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RF Configuration Parameters
 Agenda 3

 Frequency Planning
 Sync signal and PCI planning
 Reference signal planning
 TA planning
 RA preamble planning
 PCI and RACH planning exercises
 Received sensitivity vs. 2G/3G (band 3)
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Frequency planning
Frequency Band Issues
5
Variable band Deployment 6
Frequency Reuse Mode
7
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Intra Frequency networking

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Inter Frequency networking

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Intra Frequency Networking with ICIC

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Sync Signal and Planning

 Cell Search
12

 Read System Info & RS

• timing
• sequence
• frequency shift
 Physical-Layer Cell Identity (PCI)
13

 PSS signal
• 3 different sequences called Physical-Layer Identities (0-2)

 SSS signal
• 168 different sequences called Physical-Layer Cell-Identity groups (0-167)

 168 Physical-Layer Cell-Identity groups with 3 Physical-Layer Identities per group

• 168 ´ 3 = 504 Physical-Layer Cell Identities
 PSS and SSS Combinations
14

 For each cell, PCIi = 3Sj + Pk

• i = 0 … 503
• j = 0 … 167group
• k = 0 … 2 ID
 The sequence for the SSS signal is generated as follows:
• m0 = m’ mod 31
• m1 = [m0+INT(m’/31)+1] mod 31
• m’ = S j +q(q+1)/2
• q = INT((Sj+q’(q’+1)/2)/30); q’ = INT(Sj/30)
 Simulations hint that the following combinations at adjacent cells will give bad performance, i.e. long
synchronization times and high interference:
• Same ID, i.e. same k
• Same m0
• Same m1
 For example, PCIi = 0 ⇒ PCIi = 3, 6, … 498, 501 and 1, 2, 90, 91, 92, 177, 178, 179, 261, 262, 263, 342, 343, 344,
420, 421, 422, 495, 496, 497 are not optimal combinations for adjacent cells
 This is valid for the case when cells are synchronized
 Cell Specific Frequency Shift
15

 There are six possible frequency shifts of RSs

 The frequency shift is given by vshift,i = PCIi mod 6

 Different vshift,i should be used in adjacent cells

 However, if applying the rule that k should be different in adjacent cells, this will also lead to different vshift,i in
adjacent
 PCI Planning
16

There are two main strategy options:

 Neighboring sites are grouped into clusters, and each cluster is assigned a limited number of Code Groups. Each
site is assigned a specific Code Group and each sector a specific Color Group

 Random planning i.e. PCI plan that does not consider PCI grouping and does not follow any specific reuse pattern

The first strategy option is recommended to use in order to avoid non-optimal PCI combinations for adjacent cells
 PCI Planning
17

 Color/Code groups

 PCIs should be split into 3 different color groups and 168 code groups

 Code groups should be reserved for special purposes, e.g. inbuilding and PLMN borders or for future expansions

 If a color group is assigned per sector and a code group is assigned per site, this will eliminate the risk of having
the same k or frequency shift in the same site, in adjacent cells or pointing at each other
 PCI Planning
18

 Site Clusters

 Typically 10-15 3-sector sites in a cluster

 Use a subset of the code groups in each cluster
 If there are ~70 code groups available, PCIs may be repeated every fifth or sixth cluster
 Structured planning like this eliminates the risk of having conflicting k or frequency shift in the same site, in adjacent
cells or pointing at each other
 Also the risk of having conflicting SSS sequences in adjacent cells is reduced – although this may appear at cluster
borders
 Cluster
19

 Irregular pattern for site-to-site distances and sector angles

 3-sector sites, 6-sector sites and Omni sites may be mixed in same area

⇒ It may not be possible to follow a strict planning pattern

⇒ Priority orders need to be followed
 PCI Planning
20

 Priority Orders

When planning PCI’s the following priority orders are recommended:

1. The same PCI’s should be avoided within the same site and as neighbors

2. PCI’s with conflicting k values should be avoided within the same site and as neighbors

3. PCI’s with conflicting m0 and m1 values should be avoided within the same site and as neighbors

Reasons for not following these rules strictly:

 Will not work in an irregular pattern (see previous slide)
 Will cause a lot of limitations on neighbors and neighbor lists have to be shortened
 21

PCI Planning Recommendations

• In priority order, number 1 most important (all four should be
fulfilled, ideally)

1. Avoid assigning the same PCI to neighbour cells

2. Avoid assigning the same mod3 (PCI) to ‘neighbour’ cells

3. Avoid assigning the same mod6(PCI) to ‘neighbour’ cells

4. Avoid assigning the same mod30 (PCI) to ‘neighbour’ cells

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Reference signal planning

Reference signal 23
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PCI Mod3-RS shift among neighbor cells

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PCI Mod6-RS shift Among Neighbor Cells

Resource element
allocation to the
Reference Signal
TA Planning
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Tracking Areas

• A Tracking Area corresponds to the Routing Area (RA) used in WCDMA and GSM/GPRS.
• The TA consists of a cluster of RBSs having the same Tracking Area Code (TAC).
• The TA provides a way to track UE location in idle mode. TA information is used by the MME when paging idle
UE to notify them of incoming data connections.

