3 Egprs Technology: Edge Basics, Version 1.5 T.O.P Businessinteractive GMBH Page 1 of 20

EDGE Basics, Version 1.5 T.O.
P BusinessInteractive GmbH Page 1 of 20

3 EGPRS Technology

Version 1.1e T.O.P BusinessInteractive GmbH Page 2 of 20

3 EGPRS Technology....................................................... 1
3.1 Link Quality Control..................................................................3
3.2 EGPRS Modulation and Coding Schemes (1/2).......................4
3.3 EGPRS Link Adaptation (1/2) ....................................................6
3.4 EGPRS Incremental Redundancy (1/5).....................................8
3.5 Mobile Data Load .....................................................................13
3.6 Dynamic A-bis Allocation (1/5)................................................14
3.7 EDGE RR Management (1/2). ..................................................19


3.1 Link Quality Control

To ensure the viability of sophisticated wireless data applications, e.g., video
streaming, a high quality link over the air interface is required. In standard GPRS this
is only possible to a limited degree as there are only four fixed coding schemes which
are activated for the handset or service capabilities. In contrast EGPRS link
adaptation chooses either GMSK or 8-PSK modulation as well as a variety of coding
schemes to provide an optimum protection and throughput for the air interface. Twice
as many timeslots can be allocated if the bit rate per timeslot is reduced by 50 for a
better protection of the signal.

Thus, Link Adaptation tries to maximize throughput or minimize delay. This helps to
ensure the constant data rate for real-time services which have to be guaranteed by
vendor specific enhancements. Link adaptation is based on new, more careful
measurement algorithms for the air interface interference level and a derived bit error
probability (BEP). Additionally, a second mechanism called Incremental redundancy
is added to guarantee a highly reliable data communication link.


3.2 EGPRS Modulation and Coding Schemes (1/2)

Let us have a closer look at the link adaptation function. 9 different Modulation and
Coding Schemes (MCS1...9) are available for each timeslot within EGPRS, chosen
after a careful bit error rate measurement of the air interface. In the basic case, a
very robust but low rate GMSK modulated 8.8 kbps service is available with MCS1.
In conditions of nearly zero interference, the maximum data rate of 59.2 kbps per
timeslot is available with 8-PSK modulation and no additional channel coding for
protection. As EGPRS allows a bundling of all 8 timeslots per TDMA frame per user
the maximum data rate of 8*59.2 = 473.6 kbps is only achieved under the best air
interface circumstances.


3.2 EGPRS Modulation and Coding Schemes (2/2)

Different MCSs are organized in different families. The organization scheme is a
doubling of the bit rate between the MCS members of the same family. This allows
the system to choose a more robust modulation type in cases of air interference by
keeping the same bit rate if additional timeslots are used.
Let us track a mobile on its way through different zones of interference using a
mobile data service that requires a constant bit rate, e.g., video streaming.


3.3 EGPRS Link Adaptation (1/2)

In the outer zone left of point A, a higher interference level only allows MCS5 with
22.4 kbps. Thus, 2 timeslots are required to ensure the bit rate of more than 40 kbps
needed to comfortably watch the video clip.
Between points A and B, air interface interference is lower allowing the system to
economize on timeslots by using MCS7 with 44.8 kbps. A single timeslot is now
sufficient to deliver the service; the second one can be given to another mobile. Right
of point B, in the outer zone MCS5 with 2 timeslots is used again.


3.3 EGPRS Link Adaptation (2/2)

Let us look at MCS8, which belongs to the A-family of MCSs but does not obey the
rule of doubling the user bit rates. As EDGE is also designed to be used in systems
which use ANSI PCM24 or T1 links to interconnect the networks elements, a MCS is
required that optimally supports the user bit rate of 56 kbps per timeslot. MCS9 does
not match so MCS8 is used in combination with MCS6 and MCS3 for link adaptation
as described previously.


3.4 EGPRS Incremental Redundancy (1/5)

In incremental redundancy, also known as Type II Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request,
retransmission of the data block is different to the initial transmission. Upon reception
failure, additional redundancy is included which is combined with the earlier
(re)transmission(s) and can thus be used to correct errors. Before we explain IR in
more details let us first have a look on the organization of radio data before
transmission on the air interface.



