Nemo Drive Test on 2G/3G

Networks
Toha Ardi Nugraha
Network Optimization Process

@maestoe
 Reason of Drive Test?

1. Network Performance Monitoring

2. Maintenance
3. Benchmarking
4. Customer Complains

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• Module 1 : Overview 3G System (1 hour)
• Module 2 : Drive Test Concept (1,5 hour)
• Module 3 : Drive Test on Field (2,5 hour)
• Module 4 : Reporting (2 hour)
• Module 5 : Analysis (2 hour)

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Module 1

OVERVIEW 3G SYSTEM
Data Transmission

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GSM & UMTS Evolution

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3G/UMTS Architectures (Migration)

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 Specification of GSM

• Frequency band :
Uplink 890 – 915 Mhz
Downlink 935 – 960 Mhz
• Duplex spacing : 45 Mhz
• Carrier spacing : 200 khz
• Modulation : GMSK
• Access method : FDMA / TDMA

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 GSM network Architecture (cont’d)

• 3 Subsystem in GSM network

- BSS (Base Station Subsystem)
- NSS (Network and Switching Subsystem)
- OSS/OMC (Operating and Support system or
Operating and Maintenance Centre)

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 GSM network Architecture (cont’d)
BSS (Base Station SubSystem)
• BTS (Base Transceiver Station)
- Radio equipment
- To transmit and Receive signal to MS
- Defined a Cell coverage
depend on the power transmit
• BSC (Base Station Controller)
- RRM for several BTS
- Handover management
• TRAU
- Rate adaption

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 GSM network Architecture (cont’d)

NSS (Network and Switching Sub System)

• MSC (Mobile Switching Centre)
• HLR (Home Location Register)
• VLR (Visitor Location Register)
• AuC (Authentication Center)

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 GSM network Architecture (cont’d)

Operation and Support System

• Control and Monitor the Network
- NMC (Network Management Centre)
- Some OMC are controlled by NMC
- OMC (Operation and Maintenance Centre)

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 GSM Frequency Bands

Frequency Band
GSM type
Uplink (UL) Downlink (DL)
GSM 900 890-915 Mhz 935-960 Mhz
GSM 1800 (DCS 1800) 1710-1785 Mhz 1805-1880 Mhz
GSM 1900 (PCS 1900) 1850-1910 Mhz 1930-1990 Mhz

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 GSM Channelization

• Physical Channel
– 200 Khz (Frequency Carrier) consist of 8 TS
• Logical Channel
– Control Channel
– Traffic Channel

Control Traffic
Channel Channel

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 GSM channelization (Cont’d)

Logical
channel

Chontrol Traffic
Channel Channel

Common Dedicated
Broadcast
Control Control Full Rate Half rate
channel
Channel Channel

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 3G/UMTS Concept

• WCDMA Concept
• UMTS Architecture
• Channelization
• Handover

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 WCDMA - Wideband CDMA

• Radio access technology for one of the UMTS access

modes (UTRA FDD) using 5 MHz duplex channels.
– Frame length is of 10 msec, Chip rate is 3.84 Mcps
– All users share the same frequency and time domain
– Users separated by the codes

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 UMTS Radio Frequency Ranges

• FDD (Frequency Division Duplex)

• TDD (Time Division Duplex)

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 Channelization in UMTS
• Logical Channel between RLC
and MAC
– Specific for information types
– What type of data to be
transferred
• Transport channel between MAC
and PHY
– Specific for “how to transfer
information?” (quality guarantee)
– How and with which type of
characteristic the data is
transferred by the Physical
Layer
• Physical Channel
– Exact Physical characteristics of the
radio channel

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 WCDMA Channel (Cont.'s)

• Spreading means increasing the signal bandwidth

• Spreading includes two operations
– Channelization (increases signal bandwidth)
• Orthogonal Spreading
– Scrambling
(does not affect the signal bandwidth)
• Use pseudo-noise codes

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 Handover Concept

BSC

Handover Req Handover

Acknowledge Request

Handover Req
Handover Req Acknowledge
Acknowledge
Handover
Handover
command
Complete
Handover
Request

