E2-E3

Consumer Mobility
GSM Radio Concept
For BSNL internal circulation only.

WELCOME
This is a presentation for the E2-E3 Consumer
Mobility Module for the Topic: GSM Radio
Concepts
Eligibility: Those who have got the Upgradation
from E2 to E3.
You can also visit the Digital library of BSNL to
see this topic.

For BSNL internal circulation only.

Learning Objective
Define radio concept
Frequency Spectrum for GSM
The Air Interface
Physical Channels- FDMA &
TDMA
Logical Channels
Frames
Network Attachment Procedure

For BSNL internal circulation only.

1. GSM Radio Concept

GSM Radio interface is an important open
interface which facilitates integration of various
mobiles with GSM networks. Coverage in a cell
is provided by means of radio signals
transmitted through BTS.

For BSNL internal circulation only.

GSM Interface
Air interface or U m interface
The Air Interface is the interface between the
BTS (Base Transceiver Station) and the MS
(Mobile Station). The air interface is required for
supporting:
Universal use of any compatible mobile station
in a GSM network
A maximum spectral efficiency

For BSNL internal circulation only.

A bis -interface
The A bis -interface is the interface between the
BSC and the BTS.
The interface comprises traffic and control
channels. Functions implemented at the A bis interfaces are:
Voice-data traffic exchange
Signaling exchange between the BSC and the
BTS
Transporting synchronization information from
the BSC to the BTS

For BSNL internal circulation only.

GSM RADIO INTERFACE

Most Important Interface
Full Compatibility between mobile stations of
various Manufacturers & Networks of different
vendors to help roaming
To increase spectral efficiency
-- Large number of simultaneous calls in a
given bandwidth
-- Frequency Reuse
-- Interference
-- Use of Interference Reduction Techniques
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For BSNL internal circulation only.

GSM

Uplink & Downlink

Frequency Bands
GSM 900 Mhz
DCS 1800 MHz

B
T
S

8
For BSNL internal circulation only.

GSM Specifications
RF Spectrum :
GSM 900
Mobile to BS (UP-LINK)
BS to Mobile (DOWN -LINK)
Bandwidth - 25 MHz
GSM 1800
Mobile to Cell (UP-LINK)
Cell to Mobile (DOWN -LINK)
Bandwidth - 75 MHz

890 to 915 MHz

935 to 960 MHz

1710 to 1785 MHz

1805 to 1880 MHz

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For BSNL internal circulation only.

U m or Air interface
To achieve a high spectral efficiency in the
cellular network a combination of FDMA
(Frequency Division Multiple Access) and TDMA
(Time Division Multiple Access) is used.

For BSNL internal circulation only.

Frequency Division Multiple Access FDMA

It involves the division by frequency of the 25

MHz bandwidth into 124 carrier frequencies
spaced 200 KHz for GSM-900
GSM-1800 the frequency spectrum of the 75
MHz bandwidth is divided into 374 carrier
frequencies spaced 200 KHz.

For BSNL internal circulation only.

Time Division Multiple Access TDMA

To increase the number of channels per carrier

frequency
A carrier frequency channel carries eight timedivision multiplexed signals
A mobile station can transmit speech data only
during its assigned timeslot.

For BSNL internal circulation only.

Physical channel

It is determined by the carrier frequency and the

time slot number

For BSNL internal circulation only.

GSM-900 Specifications
Carrier Separation

200 kHz

Duplex Distance

45 MHz

No. of RF Carriers

124

Access Method

TDMA/FDMA

Modulation Method

GMSK

Transmission Rate

270.833 Kbps

Speech Coding

Full rate 13 Kbps

Half rate 6.5 Kbps
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For BSNL internal circulation only.

GSM-1800 Specifications
Duplex Distance

95 MHz

No. of RF Carriers

374

Access Method

TDMA/FDMA

Modulation Method

GMSK

Transmission Rate

270.833 Kbps

Speech Coding

Full rate 13 Kbps

Half rate 6.5 Kbps

For BSNL internal circulation only.

GSM-- TDMA STRUCTURE

8 Time Slots / RF Channel

TDMA
Time slot duration

0.577m sec or 15 / 26 m sec

Frame
Multi Frame

8 Burst Periods ( Time Slots)

Traffic
Control

Super Frame

26 4.615 = 120 msec

51 4.615 = 235.365 m sec

51 Traffic Multi frames
26 Control Multi frames

Hyper Frame

2048 Super Frames = 3

28 52.76

hr min sec
18
For BSNL internal circulation only.

Logical Channels
Traffic channel
Broadcast channels
Common control channels
Dedicated control channels

For BSNL internal circulation only.

