7.1.

Wireless
Introduction

System and Standards

Development started in mid 1980s by GSM (Group Special

Mobile).
Initialized by CEPT (Conference of European Post and
Telecommunications).
Good subjective speech quality
Low terminal and service cost
Support for international roaming
Ability to support handheld terminals
Support for range of new services and facilities

ISDN compatibility

GSM is a second generation cellular system.

GSM was the worlds first cellular system to specify digital
modulation. Thus it was a fully digital system utilizing 900 MHz
frequency band.

7.1.1. GSM Services and Features

Services
GSM services are classified as either teleservices or data services.
Teleservices include standard mobile telephony. Data services
include computer to computer communication and packet
switched traffic.

Telephone services include emergency calling and facsimile also

supports videotext and teletex.

Data services (300bps-9.6 kbps)

Supplementary ISDN services includes call forward, call

diversion and call identification.

SMS service.
Features

One of the most remarkable feature of GSM is the SIM

(Subscriber Identity Number), which is a memory device that
stores information such as the subscribers identity no., country
where the subscriber is entitled, privacy keys, etc.

Second feature of GSM is the on air privacy. It is made possible

by encrypting the digital bit stream sent by the transmitter.

User/terminal authentication for fraud control.

Encryption of speech and data over radio path.

7.1.2. GSM System Architecture

HLR

VLR

AUC

BTS
MS

BTS
BTS

Base station
subsystem

PSTN
BSC

MSC

ISDN
Data
Network

OMC

Operation
support
subsystem

Network switching
subsystem

Public
network

7.1.3. GSM Radio Subsystem

890-915 MHz band is used for subscriber to base

transmission (reverse link) and 935-960 MHz
band is used for base to subscriber (forward link)
In Nepal it is 890-897.2 MHz for uplink and 935942.2 MHz for downlink.
The available freq. bands is divided into 200 kHz
channels called ARFCNs (Absolute Radio
Frequency Channel Numbers).
The ARFCN channel pair is separated by 45 MHz
and each channel is time shared between eight
subscribers using TDMA.

Radio transmission are made at a channel data

rate of 270.833 kbps (1625.0/6.0 kbps).
Each TS has an equivalent time allocation of
156.25 bits.
But 8.25 bits of guard time and six total start and
stop bit are provided to stop overlap.
Each TS has a time duration of 576.92 s and
frame span of 4.615 ms.
4.615 ms

TSo TS1 TS2 TS3 TS4 TS5

576.92 s
156.25 bits

TS6 TS7

7.1.4. GSM Channel Types

GSM Traffic Channels (TCH)
Traffic channels carry user speech or user data.
A traffic channel (TCH) may be full rate or half rate and
is used to carry speech and data. Half-rate TCHs will
effectively double the capacity of a system once halfrate speech coders are specified (i.e., speech coding at
around 6.5 kbps, instead of 13 kbps)
Traffic channels are defined using a 26-frame
multiframe, or group of 26 TDMA frames. The length of
a 26-frame multiframe is 120 ms.
Out of the 26 frames, 24 are used for traffic, 1 is used
for the Slow Associated Control Channel (SACCH) and 1
may be ideal or SACCH. For full rate TCH ideal frame is
used and for half rate TCH SACCH is used.

T0 T1 - - - - T10 T11T12 S T13 - - - - T22 T23 T24 I/S

120 ms

GSM Control channels (CCH)

Control channels carry signaling and synchronizing commands
between the base station and the mobile station.
There are three main control channels in GSM system.
Broadcast Channels (BCH)
The broadcast channel operates on the forward link and transmit
only in the first time slot (TS0). BCH provides synchronization for
all mobiles within the cell and is monitored by mobiles in
neighboring cells so that received power and handoffs decisions
may be made.
Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH)
Continually broadcasts, on the downlink, information including
base station identity, channel availability, frequency allocations.
Frequency Correction Channel (FCCH)
The FCCH is a special data burst which occupies TS 0 for the very
first GSM frame (frame 0) and is repeated every ten frames
within a control channel multiframe.

