System Optimisation Group

China GSM Core Engineering

August 11, 2000

Jim Luan, Lin Mubao

 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Drive Test Procedure

Preparation
Drive Test
FICS
Netplan VOT/GEP
Statistics Analysis
Problem Finding
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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Preparation (1)
• Definition File
– Without it, it is impossible to observe overshooing neighbors
– GenDef7.exe can convert FP to definition file

Neighbor list
Neighbor list with without definition
definition file file

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Preparation (2)
• Frequency Plan & Configuration map
• Software:TEMS, FICS, GEP, VOT
• Hardware: TEMS, GPS, Portable PC
• Test Problem Sheet
• Route
• Map

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Drive Test
• For Benchmark
– 2 minutes per call
– 10 – 15 minutes a log files
– Force to appropriate band (GSM only, DCS
only or Dual)
• For Special Problem
– Planning route
– No limitation

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

TEMS Introduction
• Interface
• Functions

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Log File Process

TEMS Log File
FICS
.FMT .CSV .STA
Excel VB
.NP/.TXT Much shorter
cycle time by VOT
NetPlan and GEP.

Route Map VOT/GEP

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

TEMS .log file Analysis

Below lists common problems which can be observed from Drive Test Log.
• Undecoded BCCH • Poor Coverage
• BSIC Undecode in Other Site • Unreasonable Serving Area
• No Handover • Interference
• Delay Handover • Handover Failure
• Ping Pong Handover • Handover Loss
• Negative Handover • UL Drop
• Overshooting • Drop Call
• High Overlapping • Sudden Power Drop
• No Dominant Server • MS Power Rapid Increase
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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Undecoded BCCH (1)

Description:
– BSICs can’t be decoded in 5s
– Usually consider 3 strongest neighbors
Reason:
– GCLK shift, only decode same site BSICs
– Channel interference
– Non-BCCH carrier, no dedicated spectrum for
BCCH

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Undecoded BCCH (2)

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

BSIC Undecode in Other Site

Description:
– BSIC in same site can be decoded but not for
other sites
– Handover can only happen in intra-site basis
– It is similar to former Undecoded BCCH case
Reason:
– GCLK shift
• GCLK recalibration is required
• No one monitors OMC-R alarms

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

No Handover (1)
Description:
– Neighbor BSIC is decoded and COMMON handover requirement is
fulfilled but there is never a handover
Reason:
– Missing neighbor
• No such neighbor in CM database
– Incorrect external neighbor
• Target cell’s LAC/BCCH/BSIC in add_neighbor is different from those in
equip_rtf
• Engineer modifies external neighbor at MMI, not through GUI
• Never use OMC-R Proxy Cell to propagate external neighbor information
– N < hreqt. Great HO_MARGIN. Improper algorithm 1-7 setting
– Missing_rpt =1
– Serving cell overshoots/covers too far away
– Refer to GSM BSS Statistics Analysis Handbook
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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

No Handover (2)

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Delay Handover (1)

Description:
– Neighbor BSIC is decoded but handover occurs in
much later time
Reason:
– All possible neighbors suffer blocking
– Large hreqt * hreqave
– qual_power_flag is enabled, full BTS/MS power must
be reached before handover
– Large handover_recognized_period and bssmap_t7
setting
– Refer to GSM BSS Statistics Analysis Handbook

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Delay Handover (2)

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Ping Pong Handover (1)

Description:
– Lot of handovers between cells
– “Time between Handover” is around hreqt*hreqave of
such HO cause
Reason:
– Improper hardware calibration
– Hardware fault
– UL/DL interference
– Negative handover
– Different coverage footprint for antennas of a cell

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Ping Pong Handover (2)

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Negative Handover (1)

Description:
– Serving cell hands over to a weaker neighbor
Reason:
– ho_only_max_power is enabled
– qual_margin_flag is disabled
– ho_margin_usage_flag is enabled with negative
ho_margin_rxqual/rxlev
– Negative HO_MARGIN
– Micro-cellular algorithms are enabled, especially type 5

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Negative Handover (2)

-59dBm -66dBm
before after
HO HO

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

OverShooting (1)
Description:
– Cell shoots at far distance but that location has
closer cells around
Reason:
– Overshooting cell has small downtilt, 0 degree!
– Overshooting cell has too high altitude
– Closer cells have overshooting as well
– BSIC of closer cells can’t be decoded

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

OverShooting (2)

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

High Overlapping (1)

Description:
– Cells have major rxlevel difference within
±5dB
Reason:
– Overshooting
– Too many cells in that area
– Poor antenna downtilt

