Chapter 3

Wireless
Wireless Systems:
Systems:
Multiple
Multiple Access
Access Technologies
Technologies &
& Standards
Standards

October, 1997 RF Engineering 102 - V1.00 (c) 1997 Scott Baxter 1

 Multiple Access Methods

FDMA FDMA: AMPS & NAMPS

•Each user occupies a private Frequency,
Power protected from interference through physical
uen
cy separation from other users on the same
Tim eq
e Fr frequency
TDMA: IS-136, GSM
TDMA •Each user occupies a specific frequency but
only during an assigned time slot. The
Power frequency is used by other users during
cy other time slots.
Tim uen
q
Fre
e
CDMA
CDMA •Each user occupies a signal on a particular
frequency simultaneously with many other
DE
users, but is uniquely distinguishable by
Power CO correlation with a special code used only by
Tim uen
cy this user
eq
e Fr

October, 1997 RF Engineering 102 - V1.00 (c) 1997 Scott Baxter 2

 Survey of Analog Wireless Technologies

AMPS NAMPS
TACS NMT450 NMT900 C-450
IS553 IS-91
Frequency Band 800 800 900 450 900 450
Channel Spacing 30 kHz. 10 kHz. 25 25 12.5 20
Speech Modulation FM FM FM FM FM FM
Freq. Deviation 12 kHz. 5 kHz. 9.5 5.0 5.0 4.0
Signalling Modulation Dir.FSK Dir.FSK Dir.FSK Aud.FFSK Aud.FFSK Dir.FSK
Signalling Bit Rate 10 kb/s 10 kb/s 8 kb/s 1200 b/s 1200 b/s 5280 b/s
Overlay Signalling? no no no no no yes
Paging/Access CCH (f) CCH (f) CCH (f) CCH (f) CCH (f) CCH (f)
In-Call Supervision SAT DSAT SAT ? ? overlay
In-Call Control ST DSAT ST ? ? overlay
Call Control ST DSAT ST ? ? overlay
Handoff Logic BTSLCR BTSLCR BTSLCR BTSLCR BTSLCR BTSLCR

October, 1997 RF Engineering 102 - V1.00 (c) 1997 Scott Baxter 3

 AMPS
AMPS: Advanced Mobile Phone System
■ Developed primarily by Bell Labs to replace low-capacity IMTS
■ 800 MHz. frequency band is used in North American markets
• also used in Central/South America, Australia, some Asia
• dominant standard in the world by size of customer base
■ Analog FM for speech transmission
• uses wider deviation than similar land-mobile systems
– increases interference margin against co-channel signals
• compander improves s/n
■ Signalling at 10 kb/s on dedicated control channels and voice ch.
• direct FSK modulation
• error correction with repetition and majority voting; block codes
■ Call Supervision and status Signalling
• SAT Tones
• Signalling Tone

October, 1997 RF Engineering 102 - V1.00 (c) 1997 Scott Baxter 4

 TACS, JTACS, ETACS

TACS: Total Access Communications System

■ Adapted from US AMPS standard for use in the UK in 1985
■ 900 MHz. frequency band for Europe, 25 kHz. channel spacing
• slight reduction in frequency deviation and signalling speed
• retains AMPS signalling architecture, but with enhancements
• originally specified for entire band, 1000 channels, but only 600
are part of original TACS allocation, with remainder called
Extended TACS (ETACS)
• currently used in UK, Eire, Spain, Italy, Austria, Malta, Kuwait,
UAE, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, China
• A variant, JTACS, is used in Japan; also an analog NTT
system, not yet included in this chapter
■ Speech transmission by FM
■ Signalling at 10 kb/s on FSK
■ Call Supervision and Control: SAT, Signalling Tone
October, 1997 RF Engineering 102 - V1.00 (c) 1997 Scott Baxter 5
 NMT450, NMT900

