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Overview of GSM Cellular Network and Operations: Ganesh Srinivasan NTLGSPTN
Overview of GSM Cellular Network and Operations: Ganesh Srinivasan NTLGSPTN
Ganesh Srinivasan
NTLGSPTN
Network and switching subsystem
• NSS is the main component of the public mobile network GSM
– switching, mobility management, interconnection to other networks,
system control
• Components
– Mobile Services Switching Center (MSC)
controls all connections via a separated network to/from a mobile
terminal within the domain of the MSC - several BSC can belong to
a MSC
– Databases (important: scalability, high capacity, low delay)
• Home Location Register (HLR)
central master database containing user data, permanent and
semi-permanent data of all subscribers assigned to the HLR (one
provider can have several HLRs)
• Visitor Location Register (VLR)
local database for a subset of user data, including data about all
user currently in the domain of the VLR
Operation subsystem
• The OSS (Operation Subsystem) enables centralized operation,
management, and maintenance of all GSM subsystems
• Components
– Authentication Center (AUC)
• generates user specific authentication parameters on request of
a VLR
• authentication parameters used for authentication of mobile
terminals and encryption of user data on the air interface
within the GSM system
– Equipment Identity Register (EIR)
• registers GSM mobile stations and user rights
• stolen or malfunctioning mobile stations can be locked and
sometimes even localized
– Operation and Maintenance Center (OMC)
• different control capabilities for the radio subsystem and the
network subsystem
Mobile Handset
TEMPORARY DATA PERMANENT DATA
- Ciphering Data
AIR INTERFACE
BASE TRANSCEIVER STATION
z
MH
960
35 -
K 9
LIN
DO WN
MOBILE
Hz
M
15
0 -9
89
K
L IN
UP
The GSM Network Architecture
• Time division multiple access-TDMA
• 124 radio carriers, inter carrier spacing 200khz.
• 890 to 915mhz mobile to base - UPLINK
• 935 to 960mhz base to mobile - DOWNLINK
• 8 channels/carrier
GSM uses paired radio channels
PLINK
U
LINK
W N
DO
0 124 0 124
Access Mechanism
t
Time and Frequency Multiplex
• Combination of both methods
• A channel gets a certain frequency band for a certain
amount of time k k k k k5 k6
1 2 3 4
c
f
t
Time and Frequency Multiplex
• Example: GSM
• Advantages:
– Better protection against
tapping
– Protection against frequency
selective interference k1 k2 k3 k4 k5 k6
t
• GSM combines FDM and TDM: bandwidth
is subdivided into channels of 200khz,
shared by up to eight stations, assigning
slots for transmission on demand.
GSM uses paired radio channels
PLINK
U
LINK
W N
DO
0 124 0 124
Code Multiplex
k1 k2 k3 k4 k5 k6
Subscriber
growth
Time
increase capacity
I wish I could
without adding NEW BTS!
What can I do?
Representation of Cells
D = √ 3K*R
Frequency re-use distance is based on the cluster size K D=4.58R
The cluster size is specified in terms of the offset of the center of a cluster from the center
of the adjacent cluster
The Frequency Re-Use for K = 4
K = i2 + ij + j2
K = 22 + 2*0 + 02
K=4+0+0
D
K=4
D = √ 3K*R
R
D=3.46R i
The Cell Structure for K = 7
7
6 2
1
5 3
7 4 1
6 2
2
1 7
5 3 6 2
4 1
7 5 3
6 2 7 4
1 6 2
5 3 1
4 5 3
4
Cell Structure for K = 4
1
2 1
4
1 4 2
3
4 2 1 3
3 4 2 1
1 3 4 2
4 2 1 3
3 4 2
3
Cell Structure for K = 12
9 9
8 10 8 10
2 11 2
7 11
3 7 3
1 12 1
6 12
4 6 4
9 5 9
8 5
10 8 10
2 11 2
7 11
3 7
1 3
12 1 12
6 4 6 4
5 5
Increasing cellular system
capacity
• Cell sectoring
– Directional antennas subdivide cell into 3 or 6
sectors
– Might also increase cell capacity by factor of 3
or 6
Increasing cellular system
capacity
• Cell splitting
– Decrease transmission power in base and
mobile
– Results in more and smaller cells
– Reuse frequencies in non-contiguous cell
groups
– Example: ½ cell radius leads 4 fold capacity
increase
Tri-Sector antenna for a cell
Cell Distribution in a Network
Rural
Highway
Suburb Town
Optimum use of frequency
spectrum
• Operator bandwidth of 7.2MHz (36 freq of 200
kHz)
• TDMA 8 traffic channels per carrier
• K factor = 12
• What are the number of traffic channels available
within its area for these three cases
– Without cell splitting
– With 72 cells
– With 246 cells
Re-use of the frequency
PLINK
U
LINK
W N
DO
0 124 0 124
GSM delays uplink TDMA frames
The start of the uplink
TDMA is delayed of TDMA frame (4.615 ms)
three time slots
Downlink TDMA R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8
F1MHz
Uplink TDMA
T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 Frame
F1 + 45MHz
R T
R T
Fixed transmit
Delay of three time-slots
GSM - TDMA/FDMA
935-960 MHz
124 channels (200 kHz)
downlink
yc
en
qu
890-915 MHz
fre
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
4.615 ms
TRAFFIC SIGNALLING
FREQUENCY
CORRECTION 3 142 3 8.25
BURST - FB
SYNCHRONISATION 3 39 64 39 3 8.25
BURST - SB
ACCESS
BURST - AB 6 41 36 3 68.25
0 1 2 3 4 48 49 50 SIGNALLING CHANNELS
0 1 2 24 25
1 MULTIFRAME = 26 TDMA FRAMES ( 120 ms )
0 1 2 3 24 25
1 MULTI FRAME = 51 TDMA FRAMES (235 .4 ms )
0 1 2 3 4 48 49 50
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0
(4.615ms) TDMA FRAME NO.
