System Acquisition In CDMA Mobile Terminals

A Practical Approach

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Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................................................2 INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................................................2 1.1 PURPOSE..................................................................................................................................................2 ..................................................................................................................................................2 1.2 SCOPE.....................................................................................................................................................2 .....................................................................................................................................................2 1.3 OVERVIEW...............................................................................................................................................3 ...............................................................................................................................................3 2 EXPLANATION OF SYSTEM ACQUISITION.........................................................................................3 ACQUISITION.........................................................................................3 2.1 ACQUIRING A PREFERRED SYSTEM................................................................................................................3 ................................................................................................................3 3 PREREQUISITES & DEPENDENCIES......................................................................................................6 DEPENDENCIES......................................................................................................6 3.1 NUMBER ASSIGNMENT MODULE (NAM)....................................................................................................7 (NAM)....................................................................................................7 3.2 PREFERRED ROAMING LIST........................................................................................................................7 ........................................................................................................................7 3.3 MOST RECENTLY USED.............................................................................................................................7 .............................................................................................................................7 4 ACQUISITION TEST CASES......................................................................................................................7 CASES......................................................................................................................7 4.1 PRECONDITIONS........................................................................................................................................7 ........................................................................................................................................7 4.2 SETUP.....................................................................................................................................................7 .....................................................................................................................................................7 4.3 BEHAVIOR STUDY......................................................................................................................................7 ......................................................................................................................................7 5 CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................................8 CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................................8
1.

1 Introduction Testing mobile terminal behavior of acquiring the desired network provides an estimate of the basic performance of the mobile terminal. Remaining synchronized with the system under all conditions is critical thus allowing the user to make and receive communication. 1.1 Purpose This document aims to provide an understanding of the system determination and acquisition process by CDMA mobile terminals in the given network, prerequisites and dependencies. 1.2 Scope The scope is limited to providing an overview of the system acquisition process by CDMA mobile terminals and the approach to testing the mobile terminal behavior in a given network infrastructure. This document is meant to provide only a basic approach to understand the acquisition behavior irrespective of model and make of mobile terminal.

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1.3 Overview The document would highlight the various processes by which the mobile terminal acquires and remains connected to the preferred the network. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Perform system acquisition. Establish CDMA system time & frequency tracking. Maintain finger positions & keep track of the demodulation & timing combiner. Monitor neighboring cell pilot energies & perform a timely handoff. Timely sleep & reestablish system after wakeup.

2 Explanation of System Acquisition One of the primary activities of the mobile terminal upon power up is to scan, search for preferred systems and synchronize with the available network system. Upon power up the mobile would search for the network parameters by a sequential process of decoding the messages for the network, comparing the parameters with the preferred parameter information programmed until the desired network is encountered as follows. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Scanning the available frequencies one by one. De modulating the overhead messages broadcast from the network under each frequency. Verify if the available network is the most preferred Synchronize timing with the network. Entering idle / sleep state.

The system determination software is the key set of data structures and algorithms driven by the PRL file, which enable the system acquisition process and enable the mobile to identify the best suitable system. 2.1 Acquiring a preferred system The search software searches the PN chips and accumulates the available information. The information is collected form the PN Chips one by one. The MSM demodulator then demodulates the information from the over head messages. The information is handled by the main control sub task for acquisition or handoff based on the condition. Other software functions involved are pertaining to storing the required information in the NV memory & analysis of diagnostics of messages for fingers, AGC and related parameters.

2.1.1

The Various States including acquisition

Start

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CDMA

Acquisition

Sync Channel

State

Deep Sleep State

Sleep State

Traffic Channel State

Paging Channel State

Slew State

2.1.1.1

Start State

This is when the search task is initially created either from power up or when the system is lost for various reasons and the mobile terminal has to reacquire the system. The start stage is also reached when the mobile terminal enters low-power deep sleep mode and awaits instructions from main control to start acquisition.
2.1.1.2 CDMA State

The CDMA stage is basically a transitional state where the mobile is in the slotted mode and would be transitioning from the slotted mode to paging channel mode or during the acquisition process is under way.
2.1.1.3 Acquisition State

The mobile enters the start stage upon instructions from the main control. The primary function of the mobile in this stage is to find a good CDMA pilot and synchronize the PN code generator. The synchronization starts from an arbitrary reference point and the mobile terminal starts decoding the PN. Upon finding the good pilot the timing generators in the MSM are aligned to the PN Roll of the pilot and sync channel is demodulated.
2.1.1.4 Sync Channel State

The mobile terminal enters sync channel stage to keep the search window towards good energy paths. The sync channel stage enables the mobile terminal to lock on and demodulate appropriate fingers.

