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WCDMA RF Optimization Process: GSM-to-UMTS Training Series V1.0
WCDMA RF Optimization Process: GSM-to-UMTS Training Series V1.0
WCDMA RF Optimization
Process
[ Troubleshooting for RF
optimization
Optimization Guideline
l W-Interference Processing
Guideline
Process
Chapter 2 Overview of RF
Optimization Process
Chapter 3 RF Troubleshooting
Optimization objectives
reached?
N
Cluster of sites ready?
Y Y
N
Optimization end
As the first phase of the optimization, the single site verification is to test the
functions of each new site. The objectives of the single site verification are to
ensure correct site installation and parameter configuration.
l RF optimization
Once the installation and verification of all the sites in the planned area are
complete, RF (or cluster) optimization starts immediately. As one of main
phases in network optimization, RF optimization can control the pilot pollution
and soft handover ratio in the drive test while optimizing the signal coverage,
thus ensuring normal distribution of radio signals before service parameters are
optimized. RF optimization covers the optimization of the hardware of the
antenna system and the list of neighboring cells. When RF optimization is
tested for the first time, all the cells in the area should be traversed as much as
possible to rectify hardware faults.
Process
Chapter 2 Overview of RF
Optimization Process
Chapter 3 RF Troubleshooting
Considering the characteristics of the UMTS system, for example, the coverage and capacity
affect each other and the frequency reuse factor is 1, RF optimization should be implemented on
the basis of a group of or a cluster of sites instead of a single site. In this way, the interference
from an intra-frequency neighboring cell is also considered in RF optimization. Before adjusting a
site, you must analyze the effect of the adjustment on neighboring sites in detail.
[ Before the drive test, you should determine the test route with
the customer. The test route should cover the route predefined
by the customer. If the route predefined by the customer cannot
be covered, you should notify the customer of the information in
time.
1. Software
No. Name Function Remarks
2. Hardware
At least
Test terminal and
2 U626, Qualcomm, and so on two test
data cable
terminals
PM1.3G/512M/20G/USB/COM
3 Portable PC
/PRN
Vehicle-mounted DC converted to AC, more
4
inverter than 300 W
3. Documents
Process
Chapter 2 Overview of RF
Optimization Process
Chapter 3 RF Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
Analysis
l Cross coverage
lConcept: The RSCP of pilot signals in the coverage area is smaller than -95
dBm.
lEnvironment: valley, mountainside back, elevator shaft, tunnel, underground
garage, basement, inside of a high building, and so on.
lConsequence: Full-coverage services are difficult to access the network; the
call drops; the UE cannot camp on a cell and even drops from the network due
to failure to initiate location update and location registration requests.
Countermeasures:
lIncrease the pilot power, adjust the azimuth and tilt of the antenna, raise the
antenna, and replace the antenna with an antenna with a higher gain to
optimize the coverage.
lAdd new BTSs or increase the coverage of neighboring BTSs to extend the
overlapped coverage between two BTSs and ensure an appropriate soft
handover area. (Note that co-channel interference and adjacent-channel
interference may be caused after the coverage is increased.)
lAdd new BTSs or RRUs to extend the coverage.
lUse the solutions such as the RRU, indoor distribution system, leaky cable,
and directional antenna.
Countermeasures:
lDo not have the antenna face the road or use surrounding
buildings or other obstacles to decrease the cross coverage.
(Note that co-channel interference with other BTSs may be
caused.)
lFor a BTS that is located at a high place, replace the site
address, adjust the pilot power, or use an RET antenna to
decrease the coverage and eliminate the “island” effect.
lConcept: In the target coverage area, the uplink coverage of the symmetrical service
is poor (the requirements of the uplink BLER cannot be met even if the transmit power
of the UE reaches a maximum value), or the downlink coverage is poor (the
requirements of the downlink BLER cannot be met even if the code transmit power of
the downlink DCH reaches a maximum value).
lConsequence: The call is easy to drop due to poor uplink coverage.
Countermeasures:
lFor the uplink and downlink unbalance caused by uplink
interference, monitor the RTWP alarm of the BTS to check
whether the interference exists. For details, see the W-
Interference Processing Guideline.
lFor poor uplink coverage, add a TMA.