Synchronization Channel (SCH)

Used to synchronize the mobile to the time slot structure
of a cell, and the time slot numbering. Every cell in a
GSM network broadcasts exactly one FCCH and one SCH,
which are by definition on time slot number 0 (within a
TDMA frame).
Common Control Channel (CCCH)
These channels occupy TS0 that is not otherwise used by
BCH or the Ideal frame. They are used to assign
signaling channels to users, and receive mobile request
for service.
Paging Channel (PCH)
Used by base station to alert all mobile station of an
incoming call in the cell.
Random Access Channel (RACH)
Channel used by the mobile to request access to the
network and also to acknowledge a page from PCH.
Access Grant Channel (AGCH)
Used by the base station that carries the information for
the mobile to operate in a particular physical channel
with a particular dedicated control line.

Dedicated Control Channels (DCCH)

These are bidirectional used for providing signaling
services required by the users.
There are three types of DCCH in GSM.
Stand-alone Dedicated Control Channels (SDCCH)
It ensures that the mobile station and the base station
remain connected while the base station and MSC
verify the subscriber unit and allocate resources for the
mobile. It is used to send authentication and alert
messages.
Slow Associated Control Channel (SACCH)
It carries information such as transmit power level
instructions and specific timing, received signal
strength and quality.
Fast Associated Control Channel (FACCH)
It carries urgent messages such as handoff request.

7.1.5. Example of GSM Call

-The subscriber unit must be synchronized to a
nearby BS as it monitors the BCH.
-To originate a call, the user first dials the digit
combination and presses the send button on
the GSM phone.
-The mobile transmits a burst of RACH data,
using the same ARFCN (Absolute Radio
Frequency Channel Number) as the BS .
-The BS then responds with an AGCH message on
the CCCH which assigns the mobile unit to a
new channel for SDCCH connection.
-The subscriber unit, which is monitoring TS0 of
the BCH, receive its ARFCN and TS from the
AGCH and immediately tune to the new ARFCN
and TS.

- This new ARFCN and TS is physically the SDCCH.

- Once tuned to the SDCCH, the subscriber unit first waits
for the SACCH frame to be transmitted
- The base station is able to determine the proper timing
and signal level from the mobiles earlier RACH
transmission and sends the proper value over the
SACCH, for the mobile to process.
- Upon receiving and processing the timing information in
the SACCH, the subscriber is now able to transmit
normal burst messages .
- The SDCCH sends messages between the mobile unit
and BS, take care of authentication and user validation,
while PSTN connects the dialed party to the MSC, and
the MSC switches the speech path to the serving BS.
- After a few seconds, the mobile unit is commanded by
the BS via the SDCCH to retune to a new ARFCN and
TS for the TCH assignment.
- Once retuned to the TCH, speech data is transferred on
both the forward and reverse links, the call is
successfully underway.

7.1.6. Frame Structure for GSM:- Each user transmits a burst of data during the
time slot assigned to it. For These data burst,
there are 5 specific formats.
- These 5 types of data bursts used for various
control and traffic bursts.
Normal bursts are used for TCH and DCCH
transmission on both the forward and reverse
link.
-FCCH and SCH bursts are used to broadcast
the frequency and time synchronization control
message on the forward link.
-The RACH burst is used by all mobile to access
service from any BS.
-The dummy burst is used as filler information
for unused time slots on the forward link.