NMT: Nordic Mobile Telephone System

■ Developed late 1970’s/early 1980s by PTTs of Sweden, Norway,
Denmark and Finland; commercial service in 1981
■ Originally in 450 MHz. band, later adapted to 900 MHz.
■ Speech transmission by FM with deviation of 5 kHz.
■ Channel spacing 25 kHz. NMT-450, and 12.5 kHz. for NMT-900.
■ Signalling at 1200 b/s using audio FSK
■ Error protection through Hagelbarger convolutional code
■ NMT-450 deployed in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark,
Austria, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France,
Iceland, Faroe Islands, Turkey, Hungary
■ NMT-900 deployed as an overlay for capacity in many of the NMT-
450 areas, and serves as the main network in Switzerland

October, 1997 RF Engineering 102 - V1.00 (c) 1997 Scott Baxter 6

 C-450

C-450: Also known as Netz-C

■ Developed by Siemens for German PTT, Duetsche Bundespost
■ Commercial service in 1985 mainly in German market, with smaller
systems in Portugal and South Africa
■ 450 MHz. frequency band is used with 20 kHz. channel spacing
■ Speech transmission by FM modulation, deviation 4 kHz.
■ Continuous Signalling at 5.28 kb/s by direct FSK
• 12.5 ms. voice frames are compressed into 11.4 ms. and
remainder of the frame contains control data
• error correction by bit interleaving with BCH code
• error correction with repetition and majority voting; block codes
■ Call Supervision and status Signalling
• performed by continuously-available signalling bit stream

October, 1997 RF Engineering 102 - V1.00 (c) 1997 Scott Baxter 7

 Survey of Digital Wireless Technologies
GSM, D-AMPS
CDMA Japan
DCS1800 IS-54 IS-95
PCS1900 IS-136 JStd008 PDC CT-2 DECT
Access Method TDMA TDMA CDMA TDMA TDMA TDMA
900 800 800 8/900
Frequency Band(s) 1800 865 1880
1900 1900* 1900 1400

Channel Spacing 200 30, 50* x 50/25i 100 1728

Modulation type GMSK DQPSK QPSK DQPSK GFSK GFSK
Signal Bandwidth 200+ 30 1250+ 50 100 1800
Signalling Modulation GMSK DQPSK QPSK DQPSK GFSK GFSK
Transmission, kb/s ~240 ~44 1229ss 42 72 1152
Paging/Access ch. CCH (t) CCH(f) CCH(c) CCH(f) BCH BCH
Signalling kb/s ~30 ~44 9.6 x 32 32
Info kb/s 14.4 x 9.6,14.4 11.2 32 32
Info frames/s ~200 50 50 50 packets 100
TCH, TCH, ACCH
In-Call signalling SDCCH
TCH
SACCH
hybrid hybrid
SACCH
Handoff Logic MAHO MAHO+ MDHO ? ? MDHO

October, 1997 RF Engineering 102 - V1.00 (c) 1997 Scott Baxter 8

 GSM
GSM: Groupe Speciale Mobile, also known without objection as
Global System for Mobile Communications
■ Developed by ETSI as Pan-European digital standard
■ Standard includes not only air interface specification, but also
network architecture and internetworking specifications
■ 900 MHz. frequency band is used in Europe and throughout world
• also 1800 MHz. band used for PCS in Europe, world
• also 1900 MHz. band used for PCS in USA, world
■ GMSK modulation with ~240 kb/s symbol rate
• TDMA system with 8 time slots per carrier
• CCH functions occupy one time slot
• extensive protection, convolutional coding, interleaving
• Rich variety of signalling channels - BCCH, SDCCH, etc.
• slow frequency hopping to combat fading and interference
■ Handoffs (Handovers) based on MAHO from mobile