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

High Overlapping (2)

-65dBm
-65dBm
Over Lapping Area

-65dBm

-65dBm
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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

No Dominant Server (1)

Description:
– Rxlevel of best neighbors are close to that of
serving cell
Reason:
– Poor antenna downtilt
– Lack of near-by site

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

No Dominant Server (2)

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Poor Coverage (1)

Description:
– Low rxlevel with rxquality
– In rural area, rxlevel is less than 15 (-95dBm)
– In city center, rxlevel is less than 35 (-85dBm)
– Different location has different threshold, noise level is the key
point
Reason:
– Lack of cell site
– BSIC of dominant server can’t be decoded
– Dominant server has blocking or cell-bar
– Handover problem. E.g. missing & incorrect neighbor, negative
handover, no & delay handover

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Poor Coverage (2)

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Unreasonable Serving Area (1)

Description:
– Coverage area of the cell is incoherent to the
antenna direction
Reason:
– Wrong cable connection to antennas
– Incorrect record of antenna orientation
– Incorrect ANTENNA_SELECT

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Unreasonable Serving Area (2)

Cell ID:101
BCCH: 35

Cell ID:102 Cell ID:103

BCCH: 40 BCCH: 45

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Interference (1)
Description:
– High rxlevel with rxquality
Reason:
– Channel interference
– Not using dominant server
– No handover
– Turn the corner with delay handover

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Interference (2)

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Handover Failure (1)

Description:
– MS fails to reach target cell, so return to source cell
– MS sends HO FAILURE and UL-SABM to source cell
and there is response
Reason:
– Channel interference
– Poor coverage
– External interference at UL, like wideband repeator
– Refer to GSM BSS Statistics Analysis Handbook

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Handover Failure (2)

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Handover Loss (1)

Description:
– MS fails to reach target cell, but can’t return to source
cell
– MS sends HO FAILURE and UL-SABM to source cell
but no response
Reason:
– Channel interference
– Poor coverage
– External interference at UL, like wideband repeator
– Refer to GSM BSS Statistics Analysis Handbook

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Handover Loss (2)

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

UL Drop (1)
Description:
– BSS doesn’t receive UL SACCH for link_fail times
– BSS stops transmitting DL power
Reason:
– External interference
– Channel interference
– Faulty ancillary. UL path loss >>> DL path loss
– Refer to GSM BSS Statistics Analysis Handbook

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

UL Drop (2)

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Drop Call (1)

Description:
– DL case: Radio_link_timeout counter decreases to 0
– UL case: link_fail counter decreases to 0
– Layer 2: BSS/MS send SABM/DISC in every T200 for
N200+1 times, and no response from recipient
Reason:
– All cases in this presentation
– Refer to GSM BSS Statistics Analysis Handbook

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Drop Call (2)

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Sudden Power Drop (1)

Description:
– Dedicated ARFCN has significant non-power control
rxlevel difference from rxlevel of BCCH
Reason:
– No/improper TX power calibration
– Faulty ancillary. E.g. combiner, filter..
– Different cable lengths from BTS to antennas
– Due to air combing, so antennas have different
coverage footprints

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

Sudden Power Drop (2)

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

MS Power Rapid Increase (1)

Description:
– MS rapidly increases its TX power due to
• Optimised Power Control or
• UL SACCH multiframes aren’t received for link_fail -
link_about_to_fail times
Reason:
– Sudden UL interference, e.g. wideband repeator,
channel interference
– Too much rapid power down
– l_rxlev_ul_p is too small
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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

MS Power Rapid Increase (2)

UL power rapid
increase from 19 to
5 suddenly

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

How GEP Help?

Help to identify below problem in VISUAL basis
• Co-channel interference
• Adjacent-Channel interference
• Mutual neighbor
• Missing neighbor
• Unreasonable neighbor
• Incorrect external neighbor

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

How VOT Help?

Help to identify below problem in VISUAL basis
• Ping pong HO
• Overshooting
• No dominant server
• Poor coverage
• Unreasonable serving area
• Interference
• HO failure
• HO loss
• Drop call

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

How CM Extractor Help?

Extract most BSS parameter for reference
• Cell – e.g. hreqave,hreqt,N,P…
• BTS – e.g. antenna_select…
• RTF – check any incorrect external neighbor
• Neighbor – e.g. ho_margin, delay_timer…

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 System Optimisation Group
China GSM Core Engineering

How NPM Help?

• Provide cell statistics for VOT display
• Provide BSS and system level 23 key statistics
• Provide detail troubleshooting statistics

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