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7.1.3 WCDMA Radio Fundamentals

Third-generation UMTS networks use WCDMA technology which supports higher bit rates than GSM networks through the use of a larger 5MHz bandwidth. WCDMA separates users and channels through coding instead of frequency or time. The UMTS network architecture provides different quality of service classes (conversational, streaming, interactive, background) to efficiently support applications with diverse requirements. Key elements of the WCDMA radio network include the user equipment, Node B base stations, and layers 1-3 of the protocol which define the physical transmission and network functions.

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35 views

7.1.3 WCDMA Radio Fundamentals

Third-generation UMTS networks use WCDMA technology which supports higher bit rates than GSM networks through the use of a larger 5MHz bandwidth. WCDMA separates users and channels through coding instead of frequency or time. The UMTS network architecture provides different quality of service classes (conversational, streaming, interactive, background) to efficiently support applications with diverse requirements. Key elements of the WCDMA radio network include the user equipment, Node B base stations, and layers 1-3 of the protocol which define the physical transmission and network functions.

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kkm
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Third-generation UMTS (universal terrestrial mobile system) networks have a predominance

of data traffic, unlike GSM networks. The rate at which this data traffic can move will
be significantly higher than that offered by GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks. For this reason, the
third-generation UMTS networks are fundamentally differentfromtheexistingGSMsystems.

7.1.3 WCDMA Radio Fundamentals

The WCDMA system supports higher bit rates, so a large bandwidth of 5 MHz is used
as compared to 200 kHz in GSM.
Packet data scheduling in WCDMA is load-based, while in GSM/GPRS it is time-slot
based.
Theoretically, only one frequency channel is used in WCDMA, while GSM uses many
frequency channels.
The limited bandwidth of 5 MHz is sufficient for radio network design. Multipath diversity
is possible with rake receivers, while in GSM techniques like frequency hopping are used
for (frequency) diversity.
Quality control in WCDMA is done using RRM algorithms, while in GSM it was done
by implementing various techniques such as frequency planning.
Users/cells/channels are separated by codes instead of time or frequency

7.1.4 Service Classes in UMTS


The network will also allow efficient cooperation between applications
with diverse quality of service (QoS) requirements, as well as adaptive applications
that will function within a wide range of QoS settings. From the users' perspective, thirdgeneration
networks will be able to give high quality for many services. This means that all
the sections of the network RAN and CN will be trying to achieve these quality standards
(from the users' perspective and defined by the ITU). The quality can defined by two main
parameters:
guaranteed and maximum bit rate (kbps) possible
permissible delays (ms).
Both single-media and multi-media services will be handled in the third-generation
networks. Based on the QoS criteria, multi-media services have been further classified as:
conversational
streaming
interactive
background.
The conversational class, as the name suggests, is for applications like speech. It is
the most delay-sensitive of the four classes. A typical example of this class is video telephony,
voice-over-IP (VoIP). In this class the delay is based on the human perception of the
application, hence has strict requirements for quality.
The streaming class refers to traffic flow that is steady and continuous. It is server-to-user
type. The most common example in this class is the Internet. In 3G networks, the Internet
will be faster because a user will be able to see data before it is completely downloaded.
There are two components of this class: messaging and retrieval. A typical example is
downloading of streaming videos (e.g. news).
Web browsing is a typical example of the interactive class. In this case the user requests
data from a remote entity (e.g. a server). Location-based services are an example of this
class. A user will be able to access information like bus and train timetables, flight schedules,
and any local data that might be useful.
Short messages, file transfers, etc., come into the background class. Nearly all the traffic
that does not fall under the first three categories are included, such as e-mails. This class of
service has
the least stringent quality of service requirement of all the four classes

7.1.5 Elements is a WCDMA Radio Network


User Equipment (UE)
The mobile terminal is called user equipment.but with the addition of the capability to handle data calls. User
equipment can be divided into three parts, USIM, ME and TE, as shown in Figure 7.2(a).
The USIM card (also known as SIM) contains authentication information and associated
algorithms, encryptions and subscriber-related information. In contrast, the mobile

