GBC_001_E1_1 GSM Basic

ZTE University GSM-BSS Team

Objective

At the end of this course, you will be able to:

 Understand GSM system architecture

and function
 State GSM common events  Describe basic calling process

Content

GSM System Overview GSM Common Events Basic Calling Process

GSM System Overview

Mobile Telecommunication Technology Evolution

1G Analog 2G Digital 3G IMT-2000

AMPS
Market Driving

GSM CDMA IS95 TDMA IS-136 PDC UMTS WCDMA

Market Driving

TACS NMT Others

CDMA 2000 TDSCDMA

GSM System Overview

GSM History

Technology Development 2000 China Mobile 400 million subscribers Competitio n Custome r Demand 1991 1994

4
GSM enter into China

3
GSM system launched commercially

2
1989 GSM Standard Take effect

GSM System Overview

Development of mobile communication system

2M

UMTS 2002
1M

Video
High quality

EDGE 2001 GPRS 2000 GSM

1999
10 k

on say lw A
115 k 56 k Voice Messaging SMS

384 k

Mobile Office
Graphics Medium quality

text

Bit/s

1k

GSM System Overview

The way to 3G

GSM System Overview

Meaning of GSM

GSM: Group Special Mobile

GSM: Global System for Mobile

GSM System Overview

GSM specification

     

Field 1: General Field 2: Services Field 3: Network Functions Field 4: MS-BS Interfaces and Protocols Field 5: Physical Layer on Radio Path Field 6: Speech Coding

GSM System Overview

GSM specification

     

Field 7: MS Terminal Adaptor Field 8: BS-MSC Interface Field 9: Network Inter-working Field 10: Service Inter-working Field 11: Equipment and Model Acceptance Specification Field 12: Operation and Maintenance

GSM System Overview

GSM Network development

        

1982: The group special mobile 1986: On-site test 1987: TDMA, RPE-LTP, GMSK 1988: MOU 1989: GSM took effect 1991: First GSM network was deployed 1992: GSM standard was frozen 1993: GSM phase 2 complete 1994: GSM phase 2+ for mobile data service

GSM System Overview

GSM system architecture

MS
MS

(Mobile Station)

BTS

BSS (Base Station System)

BSC
PSTN, ISDN...

MSC

Voicemail Server SM-SC VLR

OMC

NSS
HLR AuC
OMC

(Network Switching Subsystem)

EIR

NMC

OMS(Operations & Maintenance GSM interfaces Management) X.25 links

GSM System Overview

GSM network entities

MS (Mobile Station)
Mobile Equipment Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)

BTS (Base Transceiver Station)

Provide radio channels

BSC (Base Station Controller)

Radio resource management Transcoder

GSM System Overview

GSM network entities

HLR (Home Location Register)

Database
Subscriber data Subscriber location info.

VLR (Visitor Location Register)

Database
MSRN (Mobile Station Roaming Number) TMSI (Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identification) Location area code LAC

Subscriber data related to supplementary service

GSM System Overview

GSM network entities

MSC (Mobile service Switching center)
Circuit switching

AUC (Authenticate Center) :

Authenticate subscriber access

EIR (mobile station Equipment Identity Register) :

Identify terminal equipment

OMC (Operation and Maintenance Center)

Provide MMI to control and monitor system

GSM System Overview

GSM service area

GSM Service Area PLMN Service Area MSC Service Area
Location Area

Cell

GSM System Overview

GSM interfaces

G VLR Sm Um Abis A B D C MS BTS BSC MSC E HLR VLR

F EIR MSC

GSM System Overview

GSM operation band

SYS M
Frequencies - Uplink - Downlink Wavelength Bandwidth Duplex Distance Carrier Separation Radio Channels

G SM
890 - 915 MHz 935 - 960 MHz ~33 cm 25 MHz 45 MHz 200 kHz 125

G SM
880 - 915 MHz 925 - 960 MHz ~33 cm 35 MHz 45 MHz 200 kHz 175

G SM
1710 - 1785 MHz 1805 - 1880 MHz ~17 cm 75 MHz 95 MHz 200 kHz 375

G SM
1850 - 1910 MHz 1930 - 1990 MHz ~16 cm 60 MHz 80 MHz 200 kHz 300

GSM System Overview

Absolute radio frequency channel Number

ARFCN

GSM900
f Fu (n) = 890 + 0.2vn MHz f Fd (n) = Fu(n) + 45 MHz

01e n e 124

GSM1800
f Fu (n) = 1710.2 + 0.2v(n-512) MHz f Fd (n) = Fu(n) + 95 MHz

512 e n e 885

GSM System Overview

Multiple Access Technology (MAT)

Many subscribers share common telecommunication lines without interference to each other.