RBS - Radio Base Stations

 Tracking Area Lists
28

• In LTE, the MME provides the UE with a list of tracking areas where the UE registration is valid. When the
MME pages a UE, a paging message is sent to all RBSs in the TA list.

RBS - Radio Base Stations

 Tracking Area Lists
29

 The MME sends the TA list to the UE during the TA update procedure.

 TA updates occur periodically, and when a UE enters a cell with a TAC not in the current TA list.

 The TA list makes it possible to avoid frequent TA updates due to ping-pong effects along TA borders. This is
achieved by including the old TA in the new TA list received at TA update.

 Previously, the MME includes only the current TA in the TA list. But now the operator can specify up to 15 TAs
for each TA to include in the TA list. With the exception of the TAs specified by the operator, the MME
automatically includes the old TA in the TA list to avoid ping-pong updates.
 Concept of TA planning 30

• TAs and TA lists should be planned so that areas with frequent TA update signalling are located in low traffic
areas. This makes it easier for the RBS to cope with the additional signalling caused by the TA update procedure.
• TAs and TA lists should be planned so that the need for TA updates is minimized. This is accomplished by
considering how users travel within the network. Busy roads, railways, and so on, should cross as few TA list
borders as possible
TA Planning 31
Steps of TA Planning
32
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Steps of TA Planning
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TA Lists with Multiple TAs

• With new releases of MME, up to 16 TAs per TA list will be supported.

• For every TA, the operator can specify a list of up to 15 TAs to include and the MME always adds the old TA to
the list to reduce the risk of ping-pong updates.
• In case TA lists with multiple TAs are employed, the average number of RBSs per TA (NRbs,TA) calculated as:
NRbs,TA = NRbs,TA List / NTA,TA List
Where,
NRbs,TA List = number of RBSs to include per TA list (from dimensioning)
NTA,TA List = = number of TAs in the TA list.

• The minimum value to use for NTA,TA List is equal to 2 . This is due to the fact that the MME always adds the
current TA as well as the old TA to the list.
PRACH Planning
 PRACH Planning Principle
36

In LTE it is necessary the radio planner to selects the preamble format for each cell based on maximum estimated cell range.
Typical preamble format will be ‘Preamble Format 0’, allowing for cell sizes up to 15km. Other preamble formats allow for larger
cell ranges.

PRACH parameters should be planned. PRACH transmission can be separated by:

Time (prachConfIndex) specifies in which subframes the RA can occur

PRACH Configuration Index cannot be the same for different cells at the eNB

Frequency (prachFreqOff) avoid overlapping with PUCCH and PUSCH or splitting the PUSCH area. PRACH area is next to PUCCH
area either at upper or lower border of frequency band,

For simplicity use same configuration for all cells

Sequence (PRACH CS and RootSeqIndex) the cyclic shift ensures sufficient separation between the preambles

Use different sequences for all neighbour cells

 PRACH Configuration Index (1)
37

• The PRACH Configuration

• Chosen after selecting the Preamble

format
• The PRACH capacity is determined by the
SFN and subframe figures

• In the case of FDD, the PRACH cannot be

multiplexed in the frequency domain, i.e.
only 1 PRACH resource per subframe

Recommendation:
Configure different PRACHconfiguration
Indexes at cells belonging to the same site.
E.g.: 3/4/5 if RACH density=1 or 6/7/8 if
RACH density=2 (Preamble Format 0)
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Frequency Offset (1)

– Defines the position of the PRACH preamble within the PUCCH

channel bandwidth
– PRACH should be positioned adjacent to the PUCCH

PUCCH
2 ms
PRACH
Resource Block signalled in
SIB2
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PRACH Frequency Offset (2)

• Indicates the first PRB available for PRACH in the UL frequency band
• PRACH area (6 PRBs) should be next to PUCCH area either at upper or lower border of frequency band in
order to maximize the PUSCH area but not overlap with PUCCH area
• Parameter is configured based on the PUCCH region i.e. its value depends on how many PUCCH
resources are available.
• If PRACH area is placed at the lower border of UL frequency band then:

PRACH-Frequency Offset= roundup [PUCCH resources/2]

• If PRACH area is placed at the upper border of the UL frequency band then:

PRACH-Frequency Offset= NRB -6- roundup [PUCCH resources/2]

