CELLULAR CONCEPTS

&
SYSTEM DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS

Dr. Muhammad Waheed
PhD, RRM in 4G & Beyond Networks
Certified Lte RNPO
Waheed.Muhammad@ptcl.net.pk
OUTLINE
Introduction
Frequency Reuse/Planning
Channel Assignment Strategies
Handoff Strategies
Interference & System Capacity
Trunking & GOS
Improving Coverage & Capacity in Cellular
Systems

INTRODUCTION
Early Mobile Radio System
Design objective
Large coverage
Limitations
No Frequency reuse
Interference limitations
Challenges
Increased service demands
non-availability of spectrum allocations in proportion to
demands
Requirement
Radio system restructuring
Cellular Systems, to achieve:
high capacity
With limited spectrum
While having large coverage




FREQUENCY REUSE/PLANNING
Cell
Small geographic area
Base station (BS) in each cell is allocated group of radio
channels
Adjacent Cells BSdifferent group of channels.
Cellular Base Stations
Antennae designed for limiting coverage within cell.
Avoiding interference to cells using same group of
channels
Frequency reuse/planning
In cellular system design
Channel grouping
Group allocation to cellular BSs

FREQUENCY REUSE/PLANNING
Cluster
Group of cells
Frequency reuse factor
If cluster size =N
Total number of duplex channels =S
If each cell has uniform same group of channels= k
Freq, reuse factor =1/N
Total no. of available radio channels =S=kN
System Capacity
If no. of clusters using same S radio channels=M
Capacity = C=MkN=MS

FREQUENCY REUSE/PLANNING
Hexagon geometry
To connect cells without gaps b/w adjacent cells
Geometry of hexagon
No. of cells per cluster, N can have value satisfying:


Nearest co-channel cell:
1. Move i cells along any chain
2. Turn 60 degree counter-clockwise and move j cells
If i =2, j = 2, ..gives N=12

FREQUENCY REUSE/PLANNING
Example:
FDD System
Total Bandwidth 10MHz Paired(10+10)
Channel bandwidth= 100k
Total available chls =10,000K/100k=100

1. No. of Chls per cell, for N = 7 = 100/7=14
2. No. of Chls per cell, for N = 12 = 100/12=8
3. No. of Chls per cell, for N = 19 = 100/19=5




CHANNEL ASSIGNMENT STRATEGIES
Classification
Fixed
Dynamic
Fixed Channel Assignment
Predetermined set of channels for voice/data
Service subject to unused channel availability
Call blocking
Channel borrowing (MSC supervise)
Dynamic Channel Assignment
Chls not allocated permanently
Call requestBS request MSC for chl allocation
MSC allocates chls .avoiding blocking.interference
MSC collects Radio Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI)
Increase computational load of system
Increased chl utilization
Decreased blocking probability


HANDOFF STRATEGIES
Handoff
Active state
When mobile moves into a different cell while
conversation/data session is in progress
MSC automatically transfers the call/session to new
channel belonging to new BS.
Voice/Data , Control chls are allocated are that of new BS
Idle State.
When mobile moves into a different cell while its in idle
state.

Handoff strategies.
Priority
Prioritize Handoffs over new initiations requests
Allocate un-allocated chls in a cell site for H/O


HANDOFF STRATEGIES .. ..
Initiation thresholds
Need optimum signal levels at which H/O can be initiated
Minimum usable signal level at MS/BS
For BS is normally between -90dBm and -100dBm
And slightly lower on BS side*
Initiation thresholds

System/Operator Policies
Different systems, operators have different policies
For managing Handoffs
Treating HO as new calls
HO failure equals blocking probability

* Network EIRP threshold is lower & antenna gain is higher than MS

HANDOFF STRATEGIES ..
Prioritizing Handoffs
Guard Channel concept
Fraction of total available chls in cell are reserved for handoffs
Static , reduces cell traffic/throughput.
Dynamic , efficient spectrum utilization

Queuing Handoff requests
To decrease probability of forced termination of call
Due to lack of chls available for HO
Time between the.. time the received signal level drops
handoff threshold &
Time the call is terminated due to insufficient signal level
Doesnt guarantee zero probability of forced termination
Since large delays cause signal drop below the level required
to maintain communication


HANDOFF STRATEGIES ..
Practical Consideration
Mobility/Speed
User travelling Cars/high speed
Pedestrian/Slow speed.
Dynamic , efficient spectrum utilization

Cell Size
Micro .capacity
Macro .Coverage
UmbrellaWide coverageHighways
LoS/Low penetration losses
Cell dragging
HO doesnt occur, user move into other cells
Traffic management issues
Different technologies
Hard handoff
Different Chls after HOChanellized wireless systemsGSM
Soft Handoff
Different BS after HO.Spread spectrum systems.CDMA




INTERFERENCE & SYSTEM CAPACITY
Interference
Major factor limiting.cellular system performance
Sources
Other BS/Transceivers, MS, Calls, Sessions in the same cell, energy in
the band
Types
Co-channel
Adjacent channel
Competitors transmitters are often significant source of out of
band interference

INTERFERENCE & SYSTEM CAPACITY ..
Co-Channel Interference & System Capacity
Co-channel Cells
Frequency re-use systems
Cells using same set of frequencies/chls
Co-channel cells
Co-Channel Interference
Interference between signals form Co-channel cells
Thermal noise can be overcome improving SINR
Co-channel interference cannot be combated by increasing carrier power of
transmitter
Increasing carrier tx powerincreases interference in neighboring co-
channel cells
To reduce co-channel interference..physical separation/sufficient isolation
Co-channel reuse ratiorelated to cluster size:



Where D is distance b/w centers of co-channel cells of radius R
Small Q large capacitycluster size N is small


INTERFERENCE & SYSTEM CAPACITY ..
Channel Planning for wireless Systems
1G/2G/GSM
Frequency planning is difficult
Sectoring is used to improve SINR
Leads to smaller cell size
Coverage region and interference levels are well defined

CDMA
Cluster size N =1
Has dynamic , time varying coverage region
Cell Breathing:
Coverage region varies depending upon instantaneous no. of
users
Difficult decisions
for power assignment to control /voice channels

INTERFERENCE & SYSTEM CAPACITY ..
Adjacent Channel Interference & System Capacity
Interference form signals which are adjacent in
frequency to desired signal.
Result from improper receive filters which allow
nearby frequencies to leak into pass band.
Serious if adjacent chl user is transmitting very
closenear-far effect.

Adjacent Chl interference can be minimized
Through careful filtering &
Channel assignments

INTERFERENCE & SYSTEM CAPACITY ..
Power Control
For reducing interference
BS controls MS transmit power
To ensue MS transmits at minimum power level required
for quality common reverse link
Improve battery life of MS
Reduces reverse channel S/I in the system

CDMA
Power is important to allow every user in every cell to
share same radio channel

TRUNKING AND GRADE OF SERVICE (GOS)
Trunking allows a large number of users to share
relatively small no. of channels
Pool of chls.each user is assigned chl on per call
basis.
Chl returned to pool upon call termination

Grade of Service (GoS)
GoS is measure of ability of a user to access a
trunked system during busiest hour
GoS is a benchmark used to define the desired
performance of a particular trunked system
by specify a desired likelihood of a user obtaining chl
access out of available in trunked system.

THANKS