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2.1.1.5

Slew state

The mobile enters slew state when it received the valid sync channel message consisting of pilot PN offset and system reference time. During this stage the mobile synchronizes its time with that of the system time referred to as jump to hyperspace observed in case of mobiles with Qualcomm chipsets. The mobile commences the tracking of the PN during this stage onwards. The reference time is obtained from the system to report correct pilot position and to handoff appropriately. The reference pilots timing slew rate is limited between to 3/8 chips in a time span of 200 ms. This enables the mobile to switch pilots as required.
2.1.1.6 Paging Channel state

The mobile terminal enters the paging channel upon instructions from the main control. In this stage the fingers are assigned to the pilots with best energy levels to receive paging channel data, scheduling searches and handoffs based on the neighbors available.
2.1.1.7 Sleep state

Once the mobile has acquired the system, decoded the messages and has synchronized the timing with the system, it would enter the sleep state based on the slot cycle. The sleep stage is mainly to save the battery power. The slot cycle ranges from 1.28 sec to 163.84 sec based on the slot cycle index. The mobile chooses its slot cycle index based on the network settings to obtain the best trade off to save battery as well as ensuring receipt of the network pages appropriately. The mobile adopts rigid timing to ensure accurate sequencing of the various events, to put the mobile to sleep and wake it up. At this stage it is also considered that the mobile terminal circuitry needs a warm up during the sleep & wake up process and sufficient delays are incorporated while designing the process.

Sleep Cycle Flow Chart

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Power Up

Initializing Parameters

Go To Sleep

Process Traffic Channel State

Yes

Go to Traffic Channel State

Adjust sleep duration

Wake Up and search for system

Re-Acquire System!

Yes

Check System lost?

No

Predict Slew Position

3 Prerequisites & Dependencies The mobile terminal is programmed with information enabling selection of preferred systems and rejection non-preferred systems selectively. This information is stored either in the number assignment module (NAM), PRL file, most recently used or the temporary scan list (MRU).

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3.1 Number Assignment Module (NAM) The number assignment module contains all the information necessary to enable the mobile acquire service. The NAM consists of the MIN, MDN, MCC, IMSI, Home SID /NID pairs, PRL, based on which the mobile terminal would select the preferred system & acquire service. 3.2 Preferred Roaming List A PRL is set of tables created as per the IS-638A, which contains a given carriers preferred list of systems that the mobile should operate in. The PRL file contains a logical mention of all the preferred & nonpreferred systems that the mobile terminal may encounter while roaming. The mobile terminal would selectively scan the systems based on the channels and preferred system parameters mentioned in the PRL list. 3.3 Most Recently Used The mobile terminal would acquire the system based on the information previously stored in the most recently used (MRU) list. The mobile terminal maintains a list of 12 most recently used networks to enable quickly acquisition. Instead of conducting a complete scan of the frequencies the mobile terminal would utilize the MRU list for system selection thus saving on time. 4 Acquisition Test Cases The following are some of the test cases listed to check the acquisition behavior of the mobile. 4.1
4.1.1

Preconditions
Ensure the Mobile has proper PRL file loaded.

The correct *.prl file version to be loaded in the mobile

4.1.2 Ensure that the NAM parameter field entries are made.

NAM entries include settings decided as per the PRI. 4.2 Setup Connect mobile to diagnostic monitor and perform power up function and collect messages for analysis. 4.3
4.3.1

Behavior study
Ascertaining the correct acquisition

Debug screen of any mobile terminal would indicate the parameters of the system acquired. Ensuring that the mobile is placed in a reasonably good RF coverage area the SID and NID displayed by the mobile would indicate whether the mobile has acquired the desired system.
4.3.2 Synch Channel messages

Mobile synchronizes date and time with the network which can be observed from the sync channel messages. Frequent sync channel messages under idle condition may indicate an undesired loss of system by the mobile which needs investigations.
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4.3.3

Power-Up Registration

Power up registration is done by a mobile after acquiring the appropriate network by a mobile. The power up registration is sent by the mobile on the access channel.
4.3.4 Periodic Sleep & wake-up cycle

The mobile terminal once successfully acquired the system would perform a periodic sleep & wake up cycle. This can be observed from the mobile status screen of any diagnostic monitor.
4.3.5 Response to a key press and wakeup

This is to check the response to a key press by the mobile. The mobile should wake up from sleep followed by a key press.
4.3.6 Response to varying RF conditions

Under normal conditions the mobile should remain synchronized with the system under varying RF conditions. This test is to be performed to check the idle behavior of the mobile terminal during a drive.
4.3.7 Graceful transitions between traffic channel state to idle state.

The mobile terminal should transit smoothly from idle condition to traffic channel state and vice versa in a given condition. This can be observed while originating and receiving calls or short messages.
4.3.8 Mobile terminal transition to deep sleep mode

The mobile should transit to deep sleep mode in the event of loosing system permanently and is unable to acquire the appropriate system. This helps in saving battery power of the mobile. 5 Conclusion The mobile terminal behavior greatly depends on the basic mobile architecture, hardware and software, the parameters set, and network conditions. Observations may vary from case to case.

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