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GSM Cellular Theory

Departmental Work Instruction

Author

:E. S. Spears

Doc. Number / Rev. :TR01--010 Rev 0

Change History:
REV

DATE

2/20/97

AUTHOR

E. S. Spears

DESC. OF CHANGE

Original Draft

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Cellular Theory

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Contents:
SECTION.................................................................PAGE
1.0 Purpose .....................................................................2
2.0 Acronyms...................................................................2
3.0 PCS 1900 (GSM) ......................................................3
6.2 PCS 1900 MHZ .........................................................7
6.3 GSM NOTES ...........................................................11

1.0

Purpose
This document is intended for anyone desiring to increase their knowledge about GSM cellular
systems.

2.0

Acronyms

AGCH

Access Grant CHannel

AMPS

Advanced Mobile Phone System

ARFCN

Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number

AUC

Authentication Center

BA

Base Allocation

BCCH

Broadcast Control CHannel

BCH

Broadcast CHannel

BS

Base Station

BSC

Base Station Controller

BSS

Base Station Systems (see BS)

BSS

Base Station System

BTS

Base Transceiver Station (see Base Station also)

CA

Cell Allocation

CCCH

Common Control CHannel

CRC

Cyclic Redundancy Check (parity bits)

DAMPS

Digital Advanced Mobile Phone System

DCS-1900

Digital Communication System - 1900 MHz

DTMF

Dual Tone Multi Frequency

DVCC

Digital Voice Color Code

EIR

Equipment Identification Register

FACCH

Fast Associated Control CHannel

FCCH

Frequency Correction CHannel

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FDMA

Frequency Division Multiple Access

FM

Frequency Modulation

GSM

Global System for Mobile communications

HLR

Home Location Register

ISDN

Integrated Services Digital Network

MA

Mobile Allocation

MAHO

Mobile Assisted Handoff

MS

Mobile Station (Cellular phone)

MSC

Mobile Switching Center (see MTX)

MTX

Mobile Telephone Exchange (see MSC)

NAMPS

Narrowband Advanced Mobile Phone System

NMC

Network Management Center

OMC

Operations and Maintenance Center

PCH

Paging CHannel

PCS

Personal Communications System

PSTN

Public Switched Telephone Network

PSTN`

Phone System Terminal Network

RACH

Random Access CHannel

RF

Radio Frequency

SACCH

Slow Associated Control Channel

SAT

Supervisory Audio Tone (5970, 6000 and 6030 Hz)

SCH

Synchronization CHannel

ST

Signalling Tone (10 kHz)

TACS

Totally Accessed Communications System

TCH

Traffic CHannel

TS

Time Slot (Physical Channel)

VLR

Visitor Location Register

CTIA

Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association

3.0

PCS 1900 (GSM)

This section will use a large number of acronyms. Acronyms and definitions are located at the
front of this document in Section 2.0.

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GSM Networks

NMC
OMC

BTS
BTS
BTS

VLR
BSC
EIR

BSS
BTS
BTS
BTS

MSC

AUC

BSC

HLR
BSS
PSTN

Figure 22: GSM Networks

Figure 22 illustrates a Global System for Mobiles (GSM) Network. The Mobile Stations (MS) and
mobiles in a car, talk to the Base Station System (BSS) over an RF link. The Base Station
System (BSS) consists of a Base Transceiver Station (BTS), and a Base Station Controller
(BSC). Its typical for several BTS to be located at the same physical location. This
configuration will produce 2 to 4 sectored cells around a common antenna tower.
Typically 20 to 30 BTSs will be controlled by one BSC. A number of BSSs would then report
back to the Mobile Switching Center (MSC) which would control the traffic among a number of
different cells.
Each Mobile Switching Center (MSC) will have a Visitors Location Register (VLR) in which
mobiles that are out of their home cell will be listed so that the network will know where to find
them. The MSC will also be connected to the Home Location Register (HLR), the Authentication
Center (AUC), and the Equipment Identity Register (EIR) so the system can verify that users and
equipment are legal subscribers. This helps avoid the use of stolen or fraudulent mobiles.
There are also facilities within the system for Operations and Maintenance (OMC) and Network
Management (NMC) organizations.