Countermeasures:
lFor the area without dominant cell, adjust the tilt and
azimuth of the antenna to increase the coverage of a cell with
good signals (or a near cell) and decrease the coverage of
other cells with poor signals (or far cells).
UE Tx
Power is
too high.
Troubleshooting
Analysis
l Causes
high.
l Impact
caused:
1. Ec/Io decrease
3. Capacity decrease
Troubleshooting
Analysis
handover ratio. You can control the size and location of a handover
The optimization of neighboring cells covers two cases: adding a neighboring cell
and deleting a neighboring cell.
l Missed configuration of a neighboring cell: When a cell with strong signals does
not join the active set, the interference rises and even the call drops.
l Redundant neighboring cell: When there are too many messages of neighboring
cells, signaling overheads are increased greatly and a required neighboring cell
cannot be added when neighboring cells are fully configured.
1. The soft handover ratio in the RF optimization phase should be 5% to 10% lower
2. If the large-scale coverage optimization and pilot pollution adjustment are complete,
and the soft handover ratio approximates to the target value, you do not need to
specially optimize the soft handover ratio and only need to properly adjust related
3. If the soft handover ratio is too large, you should shrink the coverage area to
decrease or change the soft handover area. You should ensure that the
adjustment does not expand the existing area with poor coverage, cause a new
Process
Chapter 2 Overview of RF
Optimization Process
Chapter 3 RF Troubleshooting
The RSCP of the pilot in the area in a red circle is smaller than -95
dBm, indicating poor coverage. In the area, the call may drop.
the coverage in the area. According to the site survey report, cell A
Analysis
In a pilot office, the height of the site on the Erqi Road exceeds 60 m,
which is about 20 m higher than the average height of its surrounding
buildings. Therefore, the cross coverage is easy to form, which causes
co-channel interference with other sites.
Limited coverage caused when the antenna is installed without considering platform blocking
In a project, the antennas of the site are placed on the platform (10 m high), as
shown in the figure in P50. In the optimization phase after network construction,
VP mosaics often increase before the traffic light under the antennas. In this
case, the image quality becomes poor and the PS 384k service is re-activated.
According to the planning, the 3G network and 2G network share a site address.
According to the 2G test data, the signals do not fluctuate greatly at the
intersection and under the site. That is, if the 3G and 2G antennas are located
at the same place, the 3G coverage at the intersection should also come from
the site. Therefore, the causes for the problem are summarized as follows: (1)
The 3G antenna is installed close to the wall of the platform, which blocks the
propagation of signals. (2) The 2G antenna and its installation parts affect the
pattern of the 3G antenna, which makes the radiation pattern of the 3G antenna
vary. According to the installation scenario of the antennas, it is very difficult to
replace the location of the 3G antenna.
Feeder optimization
Pilot pollution near the Yuxing Road: cell 270 is designed to cover the area.
3rd best serving cell near the Yuxing Road 4th best serving cell near the Yuxing Road
Ec/Io information in the active set measured on the UE before the call drop
Ec/Io information in the active set measured on the Scanner before the call drop
l As shown in the figures in P62 and P63, the neighboring cell corresponding to scrambling code
128 may not be configured. To confirm the inference, view the message process near the place
where the call drops. Find the latest intra-frequency measurement control message, and then
check whether scrambling code 128 is contained in the list of intra-frequency neighboring cells.
According to the result, scrambling code 128 is not contained in the list of intra-frequency
neighboring cells. Therefore, the call drop is caused by missed neighboring cell configuration.
l If only the UE data is available in the test, you can determine whether a required neighboring cell is
not configured in the following way:
[ Determine the scrambling codes of all the cells in the active set and monitored set measured
on the UE before the call drop.
[ Determine the scrambling code of the cell on which the UE camps after the call drop, and then
compare the scrambling code with the scrambling codes in the active set and monitored set
before the call drop. If the scrambling code is not in the list of scrambling codes in the active
set and monitored set, the call drop may be caused by missed neighboring cell configuration.