Base Station (BS)


The base station is also known as 'node B' in a WCDMA radio network. It is more complex
than the base station of a GSM network. Its functions include handover channel management,
base-band conversion (TX and RX), channel encoding and decoding, interfacing to other
network elements, etc. A simplified version of it is shown in Figure 7.2(b).
Figure 7.2(

Amplifiers and Filters


This unit consists of signal amplifiers and antenna filters. The amplifiers are used to amplify
the signal coming from the transceiver and going towards the RF antenna (the downlink
signal), while the filters select the required frequencies coming in from the RF antenna (the
uplink signal) and amplify the signals for further processing before sending them to the
receiver part of the TRX.

Layer 1 is the physical layer, the actual medium of transfer. Planning engineers should
note that this layer is not just a 'physical medium' but should also be able to perform certain
functions. The main functions of layer 1 include RF processing, modulation/demodulation of
the physical channels, multiplexing/demultiplexing of the physical channels, error detection
and correction, rate matching, power control, synchronisation, etc.
Layer 2 is the link layer. It is required because of the need to allocate minimum resources
for a constantly changing data rate. It has two main sub-layers within itself: RLC and MAC.

There are two other layers - called the 'packet-data convergence protocol' (PDCP) and
'broadcast - multicast control' (BMC) - but they exist only in the user plane.
The MAC (medium access control) layer in an entity that is responsible for the mapping
of the logical channels to the transport channels. It provides data transfer services on the
logical channels. As it is an interface between L1 and L3, it also provides functions like
multiplexing and demultiplexing of packet data units to/from the physical layer. The MAC
layer is also responsible for measurements related to traffic volume on the logical channels
and further reporting to layer 3.
Functions like segmentation and reassembly of the variable-length packet data into
smaller payload units is done by the RLC (radio link control) layer, a sub-layer of layer 2.
Another important function of this sub-layer is error correction by re-transmission in an acknowledged
data transfer mode. Other functions include controlling the rate of information
flow, concatenation, ciphering, and preservation of the higher-order PDUs.
There are three modes of configuring an RLC by layer 3: transparent mode (no protocol
overhead added), unacknowledged mode (no re-transmission protocol in used, so data
delivery is not guaranteed), and acknowledged mode (a re-transmission protocol is used
and data delivery is guaranteed). PDCP and BMC protocols exist only in the user place.
PDCP is only for packet data, with its major function being compression of the PDUs at the
transmitting end and decompression at the receiving end in all the three modes of operation,
transparent, unacknowledged and acknowledged. BMC functions only in the transparent
and unacknowledged modes, providing broadcast/multicast scheduling and transmission to
the user data.
Layer 3 is also contains sub-layers, but the radio resource control (RRC) sub-layer is the
one that interacts with layer 2. It handles the control plane signalling between the UE and
network in connected mode. It is also responsible for bearer functions like establishment,
release, maintenance and reconfiguration in the user plane and of radio resources in the
control plane. Functions of the RRC include radio resource management and mobility
management, as well as power control, ciphering, routing (of PDUs) and paging

7.2.2 Protocol Structure for Universal Terrestrial Radio Access


Network (UTRAN)
The protocol structure for UTRAN is based on the model described above and can be used
further to study the protocol structure for different interfaces in detail. As shown in Figure
7.3(b), there are two main layers, the radio network and the transport network, and two
planes, the user plane and the control plane.
The visible part of the network is the radio layer, while the transport layer elements (or
equipments/technology) can vary without making any changes to the radio layer characteristics.
Transportation of all user-specific data CS or PS is done through the user plane, while
the transport plane is responsible for all signalling activities in the network. The control
plane protocol present in the radio network layer is known as the 'application protocol'. It
includes protocols such as RANAP, RNSAP and NBAP (see below). The transport network
layer has another control plane known as the transport network control plane that is responsible
for all the signalling within it. The protocol here is known as ALCAP. The transport
layer has its own user plane also for the data bearers in the transport layer.

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