Unit IV

First and Second

Generation Mobile
Systems

1
Unit IV: First and Second Generation
Mobile Systems
First Generation Cellular Systems, AMPS,
GSM Cellular Telephony: Introduction,
Basic GSM Architecture,
Basic radio transmission parameters in GSM system,
Logical Channels, GSM time hierarchy,
GSM burst structure,
Description of call setup procedure,
Handover, Modifications and derivatives of GSM.
2
Example of a Cellular Wireless Network

3
Background and Goals
GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications)
Beginning from 1982
European standard
Full roaming in Europe
A purely digital system
Goals:
full international roaming
provision for national variations in charging and rates
efficient interoperation with ISDN systems

4
Background and Goals
Signal quality better than or equal to that of existing mobile
systems
traffic capacity higher than or equal to that of present systems
lower cost than existing systems
accommodation of non-voice services, and
accommodation of portable terminals

5
Architecture
Network elements
Mobile stations, base stations, and mobile switching center
Three databases
Home location registers (HLR): for full roaming
Visitor location registers (VLR): for full roaming
Equipment identity registers (EIR)

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 GSM: Structure
Static network Switching Subsystems Radio Subsystems
OMC

Data VLR HLR AuC EIR

networks
MS
(G)MSC BSC BTS

PSTN/
BTS
ISDN MS
Call Management
Network Management BSS MS

AuC Authentication Centre MS Mobile Station

BSS Base Station Subsystem (G)MSC (Gateway) Mobile Switching Centre
BSC Base Station Controller OMC Operation and Maintenance Centre
BTS Base Transceiver Station PSTN Public Switched Telephone Network
EIR Equipment Identity Register VLR Visitor Location Register
HLR Home Location Register ISDN Integrated Services Digital Network
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 Base Station Sub-system
The BSS consists of two parts:
Base Station Controller (BSC)
Several Base Transceiver Station (BTS)

It consists of a number of radio transmitter\ receivers required to

cover an individual cell plus an functionality required to support
traffic transmission over the radio link (e.g. channel coding, speech
coding, encryption, RF modulation)

The BSC is a more sophisticated system which manages the radio

links between the BSSs under its control and any MS in the cells
covered by the BSSs
Allocation of channels to MS for calls
Measuring and controlling transmitter power levels
BTSs typically linked to BSC via microwave and Static links 8
 BTS Functions

Houses the radio transceivers and antennas and powered as per

the cell size. A BTS can have up to 16 transceivers depending on
the density of users in a cell.
They should have ruggedness, reliability, portability, minimum
costs.
Handles the radio link protocols with the MS. Speech and data
transmissions from the MS are recoded.
Many BTSs in a large urban area. BTS mainly consists of a set
of transceivers (TRX). Can accommodate 1 to 7 TRX per Sector.
11 power classes from .01 watts (Micro cell) to 320 watts
(Umbrella cell).
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 BTS Functions
Encodes, encrypts, multiplexes, modulates and feeds the RF
signals to the antenna. ( ie. functionality required to support
traffic transmission over the radio link e.g. channel coding,
speech coding, encryption, RF modulation)
Transcoding and rate adaption Functionality.
Time and frequency synchronization signals transmission.
Frequency hopping.
Random access detection.
Uplink radio channel measurements.
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 SIM of GSM
Subscriber identity module (SIM)
A removable card that stores subscriber information:
ID number
abbreviated dialing code

subscribers service plan

The SIM is the subscribers link to the cellular system.