Traffic channels
The traffic channels are used to send speech or
data services. There are two types of traffic
channels. They are distinguished by their
transmission rates
1. TCH/F (Traffic Channel Full rate )
2. TCH/H (Traffic Channel Half rate)

For BSNL internal circulation only.

Broadcast Channels
The information distributed over the broadcast
channels helps the mobile stations to orient
themselves in the mobile radio network.
The broadcast channels are point-to-multipoint
channels which are only defined for the downlink
direction (BTS to the mobile station)

For BSNL internal circulation only.

Types Of Broadcast Channels

BCCH (Broadcast Control Channel)
FCCH (Frequency Correction Channel)
SCH (Synchronization Channel)
CBCH (Cell Broadcast Channel)

For BSNL internal circulation only.

BCCH (Broadcast Control Channel)

Via the BCCH the mobile station is informed
about the system configuration parameters (for
example Local Area Identification, Cell Identity
and Neighbor Cells). Using this information the
mobile stations can choose the best cell to
attach to.
The BCCH is also known as beacon.

For BSNL internal circulation only.

FCCH (Frequency Correction Channel)

To communicate with the BTS the mobile station

must tune to the BTS. The FCC transmits a
constant frequency shift of the radio frequency
carrier that can be used by the mobile station for
frequency correction

For BSNL internal circulation only.

SCH (Synchronization Channel)

The SCH is used to time synchronize the mobile
stations. The data on this channel carries the
TDMA frame number and the BSIC (Base
Station Identity Code).

For BSNL internal circulation only.

CBCH (Cell Broadcast Channel)

The CBCH is used for the transmission of
generally accessible information (Short Message
Service messages) in a cell, which can be polled
by the mobile station.

For BSNL internal circulation only.

Common Control Channel

Common control channels are specified as

point-to-multipoint channels which only operate
in one direction of transmission, either in the
uplink or downlink direction

For BSNL internal circulation only.

Types of Common Control Channel

PCH (Paging Channel)
AGCH (Access Grant Channel)
RACH (Random Access Channel)

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PCH (Paging Channel)

The PCH is used in the downlink direction for

paging the mobile stations

For BSNL internal circulation only.

AGCH (Access Grant Channel)

The AGCH is also used in the downlink direction.
A logical channel for a connection is allocated
via the AGCH if the mobile station has requested
such a Channel via the RACH.

For BSNL internal circulation only.

RACH (Random Access Channel)

The RACH is used in the uplink direction by the

mobile stations for requesting a channel for a
connection. It is an access channel that uses the
slotted Aloha access scheme

For BSNL internal circulation only.

Dedicated Control Channels P-P

Dedicated control channels are full-duplex,

point-to-point Channels. They are used for
signaling between the BTS and a certain mobile
station

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For BSNL internal circulation only.

Types of Dedicated Control Channels

SACCH (Slow Associated Control Channel)

FACCH (Fast Associated Control Channel)
SDCCH (Stand-alone Dedicated Control Channel)

For BSNL internal circulation only.

SACCH (Slow Associated Control Channel)

The SACCH is a duplex Channel which is

always allocated to a TCH or SDCCH.
The
SACCH is used for transmission of signaling
data, radio link supervision measurements,
transmit power control and timing advance data.
Note that the SACCH is only used for non-urgent
procedures.

For BSNL internal circulation only.

FACCH (Fast Associated Control Channel )

The FACCH is used as a main signaling link for

the transmission of signaling data (for example
handover commands). It is also required for
every call set-up and release. During the call the
FACCH data is transmitted over the allocated
TCH instead of traffic data; this is marked by a
flag called a stealing flag. The process of
stealing a TCH for FACCH data is called preemption.

For BSNL internal circulation only.

SDCCH (Stand-alone Dedicated Control

Channel)
The SDCCH is a duplex, point-to-point Channel
which is used for signaling in higher layers. It
carries all signaling between the BTS and the
mobile station when no TCH is allocated. The
SDCCHs are used for service requests (for
example Short Message Service), location
updates, subscriber authentication, ciphering
initiation, equipment validation and assignment
to a TCH. The net SDCCH bit rate is about 0.8
kbit/s.
For BSNL internal circulation only.

Multiplexing Logical Channels onto

Physical Channels

Several of the above-mentioned types of logical

channels can be transmitted over one single
physical channel (timeslot).

For BSNL internal circulation only.

Channel Combination
1.TCH/F + FACCH/F + SACCH/F
2. TCH/H + FACCH/H + SACCH/H
3. (TCH/F + FACCH/F + SACCH/F) or (TCH/H +
FACCH/H + SACCH/H)
4. FCCH + SCH + CCCH + BCCH
5. FCCH + SCH + CCCH + BCCH + SDCCH/4 +
SACCH/4
6. CCCH + BCCH
7. SDCCH/8 + SACCH/8

For BSNL internal circulation only.

