EEE464 Wireless Communication Systems

Lecture 3 The Cellular Concept (cont.)

Lecturer: Asad Khan

Lecture 2 Review
Frequency Reuse Cluster Cells Adjacent Channels Co-Channels Co-Channels reuse strategy

Outline
Channel Assignment Strategies
Handoff and Roaming
Handoff Strategies Handoff Management General Handoff Procedure Generic Database Handoff Management Prioritizing Handoffs

Practical Handoff Considerations

Channel Assignment Strategies

can be classified as:
1. Fixed CA It is the optimum allocation strategy for uniform traffic across the cells. Each cell is allocated a predetermined set of voice channels. Any call attempt within the cell can only be served by unused channels in that particular cell. If all the channels are occupied, the call is blocked and the subscriber does not receive service. Borrowing strategy: cell is allowed to borrow channels from neighboring cells supervised by the respective MSC.
The MSC facilitates borrowing by making sure that the borrowing does not disrupt or interfere with the ongoing calls in the donor cell.
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Channel Assignment Strategies (cont.)

2. Dynamic CA Voice channels are not allocated permanently. Each time a call is made, the serving BS requests a channel from MSC. MSC only allocates unused frequency in the cell or any other neighboring cells to avoid co-channel interference. It reduces the likelihood of blocking. Also requires MSC to collect real-time data on channel occupancy, traffic distribution and radio signal strength indications (RSSI) of all channels continuously. DCA increases the storage and computational load on the system but provides advantage of increased channel utilization decreases probability of a blocked call.
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Handoff and Roaming

Handoff / Handover: Occurs when a mobile station using a frequency channel needs to change it for another frequency channel.
Intra-handoff: inside the same cell. Inter-handoff: between two cells.

Roaming allows subscribers to initiate or receive calls when visiting a different cellular network.

Handoff Strategies
Must be performed successfully and as infrequently as possible, and be unnoticeable or imperceptible to the users. An optimum signal level is defined that initiates the handoff handoff threshold.
It is typically higher than the minimum signal level.

Margin is given by = Pr(handoff) Pr(min usable) If is too large unnecessary handoffs, burden on MSC(Mobile Switching center). If is too small insufficient time to complete handoff before a call is lost due to weak signal conditions. BS(Base Station) monitors the signal level for a certain period of time before a handoff is initiated to be certain that the mobile is actually moving away from the serving Base Station. Dwell time: over which a call may be maintained within a cell, without handoff.

Handoff Strategies (cont.)

Figure 3.1 Illustration of a handoff scenario at cell boundary.

Handoff Management
Network Assisted Handoff (First Generation)
In the first generation system signal strength measurement is done at the base station. Each base station continuously monitors the signal strength of all of its reverse channels to measure the relative distance of each mobile user with respect to the base station. There is a locator receiver in each base station that monitors the power level at the mobile nodes in the neighboring cells indicating the handoff situation for those nodes .

Mobile Assisted Handoff (Second Generation)

Every mobile node measures the received power from surrounding base stations and continuously reports the signal strength to the serving base station. The handoff is initiated when the power received from the neighboring base station exceeds the power received from the serving base station by certain value and for certain time. It is much faster than the network assisted.
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Sample RSS from two BSs as seen by the MS travelling in a straight line
BS1
-60

BS2

RSS + uncorrelated lognormal fading in decibels

-70

-80

-90

-100

-110

-120

-130 -140 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8

distance between base stations in miles

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General Handoff Procedure Network Assisted (Step 1)

1- RSS became below threshold

TC xy MSC BS1 MS
2- Send handoff request to MSC

BS2
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General Handoff Procedure Network Assisted (Step 2)

1- Measure signal level of xy in neighboring cells

TC xy

MSC BS1 MS

2- Measure signal level of xy on request via MSC

BS2
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General Handoff Procedure Network Assisted (Step 3)

2- Compare results and select best cell for handoff

TC xy

MSC BS1 MS

TC xy
1- Send measurement data of channel xy to MSC

BS2
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General Handoff Procedure Network Assisted (Step 4)

1- Cell 2 is selected; 2- Select a channel (TC wz) in cell 2 3a- BS2: initiate TX via channel wz

TC xy

MSC

4a- BS1: Initiate handoff order

BS1 MS

4b- Send handoff order to MS (start listen wz and wait signalling in wz) 3b- Initiate TX in wz and send signalling

FTC wz

BS2
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General Handoff Procedure Network Assisted (Step 5)

TC xy MSC BS1
1- Confirm handoff order receipt; send respective signalling; listen to FTC wz

X
FTC wz MS

2- BS detects MS answered to handoff order

BS2
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General Handoff Procedure Network Assisted (Step 6)

3- Handoff executed BS1: Turn off TC xy

X
TC xy BS1

1- Turns on RTC wz and returns connectivity signalling

MSC

X
TC wz MS

2b- No more reception in RTC xy, inform MSC (channel is free) 2a- Detects connectivity signalling from MS

BS2
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General Handoff Procedure Network Assisted (Step 7)

Handoff complete MSC BS1 MS

TC wz

BS2
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Prioritizing Handoffs
Guard channel concept: A fraction of the total available channels in a cell is reserved exclusively for handoff requests.

Advantage: efficient spectrum utilization when dynamic channel assignment is used.

Disadvantage: reduces total carried traffic. Queuing of handoff requests: To decrease probability of forced termination.

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Practical Handoff Considerations (cont.)

Umbrella cell approach Large umbrella cells co-located with a number of smaller cells (micro-cells). Large cell has a larger coverage area for high-speed users (e.g. moving vehicles). It reduces the number of handoffs for high-speed users. Micro cells are reserved for low-speed users (e.g. pedestrian). The MSC(Mobile Switching Center) needs to estimate the user speed and allocate channels in one or the cell type. Some low-speed users can also be allocated channels in the large cell to avoid forced termination.

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Practical Handoff Considerations (cont.)

Figure 3.4 The umbrella cell approach.

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Practical Handoff Considerations (cont.)

Cell Dragging In urban environment a slow user in a LOS(Line of sight) path with the base station can continue receiving strong signal from the base station even though it is deep in the neighboring cell. This will cause disturbance in the traffic distribution . The solution requires careful adjustments in the handoff threshold and radio coverage parameters. Handoff time window In the first generation system the handoff time is about 10 seconds. In the second generation system (e.g. GSM) the handoff time is improved to 1-2 seconds.
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Practical Handoff Considerations (cont.)

The newer cellular system makes handoff decision based on a variety of metrics, not simply received signal strength.

e.g. co-channel and adjacent channel interference along with the received signal strength.

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