By removing the SIM, the phone is disabled (except the
emergency call).
Easy to change to other telephones
In earlier systems, the subscribers information is in a FIXED
hardware within a terminal.
Thus, when changing phones, the service provider gets
involved, which is inconvenient.
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12
GSM Architecture

MS Transmission BS Transmission Year Introduced 1990

Band : 890 915 Band : 935 960
MHZ MHZ
Access method TDMA
45 MHz

Channel Bandwidth 200 kHz

Number of duplex 125

1 channels
2 Users per channel 8
3
4
Speech coding bit 13 kbps
5
rate
6
7 Data coding bit rate 12 kbps
F1 F2 F1' F2' 8
Frequency Frame size 4.6 ms

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14
 GSM Variants
Variant Uplink Downlink Total Duplex- Channels
(MHz) (MHz) Bandwidth frequency

GSM-400 451-458 and 461-468 and Twice 14 MHz 10 MHz Twice 72

479-486 489-496

GSM-900 890-915 935-960 Twice 25 45 MHz Twice 124

(primary MHz
band)

Extended 880-915 925-960 Twice 35 45 MHz Twice 174

GSM-900 MHz

GSM-R 876-880 921-925 Twice 4 MHz 45 MHz Twice 19

DCS-1800 1,710-1,785 1,805-1,880 Twice 75 95 MHz Twice 373

MHz
PCS-1900 1,850-1,910 1,930-1,990 Twice 60 80 MHz Twice 300
MHz 15
GSM Specifications

Duplex distance: 80 MHz

Channel separation:200 kHz.
Modulation: Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying (GMSK).
Transmission rate: Over-the-air bit rate of 270 kbps.
Access method: FDMA & TDMA.
Speech coder: Linear Predictive Coding (LPC). The LPC
provides parameters for a filter that mimics the vocal tract.
Speech is encoded at 13 kbps.

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GSM Specifications
Frequency band:
GSM900:
Uplink: 890-915 MHz (Mobile station to base station)

Downlink: 935-960 MHz (Base station to mobile station).

GSM1800:
Uplink: 1710-1785 MHz

Downlink: 1805-1880 MHz

GSM1900:
Uplink: 1850-1910 MHz

Downlink: 1930-1990 MHz

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MOBILE STATIONS ISDN NUMBER (MSISDN)
=> Is the mobile number used in a GSM PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network)
MSISDN = Country Code + National Destination Code + Subscriber number
e.x. 63 + 0918 + 8889999
Maximum length is 15 digits.

INTERNATIONAL MOBILE SUBSCRIBER IDENTITY (IMSI)

=> Is the subscriber number used over radio path for all signaling in the GSM PLMN.
This number is stored in SIM (Subscriber Identity Module), HLR (Home Location Register,
and VLR (Visitor Location Register).
IMSI = MCC + MNC + MSIN
= Mobile Country Code + Mobile Network Code + Mobile Identification Number
[ 3 digit ] [ 2 digit ] [ 11 digit ]
e.x. 502 + 19 + 2345451

TEMPORARY MOBILE SUBSCRIBER IDENTITY (TMSI)

=> Is used for the subscriber's confidentiality. Since the TMSI has only local significance
(within MSC/VLR) the structure of the TMSI can be chosen by the Vendor.
But the size must be 1/2 of the size of IMSI. Each time a mobile request for location
updating or call setup, MSC/VLR allocates to the IMSI a new TMSI, so the TMSI
is used on the signaling path, protecting the IMSI identity. Plus since the TMSI is half
the size of IMSI, we can page twice the amount compared to IMSI.

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19
 GSM uses paired radio channels

890MHz 915MHz 935MHz 960MHz

0 124 0 124

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 GSM : FDMA and TDMA Combination
GSM uses combination of FDMA and TDMA for better use of narrow resources
the used band width for each carrier is 200 kHz

f in MHz

960 TS0 TS1 TS2 TS3 TS4 TS5 TS6 TS7 TS0

TS0 TS1 TS2 TS3 TS4 TS5 TS6 TS7 TS0 downlink
25 MHz

935 TS0 TS1 TS2 TS3 TS4 TS5 TS6 TS7 TS0

915 TS0 TS1 TS2 TS3 TS4 TS5 TS6 TS7 TS0
200 kHz
45 MHz uplink
TS0 TS1 TS2 TS3 TS4 TS5 TS6 TS7 TS0
25 MHz

890 TS0 TS1 TS2 TS3 TS4 TS5 TS6 TS7 TS0

t
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Cellular Network Organization