0 1
1 TIME SLOT = 156.25 BITS
( 0.577 ms) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0
(4.615 ms)
1 2 3 4 155 156 0 1
1 bit =36.9 micro sec
GSM Frame Full rate
channel is
SACCH is idle in 25
transmitted
0 to 11 and 13 to 24 in frame 12
Are used for traffic data Frame
duration =
0 1 2 12 24 25 120ms
Frame
duration =
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 60/13ms
Frame
duration =
15/26ms
3 57 1 26 1 57 3 8.25
• 114 bits are available for data transmission.
• The training sequence of 26 bits in the
middle of the burst is used by the receiver
to synchronize and compensate for time
dispersion produced by multipath
propagation.
• 1 stealing bit for each information block
(used for FACCH)
LOGICAL CHANNELS
TRAFFIC SIGNALLING
SDCCH authenticate
Authenticate on SDCCH
AIR INTERFACE
BASE TRANSCEIVER STATION
z
MH
960
35 -
K 9
LIN
DO WN
MOBILE
Hz
M
15
0 -9
89
K
L IN
UP
Transmit Path
BS Side
8 bit A-Law 8 K sps
to
RPE/LTP speech Encoder
13 bit Uniform To Channel Coder 13Kbps
MS Side
8 K sps,
LPF A/D RPE/LTP speech Encoder
To Channel Coder 13Kbps
Sampling Rate - 8K
Encoding - 13 bit Encoding (104 Kbps)
RPE/LTP - Regular Pulse Excitation/Long Term Prediction
RPE/LTP converts the 104 Kbps stream to 13 Kbps
GSM Speech Coding
Frame
duration =
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 60/13ms
Frame
duration =
15/26ms
3 57 1 26 1 57 3 8.25
GSM Speech Coding
• Speech is divided into 20 millisecond
samples, each of which is encoded as 260
bits, giving a total bit rate of 13 kbps.
• Regular pulse excited -- linear predictive
coder (RPE--LPC) with a long term
predictor loop is the speech coding
algorithm.
• The 260 bits are divided into three classes:
– Class Ia 50 bits - most sensitive to bit errors.
– Class Ib 132 bits - moderately sensitive to bit errors.
– Class II 78 bits - least sensitive to bit errors.
• Class Ia bits have a 3 bit cyclic redundancy code added for error
detection = 50+3 bits.
• 132 class Ib bits with 4 bit tail sequence = 132 + 4 = 136.
• Class Ia + class Ib = 53+136=189, input into a 1/2 rate convolution
encoder of constraint length 4. Each input bit is encoded as two output
bits, based on a combination of the previous 4 input bits. The
convolution encoder thus outputs 378 bits, to which are added the 78
remaining class II bits.
• Thus every 20 ms speech sample is encoded as 456 bits, giving a bit
rate of 22.8 kbps.
• To further protect against the burst errors common to the
radio interface, each sample is interleaved. The 456 bits
output by the convolution encoder are divided into 8
blocks of 57 bits, and these blocks are transmitted in eight
consecutive time-slot bursts. Since each time-slot burst can
carry two 57 bit blocks, each burst carries traffic from two
different speech samples.
3 57 bits 1 26 1 57 bits 3
3 57 bits 1 26 1 57 bits 3
3 57 bits 1 26 1 57 bits 3
3 57 bits 1 26 1 57 bits 3
3 57 bits 1 26 1 57 bits 3
3 57 bits 1 26 1 57 bits 3
3 57 bits 1 26 1 57 bits 3
3 57 bits 1 26 1 57 bits 3
GSM Protocol Suite
SS
HLR
MM + CM
MSC
VLR
RR
BSC
BTS
Radio interface
Link Layer
• LAPDm is used between MS and BTS
• LAPD is used between BTS-BSC
• MTP2 is used between BSC-
MSC/VLR/HLR
Network Layer
• To distinguish between CC, SS, MM and RR protocol
discriminator (PD) is used as network address.
– CC call control management MS-MSC.
– SS supplementary services management MS-MSC/HLR.
– MM mobility management(location management, security
management) MS-MSC/VLR.
– RR radio resource management MS-BSC.
• Messages pertaining to different transaction are
distinguished by a transaction identifier (TI).