In normal burst, it consists of 148 bits which are transmitted at a

rate 270.833333 kbps (an unused guard time of 8.25 bits is
provided at the end of each burst).
-Out of the total 148 bits per TS, 114 are information bits which
are transmitted as two 57 bit sequence i.e. beginning and end of
the burst.
-The midamble consists of 26 bit which allows the adaptive
equalizer in the mobile or BS receiver to analyze the radio channel
characteristics before decoding the user data.
-Stealing flag used as control bits (i.e. 1 bit) and is used to
separate whether the TS contains voice (TCH) or control (FACCH)
data.
-There are eight timeslots per TDMA frame, and the frame period
is 4.615ms.A frame contains 8*156.25=1250 bits, some bits
periods are not used. The frame rate is 216.66 frame per second
(i.e. 270.833kbps/1250 bits/frame=216.66).
-Each of the normal speech frames are grouped into larger
structures called multiframes.
One multiframe contains 26
TDMA frame
-Group of multiframe is called super frame and one super frame
contain 51 multi frames.

7.1.7. Signal Processing In GSM

Deals basic operations involved in GSM

for signal Processing from TX TO RX .
How are they carried out ?

GSM OPERATIONS:
- The figure for the GSM operations from speech input to
speech output is follows:

Speech

Speech

Digitizing and
Source Coding

Source decoding

Channel Coding

Channel decoding

Interleaving

De-Interleaving

Burst Formatting

Burst Formatting

Ciphering

Radio
Channel

De-Ciphering

Modulation

Demodulation

Fig : GMS operations from speech input to speech output

Speech Coding

Based on the residually excited linear predictive coder (RELP)

enhanced by including Long Term Predictor (LTP)
Bit Rate is 13 kbps (260 bit /20ms)
GSM system take advantage of normal conversation (less than
40%)
By Incorporating Voice activity detector(VAD), Operate in
discontinuous transmission (DTX)
A comfort noise sub system (CNS) at receiver side.

Channel Coding

GSM support TCH/FS,SACCH & FACCH

The output bit of speech coder order into three groups
*
Type Ia (most
important 50 bits)
*
Type Ib (middle of 132 bits)
*
Type II ( least important 78 bits)

Due to error protection scheme increase gross data rate of GSM

channel coding to 22.8 kbps
Channel coding for the data Channel
* GCM
full rate data channels (TCH/F9.6)

Channel coding for control channels

Control channel messages encoded using a

shortened binary cyclic fire code (SBCFC)
*

Fire code uses generator

polynomial (GP) G5(x) =x40+x25+x23+x17+x13+1
*

The resulting 456 bits are interleaved into 8

consecutive frames.
*

Type Ia
50 bits

50

Type Ib
132 bits

132

Type II

78 bits

Convolutional Code
Rate 1/2, constraint length 5

378

78

Fig : Error Protection for speech signal in GMS

INTERLEAVING

Minimize the effect of sudden fades

Frame (114 bits) are divided into two sub
frame (57+57)
0a

4b

1a

5b

2a

6b

3a

7b

4a

0b

5a

1b

6a

2b

7a

3b

Fig : Diagonal interleaving used for TCH/SACCH/FACCH data

Where,

a = Containing TS0 for 57 bits of data from 0th sub block of the n th speech coder frame
b = Containing 57 bits of data form the 4th sub block of the (n-1)st speech coder frame

CIPHERING

Encryption Techniques known to the particular

mobile station & base transceiver Station
For Security purpose encryption coding is
changed call to call.
Type of ciphering algorithm.
* A3 algorithm (pass code with in SIM with
cryptographic key at MSC)
* A5 algorithm (provide Scrambling for 114 coded
data bits send in each TS)

Ciphering algorithm is used in GSM

* To prevent unauthorized network access
* Privacy for radio transmission

BURST FORMATTING

Add binary data to ciphered blocks.

synchronization
equalization of the receive signal

MODULATION
Modulation scheme used in GSM is 0.3 GMSK (GMSK - Special type of
FM, 0.3- 3db bandwidth)
In GSM Binary one & zero by shifting 67.708 KHz (minimized
bandwidth & improve channel capacity)
MSK modulated signal passed through a Gaussian filter to smooth
rapid frequency

DEMODULATION
The appropriate TS are demodulated with aid of
synchronization data provided by the burst formatting.