MAT

FDMA TDMA

CDMA

GSM

GSM System Overview

FDMA
FDMA
f Identify by frequency

Time

FDMA

Frequency

GSM System Overview

TDMA


TDMA
f Identify by time

Time TDMA

Frequency

GSM System Overview

CDMA


CDMA
f Identify by code

Time CDMA Code

Frequency

Content

GSM System Overview GSM Common Events Basic Calling Process

GSM Common Events

Subscriber status

IMSI Attach

IMSI Detach

MS busy

GSM Common Events

Location Update
HLR
 

Originated by MS Location info stored in SIM

VLR

MSC (old)

MSC (new) VLR

MS monitor system info originate location update once the new LAC is different from that in SIM
Location Update

GSM Common Events

Location Update


Type
f Power on
IMSI ATTACH/DETACH Location register MS power on/off

ON
MSC

VLR

LA 1

LA 2

f Normal location update

MS change LA

f Periodic location update

Operator decide the period (timer) Location update when time out

GSM Common Events

Handover
Handover: Hand-over is a process that transfers a MS that is in setting
up or busy status to a new traffic channel


Why need handover

f Keep and save the call in progress f Improve network service quality
Decrease call drop rate Decrease congestion rate

Who will be involved

f MS

BTS
MS

BSC MSC

measure downlink radio signal level

BTS measure uplink radio signal level and quality and send the results to BSC BSC MSC evaluate and decision of HO routes the call to the other MSC during Inter-MSC HO

GSM Common Events

Handover classification

Reason:
PBGT Signal level Signal quality Distance Traffic

TA:
Synchronous Asynchronous

Position:
Intra-cell Inter-cell Intra-BSC Inter-BSC Inter-MSC

GSM Common Events

Cell selection and Reselection

After a MS is turned on, it will attempt to contact a common GSM PLMN, so the MS will select an appropriate cell, and extract from it the parameters of the control channel.

MS change its service cell in IDLE state

GSM Common Events

Authentication and Encryption

Triplet
f RAND: the question asked by the network side f Ki: stored in the SIM card and AUC in a very confidential

way
f SRES: signed response. It is obtained through the

calculation of subscribers unique key parameter Ki.

GSM Common Events

Authentication process


Execute authentication when

f MS register

setup call

location update and active/deactivate

supplementary service
f It is optional
Mobile Terminal Network

f A3 algorithm
Random number generator Ki RAND Ki A3 algorithm A3 algorithm

SRES' SRES

GSM Common Events

Encryption process
  

Kc: Encryption key 64-bits (A8 algorithm) A5 algorithm (exclusive or) It is optional.
Frame No. Kc (64-bit) (22-bit) Frame No. Kc (64-bit) (22-bit)

Mobile Terminal

Network

Ki

Random number generator RAND Ki A8 algorithm A8 algorithm

A5
S1 (114-bit) S2 (114-bit) S1 (114-bit)

A5
S2 (114-bit)

Kc

Kc

MS

BTS

Content

GSM System Overview GSM Common Events Basic Calling Process

Basic calling process

Initialization

Initialization is a random access process

MS Ch request (RACH) TA, access reason ACT SDCCH ACT ACK SDCCH Imm Assign SDCCH AGCH Imm Assign SDCCH AGCH BTS BSC

Initial message SDCCH

Basic calling process

Location update process

(1) MS moves from one BTS to another BTS (2) Learn to the broadcasting information (3)(4) MS sends the LU request to MSC-A. (5) MSC-A sends the LU message to HLR (6) HLR sends back subscriber data. (7)(8) Subscriber data registration in the VLR. (9) Sending LU response message (10) Notifying the original VLR to delete subscriber data.

Basic calling process

Outgoing call from MS to PSTN

(1) Random access channel. (2) Set up signaling connection between MS and MSC. (3) Authentication and encryption and enter the call setup starting phase. (4) Service channel allocation (5) Send ringing to the called subscriber, and send back the call connection acknowledgment signal to MS. (6)The called subscriber offhooks to reply, in which case a response (connection) message is sent to MS, thus entering the ultimate call session phase.

Basic calling process

Incoming call from PSTN to MS

(1) Send MSISDN number to GMSC (2) Requests HLR for the MSC address (3) HLR requests VLR to assign MSRN (4) GMSC re-search for routes to set up connection to the visited MSC by MSRN. (5)(6) MSC obtains related subscriber data (7)(8) MSC sends paging messages (9)(10) The MS sends back the paging response messages, then carries out the same steps of (1), (2), (3), (4) as shown in the above outgoing call flow till the mobile station rings. (11) The mobile subscriber offhooks to answer, thus the response (connection) message is sent back to the fixed network

Basic calling process

MS to MS call

(1) MS1 dials the phone number of MS2. BSS informs MSC1 of the call. (2) MSC1 analyzes the phone number of MS2, finds out the HLR of MS2 and sends the route application to HLR. (3) HLR queries the current location information of MS2 and obtains MSRN from the MSC2/VLR2. (4) MSC2/VLR2 allocates the route information, that is, MSRN and submits the MSRN to the HLR. (5) HLR sends the MSRN to the MSC1. (6) MSC2 sets up the call with MSC2 according to the MSRN. (7) MSC2/VLR2 sends the paging message to MS2. (8) MSC2/VLR2 receives the message, indicating the access of MS2 is allowed. (9) The call between MSC2 and MSC1 is set up. (10) MSC1 sends the successful connection signal to MS1. MS1 and MS2 can talk over the phone.