Use multiple low-power transmitters (100 W

or less)
Areas divided into cells
Each served by its own antenna
Served by base station consisting of
transmitter, receiver, and control unit
Band of frequencies allocated
Cells set up such that antennas of all
neighbors are equidistant (hexagonal pattern)

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Frequency Reuse
Adjacent cells assigned different frequencies to avoid interference or
crosstalk
Objective is to reuse frequency in nearby cells
Transmission power controlled to limit power at that frequency
escaping to adjacent cells

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Frequency Reuse

Reuse distance
D=(3N)*R
D=3.46R for N=4
D=4.6R for N=7
D=6R for N=12

Cochannel Interference Reduction Factor

q=D/R
When the ratio q increases,
cochannel interference decreases.

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25
26
GSM Network Areas
The GSM network is made up
Of following geographic areas.

Public Land Mobile Network

(PLMN) areas.
MSC/VLR Service Areas
Location Areas (LAs)
Cells

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 GSM Network Areas
The Cell: It is the area covered by one BTS. The GSM network
identifies each cell via the cell global identity (CGI) number
assigned to each cell.
The Location Area: It is a group of cells. It is the area in which
the subscriber is paged. Each LA is served by one or more BSCs,
yet only by a single MSC.
Each LA is assigned a location area identity (LAI) number.

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 GSM Network Areas
MSC/VLR Service Area: It represents the part of the GSM
network that is covered by one MSC
Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) Area: It is an area served
by one network operator

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 Physical and Logical channel
Physical channel :
Each timeslot in TDMA frame is called a physical channel.

Logical Channel :
Depending upon the information, a physical channel carries the
messages are called a logical channel. These are a several type of
logical channels available in GSM.

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Logical Channels

Logical channels
Traffic channels (two-way)

Signaling Channels:
Broadcast channels (base-to-mobile)
Common control channels (base-to-mobile or mobile-to-base):
available to ALL terminals
Dedicated control channels (two-way): available to specific
terminals

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 Logical Channels

TCH

CBCH

3 Broadcast 3 Common 3 Dedicated

Channels Control Control
1) FCCH Channels Channels
2) SCH 1) PCH 1) SDCCH
3) BCCH 2) RACH 2) SACCH
3) AGCH 3) FACCH
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 LOGICAL CHANNELS

TRAFFIC SIGNALLING

FULL RATE HALF RATE

Bm 22.8 Kb/S Lm 11.4 Kb/S
BROADCAST COMMON CONTROL DEDICATED CONTROL

FCCH SCH BCCH

RACH
PCH AGCH

FCCH -- FREQUENCY CORRECTION CHANNEL

SCH -- SYNCHRONISATION CHANNEL
BCCH -- BROADCAST CONTROL CHANNEL
PCH -- PAGING CHANNEL
RACH -- RANDOM ACCESS CHANNEL SDCCH SACCH FACCH
AGCH -- ACCESS GRANTED CHANNEL
SDCCH -- STAND ALONE DEDICATED CONTROL CHANNEL DOWN LINK ONLY
SACCH -- SLOW ASSOCIATED CONTROL CHANNEL BOTH UP &
UPLINK ONLY DOWNLINKS
FACCH -- FAST ASSOCIATED CONTROL CHANNEL
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Logical Channels

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35
 Paging Channel (PCH) and Access Grant Channel (AGCH)
PCH: to notify terminals of arriving calls

AGCH: to direct a terminal to a stand-alone dedicated control

channel (SDCCH)
A terminal is allowed to enter a sleep mode.
Then it will only monitor the PCH and AGCH frames that are assigned
to it for newly arrival calls.
They together occupy 36 frames per multiframe.

