Channelization

Frequency band has several application

segments
Certain blocks of the Band are reserved
for certain applications by regulating
authorities
Technologies have decided their
frequency bands
E.g. AMPS/DAMPS: 824-894 MHz
 Channelization methods

Channelization can be done primarily by

three methods:

FDMA (Frequency Division Multiple Access)

TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access)

CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access)
Power FDMA
Time

Frequency
E.g. AMPS band is divided into 30 KHz
channels (1666 Freq. channels)
Television Channels (Star, Zee, Sony,..)
Power
TDMA
Time

Frequency

E.g. AMPS has 3 timeslots on each 30

KHz channel
 CDMA

Frequency channel is divided into code

channels
E.g. in IS-95 CDMA, 1.25 MHz channel is
divided into 64 Code Channels
Each user has a particular code
Codes are orthogonal to each other, do
not interfere with each other
 Duplex Access Methods
Amplitude
Time

Tx Rx

F1 F2 Frequency
Frequency Division Duplex (FDD)
Transmit on one frequency and receive on
another frequency
AmplitudeTime Division Duplex
Time

Rx
Tx
F1 Frequency
Time division duplex
Tx and Rx is on the same frequency but
on different times
 GSM Air Interface
Separate Bands for Uplink and Downlink

Downlink: 935-960Mhz (EGSM: 925-960MHz)

Uplink: 890-915 MHz (EGSM: 880-915 MHz)

TDMA and TDMA Multiplex


124 Frequency Channels (ARFCN) for GSM900

1 to 124 fro current band

975 to 1023 for E-GSM

200kHz Channels

8 Mobiles share ARFCN by TDMA
 The GSM Burst
Control Control
Tail Bits Tail Bits
Bit Bit

3 57 1 26 1 57 3 8.25
Data Midamble Data Guard
Period
 Speech Coder
20 ms blocks RPE/LTP coder (Regular
Pulse excitation/Long
Speech Coder term Prediction)
Converts 64 kbps speech
to 13 kbps
Bits Ordered At the end we get 13kbps
speech i.e. 260 bits in 20
ms

50 very 132 78 other

important important bits
bits bits
 Error Correction
Type 1a 50 3(CRC) Type 1b 132 Type II 78

Reordering
Type 1b Type 1b Tail
25 66 3 66 25 4 Type II 78
Type 1a Type 1a
Half rate convolutional code

378 Type II 78

456 bits from 20 ms of speech

 Diagonal Interleaving
456 bits from 20ms of speech 456 bits from 20ms of speech

57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57

57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57

Traffic channel (TCH) bursts carry two 57 bit

blocks (114)
Each 120 ms of speech = 456*6 = 2736 bits
2736/114 = 24 bursts i.3. 24 frames
Multiframe has 26 frames in 120ms.
There are 2 spare frames .. 1 SACCH, 1 Idle
 Convolutional Coding and
Interleaving
Bits to be Tx ed: HELLO
Convolutionally encoded: HHEELLLLOO
Interleaved: EE HH LL LL OO

Bits Rx ed: EE HH LL LL OO
De-Interleaved: HHEELLLLOO
Viterbi Decoded: HELLO
 Speech Coding Process
456 bits
20 ms
Transceiver (BTS)
Speech Coder
13 kbps
260 bits
260 bits 13 kbps
Transcoder Handler
50 1a 132 1b 78 II 16 kbps
260 + 60 = 320 bits
Channel Coder TRAU frame

456 bits 22.8 kbps Abis

 TRAU frame
260 bits info + 60 TRAU bits = 320
bits/20ms = TRAU frame
60 bits contain frame Information data
which indicates speech, data, O&M, full
rate/half rate
60 bits = 35 synchronization + 21 control +
4 timing
 Midamble or Training Bits
Control Bit Control Bit
Tail Bits Tail Bits

3 57 1 26 1 57 3 8.25
Data Midamble Data Guard
Period
8 midamble patterns (Colour codes) of 26 bits (BSIC)
RACH and SCH have longer 41 and 64 bit Midambles
Equalizer estimates channel impulse response from
midamble
Mathematically construct inverse filter
Uses inverse to decode bits
 Bit Interleave
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 ………………..456

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
.
.
57 bits

.
.
.
449 456
 Bit Interleave
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 ………………..456

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
.
.
57 bits

.
.
.
449 456
TB Encrypted bits
Burst Interleave
Training Sequence Encrypted bits TB GP
3 57 26 57 3

