David Gundlegrd & Arash Matinrad LiTH KTS

2011

Lab Exercise 2: TNK093 Mobile Communication Radio Resource/Link Control

Exploring Cellular Networks using Ericsson TEMS Investigation
Preparation: read page 245-246 in WCDMA for UMTS by Holma & Toskala

Introduction
You have already got familiar with TEMS tool in Lab Exercise 1. In this lab you will again explore trace files from the GSM and UMTS networks (including HSDPA). The trace files are collected close to the university using a Sony-Ericsson Z750i and a GPS receiver. In the current lab our focus is more on radio resource (RR) control part of a mobile network. We will look into RR messages in active/idle mode and handover messages in GSM and UMTS networks. As well as SMS RR commands and replies, and data mode RR messages. You need to refer to what you have learned from lectures in order to finish the lab. Start by looking at the log files GSM_speech.log, UMTS_speech.log, HSDPA_download.log and SMS.log. If you click in the WCDMA/GSM Line Chart window, you can choose where in the file you want to look (use the arrow keys to move around). Expand the Signalling folder to the left, doubleclick on Layer 3 Messages and have a brief look at the signalling messages that are sent.

Open and run the GSM_speech.log file. 1. Find and select the Call attempt in the Event window. a. Identify Layer 3 messages of RR type that you know from lectures. b. Find out what channels are assigned using the Layer 3 messages. 2. In Packet Mode event: a. How does it start? b. Which side initiates it? c. What is the TMSI of the phone in this event? d. What type of data mode is established? e. What channel is assigned for the data traffic? 3. When the MS is in idle mode, explain what it is doing in terms of RRC. 4. How many handovers are performed? a. What is the type of handover? 5. Use the Line Chart to plot the RxLev (Sub) values for the current channel and the best neighbour channel (Neighbour RxLev Sorted). Are we always connected to the cell with the best RxLev? 6. How would a handover strategy that always chooses the cell with the highest RxLev perform? 7. Add the RxQual (Sub) value to the plot. Are any of the handovers clearly motivated by the RxQual value?

Open the SMS.log file: 8. Find the SMS received event, identify through which channel SMS is received. a. Explain how the channel is assigned

David Gundlegrd & Arash Matinrad LiTH KTS

2011

b. How channel assignment relates to MS mode (idle/active mode) Open and run the UMTS_speech.log file. 9. Look in RRC messages in Layer 3 messages windows, from Call attempt to Call Established, explain the procedure and signalling you can recognize. 10. What happens in a UMTS handover? a. Look at RRC messages, what major activities are going on? 11. Compare the number of handovers in UMTS with GSM. Is there any obvious difference? Use Line chart and plot the elements AS No of Members, AS CPICH Ec/No (add three of this one) and Mon Neigh CPICH Ec/No (add three of this one too). 12. Indicate the position of the first radio link addition and explain why it occurs 13. How many cells are at most connected simultaneously? a. Is Active set being reported in the uplink? And if it is explain why? 14. Estimate the window_add parameter using the first radio link addition Open and run the HSDPA_download.log file. 15. What is the IP address of the cell phone? Is it public or private? 16. Plot the HS-DSCH throughput. What is the maximum throughput? Is it high/low for a HSDPA connection? 17. How many codes are used on the HS-PDSCH? How would a change in the number of used codes affect the throughput? 18. Are there any handovers performed? In that case, is it MAHO, NEHO or MEHO?