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 Random Access Channel (RACH)
Terminals send messages on the RACH to originate phone calls,

initiate transmissions of short messages, respond to paging

messages, and register their locations.
Terminals with information to transmit use the slotted ALOHA

protocol to gain access to the time slot.

The Ack directs the terminal to a stand-alone dedicated control

channel (SDCCH) to be used for further communications.

RACH is located in 1 time slot in each frame of the 51-frame

control multiframe (in the direction from terminals to base

stations). 37
 Stand-Alone Dedicated Control Channel (SDCCH)
SDCCH is a two-way channel assigned to a specific terminal.

The physical channel used by an SDCCH is a set of four

time slots in each 51-frame control multiframe.

With 114 data bits per time slot, the data rate of the SDCCH

is 1937.25 b/s
Each SDCCH has a slow associated control channel called

SACCH.

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FCCH (Frequency Correction Channel)
Mobile corrects the frequency of its internal time base by reading
this logical channel.
Easily detected by the mobile.
After FCCH, mobile is able to detect SCH which contains timing
information.

SCH (Synchronization Channel)

Carries the information for mobile to synchronize to the TDMA
frame structure & know the timing of the individual timeslots.
Frame Number & BSIC (Base Station Identity Code)

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BCCH (Broadcast Control Channel)
Location Area Identity
List of neighbouring cells, to be monitored
List of frequencies used in the cell
Cell Identity
Power Control Indicator
Access Control (e.g. emergency calls, call barring)
Dummy burst are sent to ensure continuity when no traffic
information is sent.

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CCCH (Common Control Channel)
PCH (Paging Channel)
Transmitted by the BTS when it wishes to contact a specific
mobile.
RACH (Random Access Channel)
Transmitted by the Mobile when it wishes to gain access to
the system
AGCH (Access Grant Channel)
Transmitted by the BTS to assign dedicated resources to an
MS such as SDCCH

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GSM TDMA Structure
TDMA 8 Time Slots /RF Channel
Time slot duration 1.577msec or 15/26 ms
Frame 8 Burst Periods ( Time Slots)
= 8X15/26 = 4.615 ms
Multi Frame Traffic: 26 X 4.615 = 120 ms
Control: 51 X 4.615 = 235.365 ms
Super Frame 51 X Traffic Multi frames =6120s
26 X Control Multi frames=6120s
Hyper Frame 2048 Super Frames
3 hr: 28 min: 52.76 sec
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43
44
GSM TIME HIERARCHY
Time division into eight time slots is not sufficient.
The smallest time element is a bit.
In each time slot a burst of 148 bits is transmitted.
The length of a typical time slot is equal to 0.577 ms,
which is equivalent to the duration of 156.25 bits.
The difference between the effective burst length and the
time slot length is called a guard time.

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GSM TIME HIERARCHY - contd

Time division into eight time slots (frame) is not sufficient, 26

frames create a multiframe, 51 such multiframes constitute a
superframe.
2048 superframes create the highest level unit of the GSM time
hierarchy - a hyperframe.

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46
 Bursts and Frames
The information contained in one time slot on the TDMA frame is
called a burst. There are five different types of bursts:
1. Normal Bursts (NB): used to carry information on traffic and control
channels. It contains 156.25 bits, made up of bit information bits,
training bits, stealing bits, tail bits & guard bits (empty space).
2. Frequency Correction Burst : used for frequency synchronization of
the mobile on FCCH.
3. Synchronization Burst : used for time & frame synchronization of
the mobile.
4. Access Burst: used for random access and handover access.
5. Dummy Burst: used when no other type of burst is to be sent.