Packet data is scheduled in blocks consisting of core user data or control information,
i.e., Uplink State Flag, Medium Access Control, Block Check Sequence and Tail
Information. An RLC data block with a certain amount of user data, depending on the
MCS, is coded by means of a convolutional coder.
To transmit the coded data in the bursts on the Air Interface, only a limited number of
bits is allowed. If there are too many bits after coding, some of the result bits must be
deleted or punctured, so the remaining ones fit in the bursts again. The drawback of
puncturing bits is reduced redundancy.



Now, we turn reduced redundancy obtained by the necessary puncturing into an
advantage for the system. The correct data block protection is obtained
incrementally, after transmitting additional redundancy by different puncturing
schemes and combining it with the existing (re)transmission(s).
The IR mechanism in EGPRS is combined with the nine MCSs described earlier. The
basic characteristic of each MCS is its fixed data rate, hence a fixed protection level.
For each of the MCSs, it is possible to reach the same data rate with the same
protection level but with another protection scheme.



The additional gain is significant. The example shows the rate throughput vs. C/I ratio
using MCS7. If Incremental redundancy is used, the air interface can be subject to 6
dB more interference and still achieve 20 kbps.



The overall performance increase using IR is shown in this animation. Bit rates below
20 kbps profit most from IR. For the user, data transfer is more stable and quicker
due to an average gain of 2 to 4 dB.


3.5 Mobile Data Load

The biggest benefit of packet data transmission in GSM is the possibility to use free
capacity within the time slots. But scenarios are still quite likely where GSM peak
load and GPRS peak load will collide, e.g., at 11 a.m. at the airport with business
people making phone calls at the same time as they download the latest PowerPoint
presentation for their meeting by GPRS transmission.
Thus capacity bottlenecks arise if no additional TRXs are installed at the BTSs to
ensure enough data capacity by maintaining the same high capacity for speech
transmission.


3.6 Dynamic A-bis Allocation (1/5)

And a second aspect is important for GPRS and even more so for EGPRS. Circuit-
switched information, e.g., speech or fax, uses constant resources on both the air
interface and the A-bis interface. With GPRS, different numbers of timeslots can be
assigned on the air interface according to available capacity.
This requires a flexible allocation of corresponding A-bis sub-time slots. And, finally,
in EGPRS, bit rate per time slot on the air interface varies as Link Adaptation and the
different MCSs require an even more flexible use of A-bis capacity.



In other words: Rigid A-bis allocation does not match the basic idea of GPRS and
EGPRS which is to use transmission resources efficiently. A flexible resource
allocation is more suitable to the new traffic situation. As A-bis configuration is
supplier-specific there are various ways to solve this problem. One solution is the
splitting of existing A-bis PCM link capacity into two parts:
1. a permanent part for speech and signaling and
2. a dynamic pool for data used by more than one BTS.
This dynamic A-bis allocation is implemented into BTSs transmission units by
software and can be organized as per physical A-bis link or per timeslot cluster within
one A-bis link.



This allocation example shows the principle. Each data connection uses one sub-
time slot within the static part as a so-called master A-bis slot. It carries the
information on how to use additional slots from the Dynamic A-bis timeslot cluster
according to the link adaptation function and the bit rate provided.



This allocation example shows the allocation of master A-bis channel and Dynamic
timeslot cluster resources for a 4*59.2 = 236.8 kbps packet transmission.



A short capacity calculation example shows the tremendous benefits of Dynamic A-
bis allocation:
One 2 Mbps link handles ~900 MB raw data per hour. The maximum amount of data
sent by user is ~1.25 MB per day - a value taken from a 10 Base-T fixed network
scenario. If data is split between 4 busy hours, each user will send ~300 kB per busy
hour.
In theory one dynamic 2 Mbps A-bis could serve ~3,000 users per day (900 MB/300
kB). Field tests have proven that up to 70 of additional transmission link costs can
be saved compared with the static A-bis allocation scenario in GSM networks.


3.7 EDGE RR Management (1/2)

A dynamic allocation of time slots on the air interface dedicated to packet-switched
services must also be configured, as done already in GPRS. Different allocation
schemes are possible and, of course, supplier-dependent. A first example shows a
static allocation of timeslot clusters for circuit-switched and packet-switched traffic. As
circuit-switched traffic, i.e., mostly speech, always prevails over packet data, a larger
CS cluster is separated from a smaller PS capacity.


3.7 EDGE RR Management (2/2)

An other possibility is a more flexible resource allocation. Again, a bigger circuit-
switched cluster is separated from a smaller packet-switched cluster. Within the
latter, a minimum configuration for EGPRS services is defined according to the
estimated packet data traffic. Additional time slots can be used for packet data if
speech services do not increase.

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