TB Encrypted bits Training Sequence Encrypted bits TB GP

3 57 26 57 3

TB Encrypted bits Training Sequence Encrypted bits TB GP

3 57 26 57 3

TB Encrypted bits Training Sequence Encrypted bits TB GP

3 57 26 57 3

TB Encrypted bits Training Sequence Encrypted bits TB GP

3 57 26 57 3

TB Encrypted bits Training Sequence Encrypted bits TB GP

3 57 26 57 3

TB Encrypted bits Training Sequence Encrypted bits TB GP

3 57 26 57 3

TB Encrypted bits Training Sequence Encrypted bits TB GP

3 57 26 57 3

TB Encrypted bits Training Sequence Encrypted bits TB GP

3 57 26 57 3
 Downlink and Uplink

Uplink lags downlink by 3 timeslots

Uplink and downlink use same timeslot
number
Uplink and downlink use same channel
number (ARFCN)
Uplink and downlink use different bands
(45 MHz apart for GSM 900)
 Measurements made by MS and
BTS
Uplink RXLEV (-48 to -110 dbm)
Uplink RXQUAL (0-7)

Uplink RXLEV (-48 to -110 dbm)

Uplink RXQUAL (0-7)
RxQual
0 < 0.2% 1 0.2 – 0.4 %
3 0.4 – 0.8 % 4 0.8 – 0.16 %
5 1.6 – 3.2 % 6 3.2 – 6.4 %
7 6.4 – 12.8 %
 Mobile Power Control
Path Loss

Power Command

Mobile is commanded to change its

Transmit Power
Change in Power is proportionate to the
Path Loss
Change in Power is done in steps of 2 dbs
 Timing Advance

TDMA approach requires signals to arrive

at BTS at the correct time
A mobile at 30 km will be late by 100micro
seconds
Timing advance is in the range of 0-62
One unit is 550m
So maximum cell size is 63*0.55 = ~35
kms
Concepts of Channels in GSM
A company vehicle is used for several purposes
in a day
Similarly in GSM, the timeslots are used for
different purposes at different times
 Frames and Multiframes
Control Channel Traffic Channel
Multiframe Multiframe
0 50 0 25

4.615 ms

Frame 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Time
3 Data 1 Midamble 1 Data 3 8.25 bits
Slot
156.25 bits 576.92 micro sec
 Channels in GSM Air
interface

Logical Channels : ARFCN –x, Timeslot –

y, Frame Number - N

Logical Channels

Control Channels Traffic Channels

 Control Channels

Control Channels

BCH – Broadcast CCCH – Common DCCH – Dedicated

Control Channel control Channels control Channels

FCH PCH SDCCH

SCH AGCH SACCH

BCCH RACH FACCH

Traffic Channels

Traffic Channels

TCH - F

TCH - H
 BCH (Broadcast Channel)
One ARFCN, On all the time, in every cell
Uses Timeslot 0 on a channel, in Downlink
FCH – Frequency correction channl (allows
mobile to tune to BTS frequency. This channel
carries a 142 bit zero sequence and repeats
once in every 10 frames on BCH)
SCH – Synchronization channel (carries the
Frame number and BSIC). A midamble of 64 bit
helps mobiles to synchronize. It also repeats
once in 10 Frames
 BCH (Broadcast Channel)
BCCH – Broadcast Control CHannel. It
has information encoded on it which
identifies the network (LAC). It also carries
list of the channels in use in the cell (CA
tables)
 Common Control Channel
CCCH shares Timeslot 0 with BCH on a
Multiframe
CCCH consists of PCH, RACH and AGCH
PCH – Paging channel is used to alert mobiles
on incoming calls. PCH carries IMSI to page for
Mobiles in the cell. PCH is Downlink channel.
RACH – Random Access Channel is a short
burst sent by mobile to BTS, to initiate a call
request. RACH uses timeslot 0 on reverse BCH
channel on uplink
 RACH – Random Access
Channel
8 41 36 3 68.25
start Synchronization Encrypted stop Extended
bits bits bits bits Guard Period
88 bits
Used by mobile to get attention from Base
Station
Several mobiles might originate RACH
simultaneously
Mobile doesn’t know path delay

So RACH has to be a special short burst

Mobile sends normal burst after getting timing
advance on downlink SACCH
 DCCH – Dedicated Control
Channels
SDCCH – Standalone Dedicated Common
Control Channel. It is used as a interim channel
before final assignment of TCH. SDCCH is
used for signaling and Authentication message
transfers.
It can be called the stepping stone between
BSC and TCH
The SDCCH, by using less of the cells resource
of physical channels, improves efficiency, and
provides a useful holding channel for the mobile
until speech data needs to be exchanged.
Dedicated Control Channels
(cont..)