October, 1997 RF Engineering 102 - V1.00 (c) 1997 Scott Baxter 9

 D-AMPS IS-54/IS-136
D-AMPS: North American Digital AMPS
■ Developed by CTIA, US carriers/mfrs. to provide early digital
standard compatible with existing AMPS systems
■ 800 MHz. frequency band is used in North American markets
• 1900 MHz. band also used by PCS operators for IS-136
• widespread use in North, South America, worldwide
• regarded as inferior system by GSM proponents
■ Pi/4 DQPSK modulation
• 8 kB. voice coder; enhanced versions available
• half-rate coder development continuing
■ Signalling at 10 kb/s on dedicated control channels and voice ch.
• Pi/4 DQPSK modulation
■ Call Supervision and status Signalling
• CDVCC, layer 3 messages
■ MAHO Handoff, but with BTS DLCR in some configurations

October, 1997 RF Engineering 102 - V1.00 (c) 1997 Scott Baxter 10

 Japan PDC
PDC: The Japanese Personal Digital Cellular System
■ Developed to replace competing Japanese analog systems
■ Two Bands: 900 MHz. for coverage, 1500 MHz. for PCS
■ Pi/4 DQPSK Modulation, 42 kb/s transmission
• presently full-rate coder (11 kb/s) allows 3 users/carrier
• future half-rate coder (5+ kb/s) to allow 6 users/carrier
• 50 kHz. channel spacing, interleaved to 25 kHz.
• 50 frames/s for voice service
• packet-mode services defined in standard
■ Signalling at 42 kb/s on dedicated control channels

October, 1997 RF Engineering 102 - V1.00 (c) 1997 Scott Baxter 11

 CT-2, DECT
CT-2, DECT: Two European lower-tier PCS systems
■ Could be described as “Public Cordless”
• low-power handsets, long battery life
• time-division duplex bi-directional transmission per channel
■ CT-2 in 800 MHz. band, DECT in 1880 MHz.
• both systems have scattered worldwide applications
■ GFSK modulation
• high bit rates allow full 32K ADPCM for PBX-like voice quality
• propagation delay ~25 ms, much smaller than high-tier
systems
■ Complex, streamlined signalling methods embedded in
combination of physical layer and higher layers

October, 1997 RF Engineering 102 - V1.00 (c) 1997 Scott Baxter 12

 Layer-3 Air Interface Messages

■ Two following slides demonstrate the vocabulary of messages

sent over the air interface in the IS-95 CDMA technology
■ Other technologies have similar message sets
■ Knowledge of the layer-3 messages is essential for fully
understanding call setup, call flow, and for debugging dropped
calls using collected field data

October, 1997 RF Engineering 102 - V1.00 (c) 1997 Scott Baxter 13

 Layer 3 Example:
Structure of a typical CDMA Message
EXAMPLE:
■ CDMA messages on both forward A POWER MEASUREMENT
and reverse links are normally sent REPORT MESSAGE
via dim-and-burst
Field Length
■ Messages include many fields of (in bits)
binary data MSG_TYPE (‘00000110’) 8
■ The first byte of each message ACK_SEQ 3
identifies message type to allow the
MSG_SEQ 3
recipient to parse the contents
ACK_REQ 1
■ To ensure no messages are
missed, all CDMA messages bear ENCRYPTION 2

Time
serial numbers and important ERRORS_DETECTED 5
messages contain a bit requesting POWER_MEAS_FRAMES 10
acknowledgment LAST_HDM_SEQ 2
■ Messages not promptly NUM_PILOTS 4
acknowledged are retransmitted
several times, after which the NUM_PILOTS occurrences of this field:
sender may release the call PILOT_STRENGTH 6
■ Surveyor parses all messages for
review and analysis RESERVED (‘0’s) 0-7

October, 1997 RF Engineering 102 - V1.00 (c) 1997 Scott Baxter 14

 Example: CDMA Messages in Idle States
Pilot Channel Sync Channel
No Messages Sync Channel Msg

Access Channel
Paging Channel BTS

Registration Msg
Access Parameters Msg General Page Msg

Order Msg
System Parameters Msg Order Msg • Mobile Station Acknowldgment
•Base Station Acknowledgment
•Lock until Power-Cycled • Long Code Transition Request
• Maintenance required • SSD Update Confirmation
CDMA Channel List Msg many others….. many others…..

