GSM System Survey Revision

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 GSM stands for Global System for Mobile Communication

GSM
Second Generation for Mobile System. Digital System. Efficient Use of the Spectrum. Speech privacy and security. Better resistance to interference (Introducing the frequency Hopping) Efficient use of the power battery (Introducing the power control) GSM Networks are called PLMN: Public Land Mobile Networks i.e. the Radio Sites are located on land, not using satellites.

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 GSM System can work in different bands as follows:

Frequency Band-Down Link GSM 800 E-GSM (Extended GSM) P-GSM 900 (Primary GSM) GSM 1800 (DCS) GSM 1900 (PCS) 869 894 MHz 925 935 MHz 935 960 MHz 1805 1880 MHz 1930 1990 MHz Frequency Band-Up Link 824 849 MHz 880 890 MHz 890 915 MHz 1710 1785 MHz 1850 1910 MHz

DCS: Digital Cellular System PCS: Personal Communication Services.

But what do we mean by frequency Band? What is the DL and UL? Why DL is higher than UL band?
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 Frequency Band
The range of frequencies which the operator is allowed to use for transmission and reception.

Down Link and Up link bands

DL band is the range of frequencies used by the Base station when transmitting to the MS while the UL band is the range of frequencies used by the Mobile station when transmitting to the Base Station.

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 Why DL band is higher than the UL band?

As freq then attenuation with air Since Power BaseStation > Power MobileStation then it is wise to configure the higher frequencies that will be attenuated fast to the side that is using higher power (BTS).

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 Access Techniques What do we mean by Multiple Access techniques?

These are the Techniques through which many MSs can access the shared media which is the air interface. i. FDMA ( Frequency Division Multiple Access) Each MS is assigned a dedicated frequency through which he can talk. ii. TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) All MSs are using the same frequency but each of them will be utilizing it only over a certain period of time called Time Slot (TS) In GSM System were using TDMA over FDMA where the frequency band is divided into no. of frequencies each of which is shared among no. of MSs, where each MS will be assigned a certain TS on certain frequency.

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 For P-GSM (GSM 900)

UL Band 890MHz 915MHz, DL Band 935MHz 960MHz Each Band is 25 MHz Guard Band between DL and UL is 20 MHz Duplex Distance = 45 MHz Carrier separation = 200 KHz No. of frequencies = 124
Downlink 935 960 MHz

Uplink 890 915 MHz

200 KHz 1 890 1 935 935.2
2 3

890.2
2 3

890.6
4

Uplink

121 122 123 124 121 915 F (MHz)

890.4 935.6
4

Downlink GSM 900 Frequency Allocation

121 121 122 123 124

935.4

960

F (MHz)

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 For the all GSM Bands

System Uplink (MS BS) Downlink(BS MS) Wavelength Bandwidth Duplex distance Carrier separation No. of carriers

P-GSM 900
890 915 MHz 935 960 MHz

E-GSM 900
880 915 MHz 925 - 960 MHz

GSM(DCS) 1800
1710 1785 MHz 1805 - 1880 MHz

GSM(PCS) 1900
1850 1910 MHz 1930 - 1990 MHz

33 cm 25 MHz 45 MHz 200 kHz 124

33 cm 35 MHz 45 MHz 200 kHz 174

17 cm 75 MHz 95 MHz 200 kHz 374

16 cm 60 MHz 80 MHz 200 kHz 299

Channel rate

270.8 kbps

270.8 kbps

270.8 kbps

270.8 kbps

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 GSM Network Architecture

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 Core Network (NSS: Network Switching System) MSC (Mobile Switching Center)
Routing/Switching of calls between 2 end users within the GSM Network. Charging & Billing. Paging of MSs is originated from the MSC Access to PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) Act as a Gateway for other networks. Controls no. of BSCs connected to it.

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 HLR (Home Location Register)

Centralized Network data base stores and manages all mobile subscriptions. Example: IMSI, MSISDN, MSRN, Services subscribed/restricted for that user. IMSI,MSISDN.ppt

VLR (Visitor Location Register)

It is co-located with the MSC. Stored in it a copy of the users profile on temporary basis.

AUC (Authentication Center)

Provides the HLR with the authentication parameters and ciphering Keys used by the MSC/VLR to authenticate certain user. (Triplets: RAND, SRES, Kc) Authentication.ppt

EIR (Equipment Identification Register)

Used to authenticate the user equipment through the IMEI. IMEI = International Mobile Equipment Identification
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 BSS (Base Station System) BSC (Base Station Controller)

It controls the air interface, it takes the decisions based on the reports came from the MS and BTS. Channel Allocation. Controls the Handover Process. Dynamic Power Control. Frequency Hopping.

BTS (Base Transceiver Station)

It is the Hardware equipment needed to provide the radio coverage. Speech Coding/Channel Coding/Interleaving/Ciphering/Burst formatting/Modulation all these are done within the BTS (RBS=Radio Base Station) Equipment: Cabinet, jumpers, feeders, combiners, antennas.
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 MS (Mobile Station) Mobile Equipment

Transmit the radio waves. Speech coding and decoding. Call control. Performance measurement of radio link.

