1bis SNDCP LLC BSSGP NW sr L1bis SGSN

Um

Gb

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Uplink TBF Start-Up

MS BSS SGSN

CHANNEL REQUEST IMMEDIATE ASSIGNMENT

RACH

AGCH

PACKET RESOURCE One phase REQUEST access

Two phase access PACKET UPLINK ASSIGNMENT

PACCH
PACCH

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TBF Flow
MS Access and Assignment Data Block Data Block Data Block Data Block (polling) temporary Packet Ack/Nack Data Block Data Block Data Block Packet Resource Reassignment Packet Resource Reassignment Ack Data Block Data Block Data Block (last, polling) final Packet Ack/Nack PDTCH PDTCH PDTCH PDTCH PACCH PDTCH PDTCH PDTCH PACCH PACCH PDTCH PDTCH PACCH PACCH Netw ork

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TBF Downlink Start-Up

MS BSS SGSN Packet Paging Request Packet Paging Request
CHANNEL REQUEST PCH

RACH

IMMEDIATE ASSIGNMENT

AGCH

DATA BLOCK (last) PACKET UPLINK ACK/NACK PACKET CONTROL ACK LLC PDU

PDTCH PACCH PACCH

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Suspend and Resume

Used when a circuit switched call interrupts a GPRS packet flow. The MS initiates the GPRS suspension procedure by sending a GPRS SUSPENSION REQUEST message to the SGSN via BSC. The SGSN acknowledges message with a SUSPEND-ACK. At the same time the SGSN typically stops paging for a suspended mobile. BSC is not able to send any resume message to SGSN because the BSC does not maintain a link between the circuit switched and GPRS connections. After the MS has released the circuit switched call, the resuming GPRS services relies on the Routing Area Update Requests sent by the MS.

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Flush
The flush procedure is used, for example, when the MS has stopped data sending in a given cell and has moved to another cell.

The SGSN sends a FLUSH message to the BSC to ensure that data packets queued for transmission in a cell for that MS are either deleted or transferred to the new cell.
The BSC deletes all buffered data packets in the cell and all contexts for the MS. If an optional new cell, is given, the BSC transfers all buffered data packets to the new cell. That can be done only if both cells are served by the same PCU and they belong the same Routing Area.

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Mobility Management State

GPRS Attach/ Detach

Idle

READY Timer Expiry

Ready

STANDBY Timer Expiry

Standby

Packet TX/RX

MS location not known. Subscriber is not reachable by the GPRS NW.

MS location known to SGSN level. MS is capable of recieving Point-to-Multipoint data and being paged for Point-to-Point data

MS location known to cell level. MS is transmitting or has just been transmitting. MS is capable of receiving Point-to-Point data and Point-to-Multipoint data.

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Ciphering
In GSM networks ciphering is done between MS and BTS. In GPRS both user data and signalling are ciphered between the MS and the SGSN. A special algorithm, GPRS Encryption Algorithm (GEA, i.e. GPRS-A5), has been developed for this purpose. This algorithm is implemented with a hardware-based solution for capacity and security reasons.

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Ciphering

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GPRS Channel Coding Schemes

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CS-1 Coding

USF=Uplink State Flag BCS=Block Check Sequence

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CS-2 Coding

USF=Uplink State Flag BCS=Block Check Sequence

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Data Rates vs. C/I

1 Timeslot
Typical NW C/I Minimum Average

3 Timeslots
Typical NW C/I Minimum Average

16 14 12
Kbit/s

CS-3 CS-2 CS-4

Kbit/s

50 CS-3 40 30 20 10 0 CS-1 CS-2 CS-4

10 8 6 4 2 0 0 CS-1

10

15 C/I

20

25

10

15 C/I

20

25

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Coding Scheme Selection

Stealing bits in the channel coding are used to indicate the actual coding scheme (CS) which is used for each sent block. In downlink packet transfer the PCU selects the CS. In uplink data transfer, the PCU informs the MS with the IMMEDIATE ASSIGNMENT or PACKET UPLINK ASSIGNMENT messages what CS MS should use.

In a case MS is using different CS that network requires, the PCU can command the MS to change the CS by sending the PACKET UPLINK ACK/NACK message using the Channel Coding Command field.
In retransmission the same CS has to be used as in the initial block transmission.

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CS Change
LLC

CS1 CS2 CS2

All Blocks OK CS2 All Blocks OK

Required Retransmissions CS1

LLC

LLC

LLC

CS1

All Blocks OK

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MS Class
CLASS A: Supports simultaneous attach, simultaneous activation, simultaneous monitor, simultaneous invocation and simultaneous traffic. CLASS B: Simultaneous traffic shall is not supported. The mobile user can make and/or receive calls on either of the two services sequentially but not simultaneously. The selection of the appropriate service is performed automatically CLASS C: Supports only non-simultaneous attach. Alternate use only.

The status of the service which has not been selected is detached, i.e. not reachable.

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Uplink Power Control

GPRS Uplink Power Control
35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

MS Output Power (dBm)

gamma_ch = 30 alfa = 0.8 gamma_ch = 20, alfa = 0.3

-45

-50

-55

-60

-65

-70

-75

-80

-85

-90

-95

-100

-105

Signal Strength (dBm)

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-110

Downlink Power Control

The standardisation of downlink power control is still ongoing and is not supported by S9 software. The usage of downlink power control will require measurement from MS to the network like GSM MSs are doing now. This could increase signalling load on Abis interface.

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