The CCCH is a channel that carries both the

PCH and the AGCH on the downlink, and the
RACH on the uplink.
The extensions /4 and /8 mean, respectively,
that four and eight logical channels are mapped
onto one physical channel (timeslot).
Note that the BCCH is always transmitted in
timeslot 0 on the first defined frequency.
The logical channels FCCH, SCH, BCCH and
CCCH are transmitted on the downlink in
timeslot 0.

For BSNL internal circulation only.

Frame Types on the Um interface

TDMA frame
A TDMA frame consists of eight timeslots
(physical channels). The length of a timeslot is
0.577 ms. The length of a TDMA frame is
therefore 4.62 ms.
Data on a timeslot is transmitted in bursts, the
length of a timeslot is often expressed in BP
(Burst Period); 1 BP represents the length of 1
timeslot.

For BSNL internal circulation only.

26-TDMA multiframe
This multiframe is defined as a succession of 26
TDMA frames, and corresponds to the 26 x 8 BP
or 120 ms cycle
51-TDMA multiframe
This multiframe is defined as a succession of 51
TDMA frames, and corresponds to the 51 x 8 BP
cycle

For BSNL internal circulation only.

Super frame
The superframe is a succession of 51 x 26 TDMA
frames (6.12 sec), and corresponds to the smallest
cycle for which the organization of all channels is
repeated.
Hyper frame
The hyper frame is the numbering period. It is 2048 x
51 x 26 x 8 BP long, or 3 hours, 28 minutes, 53
seconds and 760 milliseconds. It is a multiple of all
previously cited cycles, and determines all the cycles
in the transmission of the radio path. It is in particular
the smallest cycle for frequency hopping and for
ciphering.
For BSNL internal circulation only.

OPERATIONAL CONCEPTS
IDLE MODE

ACCESS PROCDURE DEDICATED MODE

IDLE MODE

----FCCH
---- SCH
----BCCH

MS O/G Call

----RACH
----AGCH
----SDCCH
----TCH

MS I/C Call

----PCH
----RACH
----AGCH
----SDCCH
----TCH
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For BSNL internal circulation only.

Network Attachment Process:

Network attachment is the process of selecting
an appropriate cell (radio frequency) by the
mobile station to make its location known to the
network.
The process starts when the mobile is switched
on, and ends when the mobile station enter the
idle mode. In idle mode the mobile station does
not have a traffic channel allocated to make or
receive a call, but the Public Land Mobile
Network (PLMN) is aware of the existence of the
mobile station within the chosen cell

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For BSNL internal circulation only.

The network attachment process

It consists of the following three tasks

Cell Identification
PLMN Selection
Cell selection

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For BSNL internal circulation only.

Cell Identification
When Mobile Station is switched on, it attempts
to make contact with a GSM PLMN by
performing following actions.
Measure the BCCH channel.
Search for a suitable cell.
The Mobile Station measure the signal strength
of the BCCH (Broadcast Control Channel)
Channels received. It stores a list information
about 30 of these BCCH channels, such as
signal
strength
and
the
frequency
corresponding.

For BSNL internal circulation only.

PLMN Selection
Automatic mode
In automatic mode, the station will choose which PLMNs to try
by itself. The automatic mode is based on the existence of the
preferred list, which is stored in a non-volatile memory in the
SIM. This list includes a number of PLMN identities in order of
preference and is under control of the user. The most preferred
is usually the home PLMN. The list is filled in by the user
through a mechanism to be specified by the mobile station
manufacturer. The automatic mode is normally used when the
mobile station operates on its home PLMN (that is the PLMN
the mobile station is subscribed to).
Manual mode
In manual mode, the user is presented a list containing all
found PLMNs. The user chooses one of the PLMNs from the
list.
For BSNL internal circulation only.

Cell selection
The mobile station attempts to find a suitable cell by
passing through the list in descending order of received
signal strength; the first BCCH Channel which satisfies a
set of requirements. The requirement that a cell must
satisfy before a mobile station can be provide service
from it, are:
It should be a cell of the selected PLMN.
The mobile station checks whether the cell is part of the
selected PLMN.
It should not be barred.
The PLMN operator may decide not to allow mobile
stations to access certain cells. These cells may, for
example, only be used for handover traffic. Barred cell
information is broadcast on the BCCH to instruct mobile
stations not to access these cells.
For BSNL internal circulation only.

For BSNL internal circulation only.