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GSM Fundamentals

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Chapter 1 GSM System Overview

Chapter 2 GSM Network Structure
Chapter 3 Service Area and Number Planning
Chapter 4 Channels on the Wireless Interface

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GSM system overview

The GSM system is a frequency- and time-division cellular system,

each physical channel is characterized by a carrier frequency and a
time slot number

Cellular systems are designed to operate with groups of low-power

radios spread out over the geographical service area. Each group of
radios serve MSs presently located near them. The area served by
each group of radios is called a CELL

Uplink and downlink signals for one user are assigned different
frequencies, this kind of technique is called Frequency Division Duplex
(FDD)

Data for different users is conveyed in time intervals called slots ,

several slots make up a frame. This kind of technique is called Time
Division Multiple Access (TDMA)

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Multiple Access Technique

Multiple Access Technique allows many subscribers to use the

same communication medium.

There are three kinds of basic Multiple Access Technique :

FDMA , TDMA and CDMA.

GSM system adopt FDD-TDMA (FDMA and TDMA together).

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FDMA

FDMA uses different frequency

channels to accomplish
communication.

The whole frequency spectrum

available is divided into many
individual channels (for
transmitting and receiving)every
channel can support the traffic for
one subscriber or some control
information.

Frequency

Time

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TDMA

TDMA accomplishes the

communication in different
timeslot.

A carrier is divided into

channels based on time.
Different signals occupy
different timeslots in certain
sequence , that is , many
signals are transmitted on
the same frequency in
different time.

Frequency

Time

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The Frequency Spectrum

GSM 900

Uplink

890

Downlink

915

935

Duplex Separation:
Channel Bandwidth:
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960MHz

45MHz
200KHz
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The Frequency Spectrum

DCS 1800

Base Station Receive

1710

Base Station Transmit

1785 1805

Duplex Separation:
Channel Bandwidth:
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1880MHz

95MHz
200KHz
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Chapter 1 GSM System Overview

Chapter 2 GSM Network Structure
Chapter 3 Service Area and Number Planning
Chapter 4 Channels on the Wireless Interface

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Interface Between Different Entities

MSC/VLR

PSTN
ISDN

GMSC

GSM /GPRS BSS

Abis

MS

BSC

A
HLR/AUC

BTS
PCU
BSC

SS7
Gb

SMS system

MS Um
BTS
GPRS backbone

Gi

SGSN
GGSN

Ga
OMC

CG

BG
Gp

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Internet,
Intranet

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Other PLMN

Chapter 1 GSM System Overview

Chapter 2 GSM Network Structure
Chapter 3 Service Area and Number Planning
Chapter 4 Channels on the Wireless Interface

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Service Area

Service Area
PLMN
PLMN service
service area
area
MSC service area...

PLMN service area

MSC service area...

Location area...

Location area...

cell

cell

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......

LAI
MCC

MNC

LAC

Location Area Identification

The LAI is the international code for a location area.

MCC: Mobile Country Code
It consists of 3 digits .
For example: The MCC of China is "460"
MNC: Mobile Network Code
It consists of 2 digits .
For example: The MNC of China Mobile is "00"
LAC: Location Area Code
It is a two bytes hex code.
The value 0000 and FFFF is invalid.
For example: 460-00-0011
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CGI
CGI: Cell Global Identification

The CGI is a unique international identification for a cell

The format is LAI+CI
LAI: Location Area Identification
CI: Cell Identity. This code uses two bytes hex code to
identify the cells within an LAI.
For example : 460-00-0011-0001

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BSIC
BSIC
Base Station Identification Color Code)

NCC

BCC
BSIC

NCC: PLMN network color code. It comprises from 0-7. It

allows various neighboring PLMNs to be
distinguished.
BCC: BTS color code. It comprises from0-7, used to
distinguish different cells assigned the same
frequency!

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Chapter 1 GSM System Overview

Chapter 2 GSM Network Structure
Chapter 3 Service Area and Number Planning
Chapter 4 Channels on the Wireless Interface

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Physical Channel and Logical Channel

The physical channel is the medium over which the
information is carried: 200KHz and 0.577ms
The logical channel consists of the information carried
over the physical channels

1 2

Timeslot

3 4

5 6

7 0

1 2

The
Theinformation
informationcarried
carriedin
inone
onetime
time
slot
slotis
iscalled
calledaaburst
burst

TDMA FRAME
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TDMA FRAME
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Two types of Logical Channel

Traffic Channel (TCH) :
Transmits traffic information, include data
and speech.

Control Channel (CCH) :

Or Signaling Channel, transmits all kinds of
control information.

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Traffic Channel (TCH)

TCH
Traffic Channels

Speech

TCH/FS

TCH/HS

Data

TCH/9.6

TCH Traffic Channel

TCH/FS Full rate Speech Channel
TCH/HS Half rate Speech Channel
TCH/9.6 Data Channel 9.6kb/s
TCH/4.8 Data Channel 4.8kb/s
TCH/2.4 Data Channel 2.4Kb/s
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TCH/2.4

TCH/4.8

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Control Channel (CCH)

CCH (Control Channels)
DCCH
SDCCH

FACCH

BCH

ACCH
BCCH
SACCH

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CCCH
SCH

Broadcast Control Channel BCCH

Common Control Channel CCCH
Dedicated Control Channel DCCH
Associated Control Channel ACCH

Synch. CH.

RACH

CBCH

PCH/AGCH

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FCCH

Broadcast Control Channel BCCH

CCH

The information carried on the BCCH

is monitored by the MS

BCH

periodically when it is in idle mode

BCCH: Broadcast Control Channel
FCCH: Frequency Correction Channel

BCCH

Synch.
Channels

SCH

FCCH

SCH: Synchronization Channel

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Common Control Channel CCCH

CCH

The CCCH is responsible for

transferring control information
between all mobiles and the
network.

CCCH

RACH: Random Access Channel

PCH: Paging Channel
AGCH: Access Granted Channel
CBCH: Cell Broadcast Channel

RACH
uplink

CBCH
downlink

PCH/AGCH
downlink
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Dedicated Control Channel DCCH

CCH

DCCH is assigned to a single

wireless connection for
measurement and handover
purpose.
SDCCH: Stand-alone Dedicated
Control Channel
ACCH: Associated Control Channel
SACCH: Slow Associated
Control Channel
FACCH: Fast Associated Control
Channel

DCCH

SDCCH

FACCH

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ACCH

SACCH

Uplink Logical channel

RACH

CCH

CCCH

SDCCH
SACCH

DCH

DCCH

FACCH
TCH/F
TCH/H

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TCH

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Downlink Logical channel

FCCH

CCH

BCCH

SCH
BCCH

CCCH

PCH
AGCH

SDCCH

DCH

DCCH

SACCH
FACCH

TCH

TCH/F
TCH/H

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How to use these channels?

Power-off

Search for frequency correction burst

FCCH
SCH
BCCH

Search for synchronous burst

Extract system information
Idle mode

Monitor paging message

PCH
RACH
AGCH
SDCCH
SDCCH
TCH
FACCH

Send access burst

Allocate signaling channel
Dedicated mode

Set up the call

Allocate voice channel
Conversation
Idle mode

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Release the call

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Thank You
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