Posisi 2
Site B Posisi 1 Site A
Posisi 3

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 Handover: Types (2G)
• Intracell handover
– MS moves from one sector to another sector within
same cell
• IntraBSC handover
– MS moves from cell to another cell within same BSC
• IntraMSC handover
– MS moves from cell to another cell from different BSC
within same MSC
• InterMSC handover
– MS moves from cell to another cell from different BSC
and different MSC

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 Handover: Types (3G)
• Intra-System handovers
– Intra-frequency handovers
• Soft, Softer
– Inter-frequency handovers
• Hard
• Inter-System handovers
– Handover between
WCDMA <> GSM (Hard)
– Handover between
WCDMA/FDD <> TDD
(Hard)

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 Pilots Set
The handset considers pilots in sets
– Active : pilot of sector actually in use
– Candidate : pilots mobile requested,
but not yet set up & transmitting by
system
– Neighbors: pilots told t mobile by
system, as nearby sectors to check
– Remaining: any pilots used by system
but not already in the other sets

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 Soft Handover Algorithm
T T T
Measurement
Quantity CPICH 1

As_Th + As_Th_Hyst

AS_Th – AS_Th_Hyst
As_Rep_Hyst

CPICH 2

CPICH 3

Time

Event 1A Event 1C Event 1B

Cell 1 Connected Add Cell 2 Replace Cell 1 with Cell 3 Remove Cell 3

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Module 2

DRIVE TEST CONCEPT

 Network Environment
• UMTS Drive Test is testing and measuring performance of
3G/UMTS network.
• Tools :
1. Software Nemo Outdoor
2. PC laptop
3. GPS
4. Scanner

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 Reason of Drive Test?

• Network Performance Monitoring

• Maintenance
• Benchmarking
• Customer Complains

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 Continuous Drive Test

• Drive Test (outdoor)

– GPS
• Walk Test (indoor)
– Pin point/way point

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 Analyze Data Collection

• Analyze data that was collected before

(from Log files)
• To know some problems in current area

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 Reporting

• To Answer Analyze Data Collection (Objective

Answer)
• Optimization Consideration
• Recommendation

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 Parameters DT GSM

1. Rx Level
2. Rx Qual
3. SQI
4. Cell Id, BSIC
5. TA (Timing Advance)
6. ARFCN, etc

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 Parameters DT UMTS
• UARFCN (UMTS Absolute Radio Frequency Channel
Number)
• RSCP (Receive Signal Code Power)
• RSSI (Receive Signal Strength Indicator)
• SC (Scrambling Code)
• Ec/No
• UE TxPower (dBm)
• Throughput
• BER, etc

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 Open Device Manager

• Step 1:
Start >“Settings”> “Control
Panel” > “System”
Or “My Computer” >
“Manage” > “Device Manager”

• Step 2: Choose “Hardware”

Tab in System Properties >
Click “Device Manager”.

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 Open Device Manager

• Step 3 :
• Look port to
conect hardware
(Modem)
• Scanner/GPS &
Check COM
Ports

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 Connect UE & Check COM Ports

• Double click the “3G

Modem” to check Trace
port number > Check
under “Modem” Tab.

• For UE Modem:
– In device manager
view:

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 Start Nemo Outdoor 5.07 and Load
Workspace
• Make sure the Nemo dongle is connected to the laptop.
• Launch Nemo Outdoor 5.07.
• Load the desired workspace.
• Workspace should contains adequate information for the
user to monitor.
• Different workspace should be created for different setup
configuration.
• Nemo workspace are stored proper folder for easy
access, eg.
C:\Nemo Tools\Nemo Outdoor\Workspaces

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 Running Program
Start >Program Files > Nemo Tools > Nemo Outdoor 5

• Workspace
• Details
• Device Configuration
• Load a measurement

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User Interface Nemo Outdoor 5

Device graph

Worksheet

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 Load Workspace
• Step 3: Browse to Nemo Workspace Folder -> Select “workspace” >
Click “Open”.

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 Create Workspace

• Parameter

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 Add Devices
• Step 1: Go to “Measurement” workspace > “Add New Device”.