Extended System Channel Assignment Origination Msg

Parameters Msg Msg

Extended Neighbor Page Response Msg

List Msg Feature Notification Msg

Authentication Challenge
Global Service Authentication Response Msg
Redirection Msg Challenge Msg

Status Response Msg

Service Redirection Msg Status Request Msg

TMSI Assignment
SSD Update Msg TMSI Assignment Msg Completion Message

Data Burst Msg

Null Msg Data Burst Msg

October, 1997 RF Engineering 102 - V1.00 (c) 1997 Scott Baxter 15

 Example: CDMA Messages during Call
Forward Traffic Channel
Order Msg Alert With Reverse Traffic Channel
• Base Station Acknowledgment Information Msg
• Base Station Challenge
Confirmation
Service Request Msg Service Request Msg Origination
• Message Encryption Mode Continuation Msg

Authentication Service Response Msg Service Response Msg Authentication Challenge

Challenge Msg Response Msg

TMSI Assignment Msg Service Connect Msg Service Connect TMSI Assignment
Completion Message Completion Message

Send Burst DTMF Msg Service Option Service Option Control Send Burst DTMF Msg
Control Msg Message

Set Parameters Msg Status Request Msg Status Response Msg Parameters Response
Message

Power Control Flash With Flash With Power Measurement

Parameters Msg. Information Msg Information Msg Report Msg

Retrieve Parameters Msg Data Burst Msg Data Burst Message Order Message
• Mobile Sta. Acknowledgment
Analog Handoff Extended Handoff Pilot Strength •Long Code Transition
Direction Msg Direction Msg Measurement Msg Request
• SSD Update Confirmation
SSD Update Msg Neighbor List Handoff Completion Msg • Connect
Update Msg

Mobile Station In-Traffic System

Registered Msg Parameters Msg

October, 1997 RF Engineering 102 - V1.00 (c) 1997 Scott Baxter 16

 Spectrum Usage Capacity Considerations:
Signal Bandwidth, C/I and Frequency Reuse
AMPS, D-AMPS, N-AMPS
Each wireless technology 1 3 1 Users 2
(AMPS, NAMPS, D-AMPS, 7 3
1
GSM, CDMA) uses a specific Vulnerability:
6
5
4
modulation type with its own C/I ≅ 17 dB
unique signal characteristics 30 30 10 kHz Bandwidth
■ Signal Bandwidth Typical Frequency Reuse N=7
GSM
determines how many RF
signals will “fit” in the
operator’s licensed 8 Users
Vulnerability:
1
2
C/I ≅ 6.5-9 dB
spectrum 4
3

■ Robustness of RF signal 200 kHz

determines tolerable level of Typical Frequency Reuse N=4
interference and necessary
physical separation of CDMA Vulnerability: 1
EbNo ≅ 6 dB 1 1
cochannel cells 1
1 1
■ Number of users per RF 22 Users 1 1
1 1
signal directly affects 1
capacity 1250 kHz
1
1
1

Typical Frequency Reuse N=1

October, 1997 RF Engineering 102 - V1.00 (c) 1997 Scott Baxter 17
 Interference From Where?
FDMA vs CDMA Uplink Example
1