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 Radio Transmission
GSM time interval
A hyperframe = 2048 superframe
A superframe = 51 traffic multiframes
= 26 control multiframes = 6.12 s
A traffic multiframe = 26 frames = 120 ms
A control multiframe = 51 frames = 235.4 ms
A frame = 8 time slots = 4.615 ms
A slot = 156.25 bits = 577 s
A bit = 3.69 s
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The Relationship Between Bursts And
Frames

There are two types of multi-frame :

26-TDMA frame multi-frame, used to carry TCH, SACCH,
and FACCH
51-TDMA frame multi-frame, used to carry BCCH, CCCH,
SDCCH and SACCH
A Super-frame consists of 51 or 26 multi-frames
Hyper frame consists of 2,048 super-frames.

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50
 Radio Carriers Frequency -
GSM supports two kinds of radio carrier:
conventional sine wave at a single frequency

frequency hopping

Slow Frequency Hopping

The signal moves from one frequency to another in every frame.

The purpose of FH is to reduce the transmission impairments.

Without FH, the entire signal is subject to distortion whenever

the assigned carrier is impaired.

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52
Radiated Power

GSM specifies 5 classes of mobile stations transmitting

power, ranging from 20 W (43 dBm) to 0.8 W (29 dBm)

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Power Classes -

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 When Mobile is Switched On?

When a mobile station is first switched on it reads the BCCH

in order to determine its orientation within the network.

The mobile must first synchronize in frequency and then in

time. The FCCH, SCH and BCCH are all transmitted on the
same carrier frequency

The mobile scans around the available frequencies, picks the

strongest and then selects the FCCH.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE CALL
SET-UP PROCEDURE -

Initialization,
Call origination,
Call reception,
Handover / handoff

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Location update from the mobile
Mobile looks for BCCH after switching on

RACH send channel request

AGCH receive SDCCH

SDCCH request for location updating

SDCCH authenticate

SDCCH authenticate response

SDCCH switch to cipher mode

SDCCH cipher mode acknowledge

SDCCH allocate TMSI

SDCCH acknowledge new TMSI

SDCCH switch idle update mode

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Call establishment from a mobile
Mobile looks for BCCH after switching on

RACH send channel request

AGCH receive SDCCH

SDCCH send call establishment request

SDCCH do the authentication and TMSI allocation

SDCCH send the setup message and desired number

SDCCH require traffic channel assignment

FACCH switch to traffic channel and send ack (steal bits)

FACCH receive alert signal ringing sound

FACCH receive connect message

FACCH acknowledge connect message and use TCH

TCH conversation continues

58
Call establishment to a mobile
Mobile looks for BCCH after switching on

Mobile receives paging message on PCH

Generate Channel Request on RACH

Receive signaling channel SDCCH on AGCH

Answer paging message on SDCCH

Receive authentication request on SDCCH

Authenticate on SDCCH

Receive setup message on SDCCH

Receive traffic channel assignment on SDCCH

FACCH switch to traffic channel and send ack (steal bits)

Receive alert signal and generate ringing on FACCH

Receive connect message on FACCH

FACCH acknowledge connect message and switch to TCH 59
Approaches to Increase Capacity

Adding new channels

Channel borrowing Channel are borrowed from adjacent cells

by congested cell

Cell splitting cells in areas of high usage can be split into

smaller cells

Cell sectoring cells are divided into a number of wedge-

shaped sectors, each with their own set of channels

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 Performance Metrics

Cell blocking probability probability of a new call being

blocked
Call dropping probability probability that a call is terminated
due to a handoff
Call completion probability probability that an admitted call
is not dropped before it terminates

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 Handoff Control
Mobile Assisted Handoff (MAHO)
Mobile measures & reports signal quality
Network (typically BSC) makes handoff decision
and initiates handoff for Efficient transfer of the
connection between the cells
Mobile Controlled Handoff (MCHO)
Mobile measures & reports signal quality
Mobile makes handoff decision and initiates handoff
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Types of handover
1. Intra-cell handover

2. Intra-BSC handover

3. Inter-BSC handover

4. Inter-MSC handover

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Intra-cell handover

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Intra-BSC handover

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Inter-BSC handover

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Inter-MSC handover

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68