GSM Air Interface

The transmission path between the BTS and the mobile device is
referred to as the air interface or the Um interface.
Subscribers are time multiplexed by dividing the carrier into frames
with durations of 4.615 milliseconds.
Each frame contains eight physically independent timeslots, each for
communication with a different subscriber.

Figure:GSM TDMA frame

 Each burst of a TDMA frame is divided into a number of different sections

Figure :GSM burst

Each burst is encapsulated by a guard time in which no data is sent. This is

necessary because the distance of the different subscribers relative to the base
station can change while they are active.
The training sequence in the middle of the burst always contains the same
Bit pattern. It is used to compensate for interference.
At the beginning and end of each burst, another well-known bit pattern is
sent to enable the receiver to detect the beginning and end of a burst correctly
 GSM Logical Channels
For the transmission of user or signaling data, the timeslots are
arranged into logical channels.
Traffic channel (TCH)-a user data channel. It can be used to
transmit a digitized voice signal or circuit-switched data services.
Standalone Dedicated Control Channel (SDCCH)-a pure signaling
channel that is used during call establishment.
Broadcast Common Control Channel (BCCH)-main information
channel of a cell and broadcasts SYS_INFO messages that contain a
variety of information about the network.
Paging Channel (PCH)-used to inform idle subscribers of incoming
calls or SMS messages
 Random Access Channel (RACH)-only common channel in the uplink
direction. If the mobile device receives a message via the PCH that
the network is requesting a connection establishment or if the user
wants to establish a call or send an SMS, the RACH is used for the
initial communication with the network.
Access Grant Channel (AGCH)-If a subscriber sends a channel
request message on the RACH, the network allocates an SDCCH and
notifies the subscriber on the AGCH via an immediate assignment
message. The message contains information about which SDCCH or
TCH the subscriber is allowed to use.
Figure: Establishment of a signaling connection
 Speech Processing in GSM
Voice signals has to be proceeded in order make them possible to be
transmitted over air.
The following figure shows the steps involved to transform speech
audio to radio waves and vice versa.
Speech coding
Speech Coding
A TCH uses all but two bursts of a 26-burst multi frame, with one being
reserved for the SACCH and the other remaining empty to allow the mobile
device to perform neighboring cell measurements.
A burst that is sent to or from the mobile every 4.615 milliseconds can
carry exactly 114 bits of user data.
This results in a raw data rate of 22.8 kbit/s.
a substantial part of the bandwidth of a burst is required for error
detection and correction bits. The resulting data rate for the actual user
data is thus around 13 kbit/s.
In the mobile network, the compression and decompression of the voice
data stream is performed in the Transcoding and Rate Adaptation Unit
(TRAU), which is located between the MSC and a BSC and controlled by the
BSC.
During an ongoing call, the MSC sends the 64 kbit/s PCM-encoded voice
signal toward the radio network and the TRAU(Transcoding & Rate
Adaption Unit) converts the voice stream in real time into a 13 kbit/s
compressed data stream, which is transmitted over the air interface.
Figure: GSM compression
Channel Coder and Interleaver
channel coder unit adds error detection and correction information
to the data stream.
interleaver changes the bit order of data frame in a specified pattern.
Consecutive frames are thus interlocked with each other. On the
receiver side, the frames are put through the de-interleaver, which
puts the bits again into the correct order. It eliminate the chances of
consecutive bits getting corrupted over transmission.
Figure: Frame Interleaving