Mobile Computing: Cellular

Communication
Dr. T. Samanta

1
 Agenda
● Cellular network
● Cell structure
● Frequency reuse
● Radio propagation effect
● Mobile wireless arrangement
● Principal components
● Functionality

2
 Communication modes
● Simplex mode
● radio network transmits in one direction only
● Half duplex mode
● it is capable of two way, or bi-directional,
communications
● Full duplex
● simultaneous bi-directional communications

3
 Cellular network design
● Cellular network
● To achieve more users
● To have smaller transivers
● Network organization
● Multiple low-power transmitter
● Area divided into small structure cell
● Each cell is served by its own antenna

4
 Cellular Geometries

d1

d
d

2R

d1 = 1.414 d d = √3 R

5
 Frequency reuse
● Each cell has a base transceiver
● Same frequency used in nearby cells
● Generally 10 to 50 frequencies are assigned to each cell
● Essential issue is to determine intervening cells between two
cells using the same frequency so that the two cells do not
interfere with each other
● In a hexagonal cell pattern,
2 2
I, J = 0, 1, 2, 3 …
N =I +J + (I × J )
● D = minimum distance between centers of cells that use the same band of
frequencies (called cochannels)
● R = radius of a cell
● d = distance between centers of adjacent cells
● N = number of cells in a repetitious pattern called
reuse factor
● Possible values of N are 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, etc and
D/R = √(3N)
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Frequency reuse pattern for N = 4
2
3 1 2
4
4 3
1
1
2
4 3
2
3 1 2
4
4 3
1
2 1
4 3

7
Frequency reuse pattern for N = 7
2

7 3
1
4
2
6
7 3
5 2
2 3 1
7
6
7 4
6 1 5
1 4
6 2
4 2 5 3
7
5 3
1
7
1 6 4

6 4 5 8

5
 Increasing Capacity
● Add new channel
● Cell splitting
● Original cell size 6.5 km to 13 km.
● Smaller cells (1.5 km); less power level, more frequent
handoff
● Cell sectoring
● 3 to 6 sectors per cell
● Each sector is assigned separate subset of the cell’s channel
● Directional antennas are used at the base station
● Microcell

9
An early International Mobile Telecommunication
(IMT-2000) concept diagram from the ITU

10
Typical parameters for Macrocell and Microcell

Macrocell Microcell
Cell radius 1 to 20 km 0.1 to 1 km
Transmission 1 to 10 W 0.1 to 1 W
power
Average 0.1 to 10 µs 10 to 100 ns
delay spread
Maximum bit 0.3 Mbps 1 Mbps
rate

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 Carrier to Interference ratio
● A mobile handset which is moving in a cell will record a signal
strength that varies.
● Signal strength is subject to slow fading, fast fading and
interference from other signals, resulting in degradation of the
carrier-to-interference (C/I) ratio.
● A high C/I ratio yields quality communication.
● A good C/I ratio is achieved in cellular systems by using
optimum power levels through the power control of most links.
● When carrier power is too high, excessive interference is
created, degrading the C/I ratio for other traffic and reducing
the traffic capacity of the radio subsystem.
● When carrier power is too low, C/I is too low and QoS targets
are not met.

12
Multipath Interference

13
 Multipath Propagation
● Reflection
● Reflection from a flat surface that is large relative to the
wavelength of the signal
● Reflected wave is 180 degree out of phase with LOS signal
tending to cancel LOS signal
● Ex: ground reflected wave
● Diffraction
● Occurs from an edge of impenetrable body
● Waves propagate in different direction with the edge as the
source
● Scattering
● For obstacles of the order of wavelength of the signal
● Lamp post, traffic sign

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 Types of Fading
● Fast Fading:
● Signal change occurs over one-half a wavelength
● At a frequency of 900 MHz.(0.33m), rapid change in
amplitude (as much as 20 or 30 dB).
● Slow fading
● Over long distance slow changes in amplitude occurs as
user passes through buildings, heights, vacant places etc.
● Flat fading
● All frequency components fluctuate in same proportion

“Wireless Communications and Networks”, William Stallings

15
 Fading Past Loss
● For urban environment, predicted path loss
is,
LdB = 69.55 + 26.16 f c − 13.82 log h r − A(hr ) + (44.9 − 6.55ht ) log d

● fc carrier frequency in MHz.

● A(hr) correctional factor for mobile
antenna height
● ht height of transmitter antenna
● h r height of receiving antenna

16
 Fading Channels
● AWGN
● Signal degrades by thermal noise associated with the
physical channel
● Also for end users electronic equipment.
● Rayleigh
● Multiple indirect paths between transmitter and receiver
● Suited for outdoor environment
● Rician
● A direct LOS path with number of indirect multipath
between transmitter and receiver
● Best suited for smaller cells in more open environment

17
Mobile Wireless Arrangement
HLR VLR AC EIR

B
S
C M Public Switching
S Telephone Network
C (PSTN)
B
S
2R C

M
HLR VLR AC EIR S
C

18
 Principle components
● Base transceiver station (BTS) or Base station (BS)
● Base station controller (BSC), a mobile unit
● It manages air interface between MS and BS
● Helps in power control (radio resource management)
● Mobile switching center (MSC)
● Responsible for switching calls from cell to cell, providing backup
interfacing with telephone network
● Call management/connection management function (CM)
● BSC, introduced in second generation mobile systems
● Mainly offload functions from MSCs
● Controls BSs
● Handover operation management
● Frequency administration between BSs and MSs

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 Principle components
● Mobile station (MS):
● A mobile unit, transceiver installed in track, car, portable telephone etc
● Subscriber identity module (SIM)
● Identified using International mobile equipment identity (IMEI)

● SIM contains personal identity number (PIN), PIN unblocking

number (PUK), authentication key Ki and the international
mobile subscriber identity (IMSE), temporary MSE (TMSE)

20
 Principle components
● Databases used in all mobile stations
● Home location register (HLR)
● Keeps track of a subscriber location
● Keeps track of subscriber’s accounting information
● Subscribed service provider
● Visitor location register (VLR)
● Keeps track of a visiting subscriber location
● Helps subscriber log on to new location
● Authentication control/access control (AC)
● Contains authentication and encryption information of
each subscriber
● Interacts with HLR, VLR
● Equipment identity register (EIR)
● Contains information of MS equipment

21
Connection Management (CM) operation

Telephone Gateway Termina BS

Network MSC ting
MSC

HLR VLR

VLR

22
Connection Management (CM) operation
2 6 9
Telephone Gateway Termina BS
Network MSC ting
MSC
10 10 10 9
3 5 7 8

HLR VLR
1 10 10
4 5

VLR

23
Mobility Management (MM) operation
4
Previous New BS
MSC MSC

1
4 1 4
5 3
1
Previous VLR HLR VLR
2

24
Thank You!

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