Application Layer protocols
• BSSMAP between BSC and MSC
• DTAP messages between MS and MSC.
• All messages on the A interface bear a
discrimination flag, indicating whether the message
is a BSSMAP or a DTAP.
• DTAP messages carry DLCI(information on type of
link on the radio interface) to distinguish what is
related to CC or SMS.
• MAP protocol is the one between neighbor MSCs.
MAP is also used between MSC and HLR.
GSM Functional Architecture and Principal Interfaces
MAP Q931
BSSAP
TCAP SCCP
Radio Interface
Q.931
Q.921
A-Bis Interface
GSM protocol layers for
Um
signaling Abis A
MS BTS BSC MSC
CM CM
MM MM
BSSAP
BSSAP
RR RR’
RR’ BTSM BTSM SS7 SS7
LAPDm LAPDm LAPD LAPD
SAPI
N(S) N(R)
LAPDm on radio interface
• The acknowledgement for the next expected frame in the
indicator N(R ).
• On radio interface two independent flows(one for signaling,
and one for SMS) can exist simultaneously.
• These two flows are distinguished by a link identifier called the
SAPI(service access point identifier).
• LAPDm SAPI=0 for signaling and SAPI=3 for SMS.
• SAP1=0 for radio signaling, SAPI=62 for OAM and SAPI=63
for layer 2 management on the Abis interface.
• There is no need of a TEI, because there is no need to
distinguish the different mobile stations, which is done by
distinguishing the different radio channels.
Protocols involved in the A-bis
interface
• Level 1-PCM transmission (E1 or T1)
– Speech encoded at 16kbit/s and sub multiplexed in
64kbit/s time slots.
– Data which rate is adapted and synchronized.
• Level 2-LAPD protocol, standard HDLC
– Radio Signaling Link (RSL)
– Operation and Maintenance Link (OML).
• Level 3-Application Protocol
– Radio Subsystem Management (RSM)
– Operation and Maintenance procedure (OAM)
Presentation of A-bis Interface
• Messages exchanges between the BTS and BSC.
– Traffic exchanges
– Signaling exchanges
• Physical access between BTS and BSC is PCM
digital links of E1(32) or T1(24) TS at 64kbit/s.
• Speech:
– Conveyed in timeslots at 4X16 kbit/s
• Data:
– Conveyed in timeslots of 4X16 kbit/s. The initial user
rate, which may be 300, 1200, … is adjusted to 16 kbit/s
LAPD message structure
FLAG ADRESS CONTROL INFORMATION 0 – 260 OCT FCS FLAG
SAPI TEI
N(S) N(R)
LAPD
• The length is limited to 260 octets of information.
• LAPD has the address of the destination terminal,
to identify the TRX, since this is a point to
multipoint interface.
• Each TRX in a BTS corresponds to one or several
signaling links. These links are distinguished by
TEI (Terminal Equipment Identities).
• SAPI=0, SAPI=3, SAPI=62 for OAM.
Presentation of the A-ter
interface
TRAU
BSC
LAPD TS1
OAM
Speech TS
Transcoding Speech TS
MSC
CCS7 TS CCS7 TS
PCM
LINK PCM
LINK
Presentation on the A-ter
interface
• Signaling messages are carried on specific timeslots (TS)
– LAPD signaling TS between the BSC and the TCU
– SS7 TS between the BSC and the MSC, dedicated for BSSAP
messages transportation.
– X25 TS2 is reserved for OAM.
• Speech and data channels (16kbit/s)
• Ater interface links carry up to:
– 120 communications(E1), 4*30
– 92 communications(T1).
• The 64 kbit/s speech rate adjustment and the 64 kbit/s data rate
adaptation are performed at the TCU.
Presentation of the A interface
Signaling Protocol Model
Presentation on the A-Interface
BSSMAP - deals with procedures that take place logically between the BSS and
MSC, examples:
DTAP - deals with procedures that take place logically between the MS and
MSC. The BSS does not interpret the DTAP information, it simply repackages it
and sends it to the MS over the Um Interface. examples:
CM CM M
A
MM MM P
BTS BSC
O BSSAP T
R O BSSAP
A R D B C
R A S DTAP/
M R T S A
M A M BSSMAP
A P
P P
L L SCCP SCCP SCCP
A A
P MTP3 MTP3 MTP3
P
D D MTP2 MTP2 MTP2
MTP1
Um A bis A
Interface Interface Interface
MS BSC MSC
PD=RR
PD=MM
TI=a
TI=b
PD=CC
Link: SAPI=0 DLCI: SAPI=0
TI=A
Link: SAPI=3 DLCI: SAPI=3
Channel=C1 Channel ID = N1 DTAP
PD: protocol discriminator
SCCP Ref=R1 TI: Transaction Identifier for
RIL3-CC protocol
DLCI: Data Link connection
Identifier
SAPI: Service Access Point
Identifier on the radio
Interface
Channel=C2 Channel ID = N1 SCCP Ref=R2 TEI: Terminal Equipment
Identifier on the Abis I/F
TRX:TEI=T1