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A GSM Cell

R
AC
P
D
H
L
O
W INK
N
LI
N
BC K
H

H
AC K
R IN
K
N
PL
U
LI
N
W H
BC

BCH
Broadcast
CHannel

TCH
Traffic
CHannel

TCH
Traffic
CHannel

Figure 23: A GSM Cell

Its common for several cells to be sectored (3 in Figure 23) around a common antenna tower.
The tower can have several directional antennas, each covering a particular area. This colocation of several BTSs is sometimes called a cell-site or just a base station.
Each BTS will be fitted with a number of TX/RX pairs of transceiver modules. The number will
determine how many frequency channels can be used in the cell, and depends on the expected
number of users.
All BTS produce a BCH (Broadcast CHannel). The BCH is like a lighthouse beacon. Its on all
the time and allows mobiles to find the strongest BTS. The BCH signal strength is also used by
the network for a variety of user functions. It is used to tell which BTS is closest to the mobile.
The RxLev (Receive Level Signal Strength) information is reported back to the base-station on
the uplink SACCH (Slow Associated Control CHannel). It also has information coded on it, such
as the identity of the network, paging messages for any mobiles needing to accept a phone call,
and a variety of other information. The BCH is received by all mobiles in the cell, regardless of
whether or not they are on a call.
The frequency channel used by the BCH is different in each cell. Channels can be re-used by
distant cells, when the risk of interference is low.
Mobiles on a call use a TCH (Traffic CHannel). The TCH is a two way channel used to
exchange speech information between the mobile and base-station. Downlink channels from the
base station to a mobile are from 1930 to 1990 MHz and the uplink channels are from 1850 to
1910 MHz.
While TCH uses a frequency channel in both uplink and downlink, a BCH occupies a channel in
the downlink band only. The corresponding channel in the uplink is not used by the base
station.. Mobiles use this uplink channel as a Random Access CHannel (RACH).
A RACH has the following characteristics:

Start of mobile originated call or SMS (Short Message Service)

Response to PCH (Paging CHannel)

Always the first burst from mobile side

Used to control timing advance

First burst to the new cell in a handover

Direction is always MS -> BS

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0.3 GMSK Modulation

I
Data
270.833kB/s
-67.708 kHz= logic 1

Frequency

+ 67.708 kHz= logic 0

Phase
+90deg

-90deg

Figure 24: 0.3 GMSK Modulation

GSM uses a digital modulation format called 0.3GMSK (Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying). The
0.3 describes the bandwidth of the Gaussian Filter with relation to the bit rate. Another way of
stating this is to say 70% of the bandwidth of the bit rate is passed while 30 % is rejected.
GMSK is a special type of digital FM modulation. Ones and zeros are represented by shifting
the RF carrier by plus or minus 67.708 kHz. Modulation techniques which use two frequencies
to represent one and zero are called FSK (Frequency Shift Keying). In the case of GSM, the
data rate of 270.833kbit/sec is chosen to be exactly four times the RF frequency shift. This has
the effect of reducing the modulation sidebands by 20 dB. FSK modulation, where the bit rate is
exactly four times the frequency shift is called MSK (Minimum Shift Keying). The modulation
sidebands are further reduced with a Gaussian pre-modulation filter. The Gaussian filter slows
down the rapid frequency transistions which would otherwise spread energy into adjacent
channels.
0.3GMSK is not phase modulation. Information is not conveyed by absolute phase states, such
as QPSK, for example. Its the frequency shift, or change of phase state that conveys
information. If a constant stream of 1s is being transmitted, MSK will effectively stay 67.708 kHz
below the carrier center frequency and 67.708kHz above for a constant stream of 0s.
If the carrier center frequency is taken as a stationary phase reference, a +67.708kHz signal will
cause a steady increase of phase. The phase will roll +360 degrees at a rate of 67,708
revolutions per second. In one bit period (3.694 microseconds) the phase will get a quarter of
the way around the I/Q diagram, or 90 degrees. Zeros are seen as a phase increase of 90
degrees.Two zeros cause a phase increase of 180 degrees, three zeros 270 degrees, and so
on. Ones cause the same phase change in the opposite direction.

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Physical Channels

Amplitude

Downlink
0
BTS

0
CH
660

0
CH
661

2
0

CH
662

0
GSM_4

CH
660

4
3

2
1

CH
661

6
5

4
3

2
1

0
7

6
5

0
7

2
1

0
7

Time

Uplink

2
0

Frequency

CH
662

80 MHz
Figure 25: GSM Physical Channels
GSM uses TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) and FDMA (Frequency Division Multiple
Access). The mobile transmit (Uplink) ranges in frequency from 1850 to 1910 MHz and the
mobile receive (Downlink) is from 1930 to 1990 MHz. Each Up/Downlink channel is divided into
200 kHz wide slots called ARFCN (Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number). As well a
slicing up frequency, time is also sliced up. An ARFCN is shared between 8 mobiles, each using
it in turn. Each mobile uses the ARFCN for one TS (Timeslot) and then waits for its turn to come
around again. Mobiles get the use of the ARFCN once per TDMA frame.
Figure 25 shows the BTS transmitting on ARFCN channel 660 downlink TS zero and the mobile
transmitting on ARFCN channel 660 uplink TS 3. Another way of looking at this is the mobile
transmit TS is seperated from the receive TS by 3 Timeslots.
The combination of a TS number and ARFCN is called a physical channel.