FACCH – Fast Associated Control

Channel
Interrupts TCH on uplink and downlink
Rapid message exchange for handovers
Control bits on either side of midamble – 0
indicates TCH and 1 indicates FACCH
Bothways – uplink and downlink
 SACCH – Slow associated
Control Channel
Downlink (BTS – MS)

Mobile Tx Power Commands

Mobile Timing Advance

Cell’s Channel Configuration
Uplink (MS - BTS)

Received signal quality report (RXQual)

Received signal level report (RXLev)

Adjacent BCH power measurement
GSM and GPRS Multiframe
G S M S ig n a llin g tim e s lo t G S M T r a ffic T S G P R S tr a ffic T S
T D M A fra m e
T S 0 T S 1 T S 2 T S 3 T S 4 T S 5 T S 6 T S 7
0 F C C H T C H
1 S C H T C H
2 B C C H T C H R a d io B lo c k 0
3 B C C H T C H
4 B C C H T C H
5 B C C H T C H
6 P C H + A G C H T C H R a d io b lo c k 1
7 P C H + A G C H T C H
8 P C H + A G C H T C H
9 P C H + A G C H T C H
1 0 F C C H T C H R a d io B lo c k 2
1 1 S C H T C H
1 2 P C H + A G C H S A C C H P T C C H
1 3 P C H + A G C H T C H
1 4 P C H + A G C H T C H
1 5 P C H + A G C H T C H R a d io B lo c k 3
1 6 P C H + A G C H T C H
1 7 P C H + A G C H T C H
1 8 P C H + A G C H T C H
1 9 P C H + A G C H T C H R a d io B lo c k 4
2 0 F C C H T C H
2 1 S C H T C H
2 2 P C H + A G C H T C H
2 3 P C H + A G C H T C H R a d io B lo c k 5
2 4 P C H + A G C H T C H
2 5 P C H + A G C H ID L E ID L E
2 6 P C H + A G C H
2 7 P C H + A G C H
2 8 P C H + A G C H R a d io B lo c k 6
2 9 P C H + A G C H
3 0 F C C H
3 1 S C H
3 2 P C H + A G C H R a d io B lo c k 7
3 3 P C H + A G C H
3 4 P C H + A G C H
3 5 P C H + A G C H
3 6 P C H + A G C H R a d io B lo c k 8
3 7 P C H + A G C H
3 8 P C H + A G C H P T C C H
3 9 P C H + A G C H
4 0 F C C H
4 1 S C H R a d io B lo c k 9
4 2 P C H + A G C H
4 3 P C H + A G C H
4 4 P C H + A G C H
4 5 P C H + A G C H R a d io B lo c k 1 0
4 6 P C H + A G C H
4 7 P C H + A G C H
4 8 P C H + A G C H
4 9 P C H + A G C H R a d io B lo c k 1 1
5 0 ID L E
5 1 ID L E
 Common Channel Downlink
0 1 23 Frame Numbers 25
0F SBBBBAAAAF SPPPPPPPP F SDDDD
Time 1
Slots 2
3
26 50
0DDDDF SDDDDDDDDF SHHHHHHHHH I
1
2
3

F – FCH S – SCH B – BCCH A – AGCH

P – PCH D – SDCCH H – SACCH
 Common Channel Uplink
0 1 23 Frame Numbers 25
0DDDDRRAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRR
Time 1
Slots 2
3
26 50
0RRRRRRRRRRRDDDDDDDDRRDDDD I
1
2
3

R – RACH D- SDCCH A- SACCH

 TCH – Traffic Channel
3 Data 1 Midamble 1 Data 3 8.25 bits

Traffic Channel carries the voice data

Two blocks of 57 bits contain voice data
One TCH is allocated for every active call.
While call is in progress if there is degradation
in quality of current channel, BTS may shift the
communication to another TCH on a different
Carrier and/or Timeslot
A full rate TCH carries 13 kbps voice data, and
Half rate TCH carries a 6.5 kbps voice data
 TCH Multiframe

0 1 23 Frame Numbers 25
TTTTTTTTTTTTATTTTTTTTTTTT -

26 Frames – 120 ms
24 carry speech, 1 idle, 1 SACCH
 Framing Structure
1 Frame = 8 bursts = 8*0.57692=4.616 ms
1 Control Ch. Multiframe = 51 TF = 234.6 ms
1 TCH Multiframe = 26 TF = 120 ms
1 Superframe = 51 * 26 CCH MF = 1326 TF =
6.12 sec
1 Superframe = 26 * 51 TCH MF = 1326 TF =
6.12 sec
1 Hyperframe = 2048 superframes = 2715648
TDMA frames = 3 hrs. 28 mins. 760 ms.
 Framing Structure

Multiframe is used for distribution of logical

channels
Superframe is used for Mobile
synchronization
Hyperframe is used for Signalling
procedures and Ciphering
 Mobile Maximum Range

Range = (Timing advance * bit period *

velocity) / 2

Range = (63 * (3.693 * 10e-6) * (3 * 10e5))

/2
So range is 34.9 Kms.