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Cellular Concepts (Contd)

Interference is a major limiting factor in cellular performance. There are two main types of interference: co-channel and adjacent channel. Techniques like cell splitting, sectoring, and microcell zoning are used to improve coverage and capacity by reducing interference.

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19 views16 pages

Cellular Concepts (Contd)

Interference is a major limiting factor in cellular performance. There are two main types of interference: co-channel and adjacent channel. Techniques like cell splitting, sectoring, and microcell zoning are used to improve coverage and capacity by reducing interference.

Uploaded by

sophiamusa16
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Cellular concepts (2)

Danson Njue
Interference
• Interference is major limiting factor in the
performance of cellular radio. It limits the
capacity and increases the number of dropped
calls.
Sources of interference in mobile cellular
systems;-
– Another mobile in same cell
– A call in progress in a neighbouring cell
– Other BSs operating in the same frequency band
Effects of Interference
• Interference in voice channels causes;-
– Crosstalk
– Noise in background
• Interference in control channels causes;-
– Error in digital signalling, which may result in;-
• Missed calls
• Blocked calls
• Dropped calls
Causes in interference
• Two major types of Interferences
– Co-channel Interference (CCI)
– Adjacent channel Interference (ACI)
• CCI is caused due to the cells that reuse the
same frequency set. These cells using the
same frequency set are called Co-channel cells
• ACI is caused due to the signals that are
adjacent in frequency
Co-channel Interference
• An increase in the transmit power of a BS to improve
radio signal reception has other effects;-
– Increase interference into other co-channel cells by the
same amount
– As such, there will be no net improvement in the system
performance
• If co-channel cells are separated by some minimum
distance to provide sufficient isolation from
propagation of radio signals, then;-
– The co-channel interference will be independent of the
transmit powers, if all cell are of the same sizes, same
transmit powers, and have the similar coverage patterns
Co-channel Interference
• Co-channel interference in mobile cellular systems depends on:
– R : cell radius
– D : distance to the base station of the nearest co-channel cell where
– N: Cluster size
D=R(√3N)
• If D/R increases, then the spatial separation relative to cell coverage area
increases as well, which results to improved isolation from co-channel RF energy
• Let Q = D / R => Co-channel reuse ratio
For hexagonal cells, Q = D/R = √3N
• This implies that smaller values of Q provides larger capacity , but higher
co-channel interference

• Therefore, there is always a trade-off between the system capacity and


interference.
• Small Q → small cluster size → more frequency reuse → larger system capacity
• Small Q → small cell separation → increased C0-channel interference (CCI)
Adjacent Channel Interference (ACI)
• Results from imperfect receiver filters, allowing nearby frequencies
to leak into pass-band.
• Can be minimized by careful filtering and channel assignments.
• Channels are assigned such that frequency separations between
channels are maximized.
• For example, by sequentially assigning adjacent bands to different
cells
• A cellular system is assigned a total of 832 channels, divided into
two groups with 416 channels each (duplex channels).
• Out of 416, 395 are voice and 21 are control channels.
• 395 channels are divided into 21 subsets, each containing almost 19
channels
• If N=7 is used, each cell uses 3 subsets (about 56 channels),
assigned in such a way that each channel in a cell is 7 channels
away. Also, it means that each cell can support 56 simultaneous
calls at a time.
• However, with multiplexing techniques, the number of
simultaneous calls per cell increases tremendously. For instance, in
TDMA, the number of calls per cell can be 3 times (168)
Improving Coverage and Capacity in
Cellular Systems
• As demand for service increases, system designers have to provide more
channel per unit coverage area

• Common Techniques are:


– Cell Splitting
– Sectoring
– Microcell Zoning

• Cell Splitting increases the number of BS deployed and allows an orderly


growth of the cellular system

• Sectoring uses directional antennas to further control interference

• Micro cell Zoning distributes the coverage of cell and extends the cell
boundary to hard-to-reach areas
Cell splitting(1)
• Cell splitting is the process of subdividing a congested cell into smaller cells
– with their own BS
– a corresponding reduction in antenna height
– a corresponding reduction in transmit power

• Cell splitting is used in an already functioning network where network


expansion is required in certain regions as opposed to the entire network
• A cell (or multiple cells) can be split into smaller cells and frequencies are
redistributed in a way that does not cause additional interference
• Splitting the cell reduces the cell size and hence more number of cells have
to be used
• For the new cells to be smaller in size, the transmit power of these cells
must be reduced.
• Therefore, the idea is to keep Q=D/R constant while decreasing R

• More number of cells ► more number of clusters ► more channels ►high


capacity
Cell splitting(2)

Original cell that has Cell A has been


reached its capacity split into 3
smaller cells
Cell splitting(3)
• After cell splitting, the new small cells are reassigned new frequencies that
do not cause co-channel interference with adjacent cells

• The power transmitted in the small cells is reduced compared to the


power transmitted in the large cells as it would require much less power to
cover the cell compared to the large cells

• The power is reduced by a factor of;

n = path loss exponent

Advantages of cell splitting;


• Increased system capacity
• Reduced transmitted power which increases battery life of mobile phones
Disadvantages;
• Requires the construction of new network towers which can be costly
Sectoring(1)
• Involves the dividing of a cell into sectors and using 3 or 6
directional antennas to provide coverage to a sector of the
hexagon
• When 3 directional antennas are used, 120° sectoring is
achieved (each antenna covers 120°), and when 6
directional antennas are used, 60° sectoring is achieved
(each antenna covers 60°).
• In this approach;-
– The signal-to-interference-ratio (SIR) of the system is improved
using directional antennas
– capacity improvement is achieved by reducing the number of
cells in a cluster thus increasing frequency reuse
– Co-channel interference (CCI) is decreased by replacing the single
omni-directional antenna by several directional antennas, each
radiating within a specified sector
Sectoring(2)

• Sectoring increases the number of antennas at each BS

• Decrease in trunking efficiency due to sectoring(dividing the bigger pool of channels


into smaller groups)

• Increase number of handoffs(sector-to sector)

• Network capacity is increased by reducing the number of interfering co-channel cells


in the system
Microcell zoning(1)
• Microcell Zoning involves the dividing of a cell
conceptually into microcells or zones
• Each microcell(zone) is connected to the same base
station(fiber/microwave link) hence no need for a new
BS as is the case with sectoring
• Each zone uses a directional antenna
• Each zone radiates power into the cell.
• MS is served by strongest zone
• As mobile travels from one zone to another, it retains
the same channel, i.e. no handover. The BS simply
switches the channel to the next zone site
Microcell zoning(2)
Advantages of microcell zoning
• Reduced Interference (Zone radius is small, therefore small and
directional antennas are used).

• It reduces co-channel interference (CCI) hence improving the


signal quality and capacity.

• No loss in trunking efficiency (all channels are used by all cells).

• No extra handover.

• Increase in capacity (since smaller cluster size can be used).


Repeaters (for Range Extension)
• Useful for hard to reach areas;-
– Buildings
– Tunnels
– Valleys
• Repeaters are basically radio transmitters that can be
used to provide coverage in these areas
• Repeaters are bi-directional and receive signals from
the BS
• They amplify the signals and retransmit
• Received noise and interference is also retransmitted

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