■ AMPS, N-AMPS, TDMA, and 4 1

GSM systems use FDMA and 7 2 AMPS-TDMA
separate same-frequency 6 3 7
5 6
users into cells physically far 1
4 5
1
apart to achieve required C/I 2 4 1
values 3 7 2
6
■ CDMA systems allow all 3
5
users in all cells/sectors to 1

use the same frequency. 1

Thus, each nearby user is a

source of interfering energy
against all other users, and a
user’s raw C/I is actually
negative. Each user is CDMA
recovered with its own unique
code, the processing gain
elevating that user above the
demodulated noise floor users
October, 1997 RF Engineering 102 - V1.00 (c) 1997 Scott Baxter 18
 Comparison of Wireless System Capacities
800 Cellular (A,B) 1900 PCS (A, B, C) 1900 PCS (D, E, F)
Fwd/Rev Spectrum kHz. 12,500 12,500 12,500 15,000 15,000 15,000 5,000 5,000 5,000
Technology AMPS TDMA CDMA TDMA GSM CDMA TDMA GSM CDMA
Req'd C/I or Eb/No, db 17 17 6 17 12 6 17 12 6
Freq Reuse Factor, N 7 7 1 7 4 1 7 4 1
RF Signal BW, kHz 30 30 1250 30 200 1250 30 200 1250
Total # RF Carriers 416 416 9 500 75 11 166 25 3
RF Sigs. per cell @N 59 59 9 71 18 11 23 6 3
# Sectors per cell 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
#CCH per sector 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0
RF Signals per sector 18 18 9 22 6 11 6 2 3
Voicepaths/RF signal 1 3 22 3 8 22 3 8 22
SH average links used 1 1 1.66 1 1 1.66 1 1 1.66
Unique Voicepaths/carrier 1 3 13.253 3 8 13.253 3 8 13.253
Voicepaths/Sector 18 54 198 66 48 242 18 16 66
Unique Voicepaths/Sector 18 54 119 66 48 145 18 16 39
P.02 Erlangs per sector 11.5 44 105.5 55.3 38.4 130.9 11.5 9.83 30.1
P.02 Erlangs per site 34.5 132 316.5 165.9 115.2 392.7 34.5 29.49 90.3
Capacity vs. AMPS800 1 3.8 9.2 4.8 3.3 11.4 1.0 0.9 2.6

October, 1997 RF Engineering 102 - V1.00 (c) 1997 Scott Baxter 19

 Capacity of Multicarrier CDMA Systems
CDMA Carrier Frequencies

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1011

Fwd/Rev Spectrum kHz. 12,500 1,800 3,050 4,300 5,550 6,800 8,050 9,300 10,550 11,800 13,050 14,300
Technology AMPS CDMA CDMA CDMA CDMA CDMA CDMA CDMA CDMA CDMA CDMA CDMA
Req'd C/I or Eb/No, db 17 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
Freq Reuse Factor, N 7 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
RF Signal BW, kHz 30 1250 1250 1250 1250 1250 1250 1250 1250 1250 1250 1250
Total # RF Carriers 416 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
RF Sigs. per cell @N 59 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
# Sectors per cell 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
#CCH per sector 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
RF Signals per sector 18 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Voicepaths/RF signal 1 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22
SH average links used 1 1.66 1.66 1.66 1.66 1.66 1.66 1.66 1.66 1.66 1.66 1.66
Unique Voicepaths/carrier 1 13.3 13.3 13.3 13.3 13.3 13.3 13.3 13.3 13.3 13.3 13.3
Voicepaths/Sector 18 22 44 66 88 110 132 154 176 198 220 242
Unique Voicepaths/Sector 18 13 26 39 53 66 79 92 106 119 132 145
P.02 Erlangs per sector 11.5 7.4 18.4 30.1 43.1 55.3 67.7 80.2 93.8 105.5 119.1 130.9
P.02 Erlangs per site 34.5 22.2 55.2 90.3 129.3 165.9 203.1 240.6 281.4 316.5 357.3 392.7
Capacity vs. AMPS800 1 0.64 1.60 2.6 3.7 4.8 5.9 7.0 8.2 9.2 10.4 11.4

October, 1997 RF Engineering 102 - V1.00 (c) 1997 Scott Baxter 20

 End of Section 3

October, 1997 RF Engineering 102 - V1.00 (c) 1997 Scott Baxter 21