• Step 2: Click the “Configuration” part

> “Trace port” and “Modem port”

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 Nemo Interface

• Map Interface
– Open map (.tab)

• Nemo logfiles and other files are stored proper folder for easy
access, eg.
C:\Nemo Tools\Results (.nmf)

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Module 3

DRIVE TEST ON FIELD (OUTDOOR)

Module 4

REPORTING
 Map Info

• Exporting from Nemo Outdoor

– Select Parameters
• Reporting KPI with Map Info
• Layer Control
– Symbol
• Create Thematic Map
• Define Network Performance
• Open Table

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Export to Map Info

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Select Parameters

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 Report KPI With Mapinfo

• KPI (Key Performance Indicator) : key

to detemaint Network performance.
like as , RSCP, Ec/No, etc

• Mapinfo is Software for loading and

mapping geogharphic analysis

• File > open file (chose file

extention .tab)
• Ex : bandung.tap
• Used Layer control

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Open Log files

• Example file (.tab)

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 Layer Control

• Command:
– View
– Edit

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Create Symbol

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Create Thematic Map

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Create Thematic Map (Cont.'s)

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Create Thematic Map (Cont.'s)

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Reporting with Map Info

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Open Table

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Module 4

ANALYSIS (TUNING THE NETWORK)

 UMTS Optimization

• 3 Mayor Steps in Optimizing Network

• UMTS performance indicator
• Problem Signature
• Tuning network
– Specific Neighbor list
– Managing excessive soft handoff

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 3 Mayor Steps in Optimizing Network

• RF optimization is the process of measuring,

• analyzing, and tuning and existing network to meet
network performance criteria
• It usually occurs after the network planning is completed
• It can be performed frequently to respond:
– Changes or growth in the network
– Customer complaints such as coverage,
dropped call etc.
– The need to improve capacity.

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 UMTS Performance Indicator

KPI Target :
– RSCP (good > -85 dBm)
– Ec/No ( > -8 dB)
– BER (98%)
– Analyze Pilot Pollution Area
– Drop Call Rate (DCR)
– HSR (Handover Success Rate)
– Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR)

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 Problem Signature

• Missing Neighbor or No Neighbors defined for

Site. (Database)
• Poor Coverage Area.
• Pilot Pollution Area

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 Poor Coverage Area

• Test mobile measurements

• Antenna configuration check
• Verification of RF network design
• Propagation model verification
• Link budget analysis

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 Improving coverage

– Cell spliting, Sectorisation

• Difficult , Expensive
• Primarily used for capacity enhancement
– Overlaid cell structure
• Micro- and picocells
• Cellular repeaters

RNC
Node B Node B
Node B
Node B

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 Pilot Pollution
• Active set UE > 3 and in range 5 dB or approximately 3
dB from the biggest active set.
• Reduce system performance,

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 Antenna Fine Tuning

• Horizontal plane
– Possible coverage weakness between sector
– Interference reduction
– Traffic load distribution
• Vertical Plane
– Interference reduction
– Possible coverage weakness in the short to medium
distance range
– Traffic load distribution

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 Tuning the Network

Solution (Antenna Adjustments)

Include :
– Down tilting
– Antenna Height
– Azimuth
– Type of antenna
Reason of Down tilting:
1 Reduce interference
2 Optimizing cell

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 Antenna Configuration
• General points to check
– antenna type, e.g.
• omni
• directional 60, 90 or 120 degrees
• electrical downtilt
– antenna azimuth angle (for directional antenna)
• coverage targets
– antenna tilt angle
• electrical + mechanical
– diversity & isolation
• e.g. space diversity,
• polarisation diversity

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Type Antenna Down tilt

Mechanical down tilt

– Physic, Sectoral
Electrical down tilt
– Easy

0° 0°

Electrical Mechanical

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Typical antenna beam pattern

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 Omni vs. Sectorised

• OMNI cells - more difficult to optimize

– Electrical down tilt possible, however
• same for entire cell
– Parameters same for entire cell

• Directional antenna
– narrower beam easier to control interference
– tilting less efficient with wider beams

Sectorised cell site with different

downtilt angles

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 Reference
• Short Course “In Building DCS 1800 Coverage”, Mobile
Communication Laboratory, 2009
• Short Course “Drive Test UMTS”, Mobile Communication
Laboratory, 2008
• Short Course “Drive Test CDMA 2001x and Optimization”, Mobile
Communication Laboratory, 2008
• Short Course “CDMA Drive Test and Optimization”, Antenna
Laboratory, 2007
• Nemo_Outdoor_manual

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Thanks