6.2

PCS 1900 MHZ

The following information on PCS 1900 was written by Carter Quella, Product Technician for the
HD-851.
For a better understanding of the functioning of the HD851 product, which works in the PCS 1900 Mhz
frequency band, this document has been prepared for diagnostic technicians to use as a reference. It will
outline briefly the system, which is digital only, because this GSM based technology is totally new to the
United States.

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Lets start with a look at the current systems in the USA. Cellular phones began with analog FM
modulation as the only system scheme available. Because of the newness of this whole technology, the
number of phone users in any area was very limited. As cellular phones became more popular, the
system was upgraded many times until it reached what we are now familiar with in our factory. Namely,
E-AMPS, with channels from 1 to 1023, using frequencies from 824 to 849 MHZ for transmitter uplink and
869 to 894 MHZ for the base station downlink. This configuration has worked quite well for a long time.
However, with the rapid expansion we have seen in the cellular phone world the capacity limit of E-AMPS
has been exceeded in some densely populated areas. This is not a good situation for anyone involved
with the cellular business. Network people arent happy because their customers complain that they cant
make calls. Manufacturers like Nokia are not pleased because less people will buy phones after their
friends tell them the phone wont work half the time. The initial fix for this overcrowding problem is known
as D-AMPS, or digital advanced mobile phone system. This is a time and frequency multiplexed system (
TDMA & FDMA). The same RF frequency channels as in E-AMPS are divided up into time slots. Each
20 milliseconds of time is broken up into 6 slots of 6.67 milliseconds each. When a D-AMPS phone is on
a traffic channel (in a call), it is assigned 2 of these 6 slots, one each for receive and transmit. This allows
3 different users to make a call on the same RF frequency, tripling the capacity of the system overall. In
actual use, however, not all the frequencies assigned to a cell are used in D-AMPS mode. Some are left
in place as analog channels to support all the users who still have an analog only phone.
This D-AMPS system, or the NADC network (North American Digital Cellular), has enough increased
capacity that most every area has enough available space for everyone who wants to make a call. To
make things complicated for us, the FCC has recently allocated a new band of frequencies for cellular
telephone use. The new band, which is the one we are concerned with, is from 1800 to 2200 Mhz. Much
debate still rages over the best available scheme to maximize the usefulness of these new channels.
There are some companies who have purchased licenses for these frequencies that are leaning toward a
TDMA system. Towards this end they have a choice of a configuration based on the NADC system, or a
novel scheme for the U.S. , a GSM based system. There is a large percentage of companies who think
that CDMA spread spectrum technology is the best way to go as well. For now, though, we will concern
ourselves with the GSM based technology. This has been chosen by several network providers, and we
have promised to deliver these phones to them.
GSM SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE
GSM stands for Global System for Mobile communications. It is a fairly proven technology that has been
in use in Europe for several years. The specifications for our DCS1900 system are almost identical to
those for GSM 900, with the exception of the allocated frequencies. GSM is, as we have already stated,
a TDMA\FDMA system. The individual channels are spaced 200 kHz apart, giving us the Frequency
Division. On each individual frequency, time is broken up into frames and slots which are assigned to
each phone as required. Unlike NADC, the ARFCN, or Absolute Radio Frequency Channel, is broken up
into 8 individual portions of time. This allows eight cellular users to make phone calls on one RF channel.
An additional benefit to this scheme is greatly improved battery life, because each phones transmitter is
only on for 1\8th of the time. This applies to the receiver as well, but does not have as great an impact on
battery life.
For the DCS1900 system, the channels we will be using are as follows:
Downlink from the base station to the mobile(RX)
Uplink from the mobile to the base station (TX)

1930-1990 Mhz
1850-1910 Mhz

As you can see, the duplex spacing is now 80 Mhz, not 45 Mhz as in the AMPS system.