SIM card (Subscriber Identification Module)

Stores user addresses (IMSI, MSISDN, TMSI). Stores authentication key Ki, authentication algorithm A3 and ciphering algorithm A8&A5 Stores the subscribed services.

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 Over the Air Interface

Frequency Band is divided into no. of frequencies. Each frequency is divided into 8 Time slots (TS) Each user will be assigned 1 TS. One time slot duration = duration of 156.25 bits 1 Bit duration=3.7 sec Time slot duration =156.25x3.69 sec= 0.577 msec 1 Frame = 8 TSs Frame duration=0.577x8= 4.616 msec Bit rate on the air interface is 270 Kbps, but for each user it is 33.8 Kbps

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 Physical Channels vs. Logical Channels Physical channel: Time slot is called the physical channel. Logical channel: It is the content that will be sent over the physical channel.

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 Logical Channels
Logical Channels

Traffic Channels

Control Channels

Half Rate

Full Rate

Broadcast Frequency Correction Channel Synchronization Channel Broadcast Control Channel

Common Paging Channel Access Grant Channel Random Access Channel

Dedicated

Fast Associated Control Channel Cell Broadcast Control Channel Slow Associated Control Channel Standalone Dedicated Control Channel

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 Traffic Channels Full Rate Channels (FR)

Carries users speech traffic or user data DL and UL. Each user is assigned 1 TS. Transmission rate is 13 Kbit/s.

Half Rate Channels (HR)

Carries users speech traffic or user data DL and UL. 2 users will share 1 TS (physical channel), each of them will be utilizing it each frame. Transmission rate is 6.5 Kbit/s

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 Control Channels These are used to carry signaling or synchronization data, theyre divided into three types:
Broadcast Channels (BCH) Common Control Channels (CCCH) Dedicated Control Channels (DCCH)

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 BCH (Broad Cast Control Channels) i. Frequency Correction Channel (FCCH)

Pure signal is transmitted to help the MS to lock on the frequency of the BTS and synchronize to its frequency. (DL channel)

ii.

Synchronization Channel (SCH)

Carries the TDMA frame number. BSIC (Base Station Identification Code) of the cell. (DL Channel)

iii.

BCCH (Broad Cast Control Channel)

LAI (Location Area Identity) Cell parameters (used power, Idle mode parameters,..etc) List of BCCH carries of the neighbor cells i.e. BA List (DL Channel)
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 CCCH (Common Control Channels) i. Paging Channel (PCH)

Used to inform the MS of an incoming call or sms, where the MSs IMSI/TMSI will be sent over it. (DL channel)

ii.

Random Access Channel (RACH)

Used by the MS to ask for an SDCCH to respond to the request send on the paging channel /initiate a call/location update/IMSI attach-detach. (UL Channel)

iii.

AGCH (Access Grant Channel)

Used by the network to assign an SDCCH sub-channel for the MS. (DL channel)

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 DCCH (Dedicated Control Channels) i. Standalone Dedicated Control Channel (SDCCH)

Used for signaling purposes: call setup, location update, IMSI attach-detach Used to send/receive SMSs in idle mode. (DL/UL channel)

ii.

Slow Associated Control Channel (SACCH)

Always allocated in conjunction with traffic channel/SDCCH channel to transmit measurement reports. DL measurement reports will include commands from the network to the MS to adjust its power level. Information about the Time Advance. UL measurement reports will include information about the MS own power, received SS & Quality from serving cell and SS from neighbor cells. Used to send SMSs in active mode. (DL/UL channel)
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 DCCH (Dedicated Channels) iii. Fast Associated Control Channel (FACCH)

Used to send necessary Handover information. Work in stealing Mode such that 1 TCH channel is replaced by FACCH to send the HO information. (DL/UL channel)

iv.

Cell Broad Cast Channel (CBCH)

It is sent point to multi point i.e. from the cell to the mobiles attached to it, this channel may carry information about the traffic, weather reports,etc. (DL channel)

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 Mapping of Logical Channels on the Physical channels Mapping on TS0/BCCH carrier (DL)

51 consecutive control frames = 1 Control multi frame

Where F:FCCH, S:SCH, B:BCCH, C:PCH/AGCH

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 Mapping of Logical Channels on the Physical channels Mapping on TS0/BCCH carrier (UL)

TS0 in UL is reserved for the RACH, for the MS to access the system.
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 Mapping of Logical Channels on the Physical channels Mapping on TS1/BCCH carrier (DL)

Where D:SDCCH, A:SACCH

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 Mapping of Logical Channels on the Physical channels Mapping on TS1/BCCH carrier (UL)

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 Mapping of Logical Channels on the Physical channels Mapping on TS2/BCCH carrier (DL/UL) if it will be used by certain MS in active mode

26 consecutive Traffic frames = 1 Traffic multi frame

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 TDMA Multi Frames Structure Traffic Multi Frames

Traffic Multi Frame = 26 consecutive traffic frames (4.61msec x 26 =120msec)

Control Multi Frames

Control Multi Frame = 51 consecutive Control frames (4.61msec x 51 =235msec)

Super Frame 51 consecutive Traffic Multi Frames or 26 consecutive Control Multi Frames
Super Frame = 6.12 seconds

Hyper Frame 2048 consecutive super Frames

Hyper Frame = 3 hours and 29 minutes nearly.
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Thank You !

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