NRB: Number of Resource Blocks

 40

Root Sequence Index

– The allocated ‘root sequence’ index broadcast in SIB2 is a logical index. The actual physical index is obtained using a
look-up table defined within 3GPP TS 36.211 (part of the table is shown below)
– Each logical rootSeqIndex is associated with a single physical root sequence number.
– The reuse distance of ‘root sequences’ should be maximised
– The eNB could be configured with all cells using the same root sequences, provided the cells use different preamble
configuration indexes.
 PRACH Cyclic Shift for FDD preambles
41

• Cyclic shift is used to assure sufficient separation between the preambles

• The propagation delay and the cyclic separation are directly related to the cell range Recommendation: assume all
cells have same size=> same PrachCS

The table highlights how the intra-cell interference is optimized with respect to cell size: the smaller the cell size, the
larger the number of orthogonal signatures and the better the detection performance.
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Zero Correlation Zone (1)

– Selecting
• Zero Correlation Zone
• High Speed Flag High Speed Flag = FALSE High Speed Flag = TRUE

are prerequisites to planning the ‘Root Sequence Index’

– The Zero Correlation Zone determines the size of the cyclic shift used
to generate the PRACH sequence from the ‘root sequence’

– Large cyclic shift (large Zero Correlation Zone)

required to support larger cell ranges
– Large cyclic shift means that fewer PRACH
sequences can be generated from each ‘root
sequence’
– PRACH sequences generated from different ‘root
sequences’ are not orthogonal
 Zero Correlation Zone (2)
43

– There are 838 ‘root sequences’ from which to generate the PRACH sequences(64)
– Each ‘root sequence’ has a length of 839
– Each cell requires 64 PRACH sequences
– The number of PRACH sequences which can be generated from each ‘root sequence’ is given by:
PRACH Sequences per Root Sequence = ROUNDDOWN(839 / Cyclic Shift)

– The number of root sequences required

per cell is then given by:
ROUNDUP(64 / PRACH Sequences per
Root Sequence)

– This determines the size of the

reuse pattern when planning ‘root
sequences’
 PRACH Planning Wrap Up
44

 Steps:
- Define the prachConfIndex
• Depends on preamble format (cell range)
• It should be different for each cell of a site
- Define the prachFreqOff
• Depends on the PUCCH region
• It can be assumed to be the same for all cells of a network (simplification)
- Define the PrachCS
• Depends on the cell range
• If for simplicity same cell range is assumed for all network then prachCS is the same for all cells
- Define the rootSeqIndex
• It points to the first root sequence
• It needs to be different for neighbour cells
• rootSeqIndex separation between cells depends on how many are necessary per cell (depends on
PrachCS)
 PRACH Planning 45

 Assumptions:
- prachConfIndex=3 for all cells
• preamble format =0
• One PRACH opportunity per 10ms
- prachFreqOff=6 for all cells
• PRACH starts at sixth PRB in frequency domain
- Define the prachCS=8 for all cells
• Max cell range = 5.5km {13,14,15,16}
• Each cell consumes 4 root sequences
eNB #2 {37,38,39,40}

{21,22,23,24} {17,18,19,20} eNB #4

{1,2,3,4}

{45,46,47,48} {41,42,43,44}
eNB #1

{25,26,27,28} {49,50,51,52}

{9,10,11,12} {5,6,7,8}

eNB #3 eNB #5

root sequence indices

used in the cell {53,54,55,56}
{33,34,35,36} {29,30,31,32} {57,58,59,60}
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Exercise

• Plan the PRACH Parameters for the sites attached in

the excel

• Assumptions:
• PUCCH resources =6
• Cell range = 12km (all cells have same range)
• BW:10MHz
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Exercise Solution
 48

Received sensitivity vs 2G/3G(band3)

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LTE Link Budget Comparison

 Example 1- Uplink Budget Comparison 50

The uplink link budget has some differences in comparison to

HSPA: specifically
 smaller interference margin,
 no macro diversity gain (Soft handover gain)
 no fast fading margin.

As can be seen from the table above the link budget was
calculated for 64 kbps uplink, which is cannot be classified as a
high enough data rate for true broadband service. To guarantee
higher data rates for LTE, a low frequency deployment may be
required in addition to additional sites, active antenna solutions
or local area solutions.
 Example 1- Downlink Budget Comparison
51

 The LTE link budget in downlink has several similarities with HSPA
and the maximum path loss is similar. The link budgets show that
LTE can be deployed using existing GSM and HSPA sites assuming
that the same frequency is used for LTE as for GSM and HSPA.

 LTE itself does not provide any major boost in the coverage. That
is because the transmission power levels and the RF noise figures
are also similar in GSM and HSPA technologies, and the link
performance at low data rates is not much different in LTE than in
HSPA.
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