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FREQUENCIES USED IN DCS1900 SYSTEM BY MOBILES

TRANSMITTER
FREQUENCIES

RECEIVER
FREQUENCIES

CHANNEL #
512
1850
MHZ

CHANNEL #
810
1910 MHz

The chosen channels for tesing purposes are:

TX
LOW CHANNEL = 512
1850.2 MHz
MID CHANNEL =
1880.0 MHz
661
HIGH CHANNEL = 810
1909.8 MHz

Cellular Theory

512
1930 MHz

RX
1930.2 MHz
1960.0 MHz
1989.8 MHz

810
1990 MHz

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SLOT ASSIGNMENT ON AN ARFCN DURING A CELLULAR CALL

3
4
5
6
7
8
1
2
RX
Receive slot on 1961 MHz for 576.9 usec

3
RX

TX
3

Absolute Radio Frequency Channel = 666

Transmit slot on 1881 MHz for 576.9 usec

TX
8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

CONTENTS OF INDIVIDUAL SLOTS

Midamble or
Training Bits

57

Tail
Bits

Data
Bits

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Control
Bit

26

Control
Bit

57

Data
Bits

Tail
Bits

Guard
Period

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0.3 GAUSSIAN MINIMUM SHIFT KEYING (GMSK)

The modulation scheme used in a GSM based system is known as Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying. This
is a form of digital modulation based on frequency shift keying, which uses 2 states of the carrier to impart
1s and 0s as information. In the case of GSM, these changes correspond to changing the carrier by
67.708 kHz. 0s cause a positive shift, and 1s cause a negative shift. Because of the timing of the
individual bit RF samples, these changes correspond to a +90 degree shift of the carrier for a bit of 0, and
a -90 degree shift for a 1. When looking at this transmitted signal then, a data stream of 1s will give you
a peak at the carrier frequency minus 67.708 kHz, and a stream of zeroes will give you a peak at the
carrier plus 67.708 kHz. When the base station receives this signal and decodes it , the timing of the
samples of RF will show up as either a + or - shift of 90 degrees. While this seems similar to the
DDQPSK scheme in the NADC system, Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying is not really phase modulation at
all. It is merely a very fast form of frequency shift keying.
This ends the Carter Quella GSM information sheet.

6.3

GSM NOTES

GLOBAL System for Mobiles (GSM)

GSM based DCS1900 (Digital Communications System 1900) for PCS (Personal Communications
System) for USA.
Phase 2 PCS1900 current specs
Uplink from mobile to B.S.
1930.2 to 1989.8 MHz
Downlink B.S. to Mobile
1850.2 to 1909.8 MHz
ARFCN
512 to 810 for 298 channels (Absolute Radio Frequency
Channel Number)
TX/RX Freq Spacing
80 MHz
TX/RX Time Spacing
3 Time slots
Modulation Data Rate
270.833 kbit/s
Frame period
4.615 ms
Time slot period
567.9 s
Bit period
3.692 s
Modulation
0.3 GMSK
Channel Spacing
200 kHz
TDMA Max
8 time slots
MS Max Power
30dBm / 1 W
MS Min Power
0 dBm / 1mw
MS Power Control Steps
0 to 15
Voice Coder Bit Rate
8kHz
GSM uses a digital modulation format called 0.3 GMSK (Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying). The 0.3
describes the bandwidth of the Gaussian filter with relation to the bit rate. B = bandwidth and T = Time.
A BT product, = 0.3, as BT is planned for GSM. GSM will operate with a bit rate of 270.833 kbps in a
200 kHz channel. This implies a modulation efficiency of 1.35 bps/Hz, that is, the bandwidth is just 0.74
times the bit channel rate.

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GMSK is a special type of digital FM modulation. Ones and zeros are represented by shifting the RF
carrier by plus or minus 67.708 kHz. Modulation techniques which use two frequencies to represent one
and zero are denoted FSK. In the case of GSM, the data rate of 270.833 kbits/sec is chosen to be
exactly four times the RF shift frequency.
FSK vs MSK modulation: When the bit rate is exactly four times the frequency shift it is called MSK
(Minimum Shift Keying).
This has the net effect of reducing the sidebands. The modulation spectrum is further reduced by
applying a Gaussian pre-modulation filter.
0.3 GMSK IS NOT PHASE MODULATION! Information is not conveyed by absolute phase states like an
exact change from 45 degrees to 135 degrees. It is the frequency shift, or change of phase state which
conveys information.
Without the Gaussian filter, if a constant stream of 1s is being transmitted, MSK will effectively stay
67.708 kHz below the carrier center frequency. If the carrier center frequency is taken as a stationary
phase reference, the -67.708 kHz signal will cause a steady decrease of phase. The phase will rotate 360 degrees at a rate of 67.708 revolutions per second. In one bit period (1/270.833 kHz) the phase will
get a quarter of the way around the I/Q diagram, or 90 degrees. Ones are seen as a phase decrease of
90 degrees. Two ones causes a phase decrease of 180 degrees, three ones 270 degrees, and so on.
Zeros cause the same phase change in the opposite direction.

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GSM Cellular Theory

Copyright Nokia Mobile Phones