Nemo Drive Test on 2G/3G

Networks
Toha Ardi Nugraha
Trainer at Expert Coaching Clinic

Network Optimization Process

Reason of Drive Test?

1.
2.
3.
4.

Network Performance Monitoring

Maintenance
Benchmarking
Customer Complains

Module 1 : Overview 3G System (1 hour)

Module 2 : Drive Test Concept (1,5 hour)
Module 3 : Drive Test on Field (2,5 hour)
Module 4 : Reporting (2 hour)
Module 5 : Analysis (2 hour)

Module 1

OVERVIEW 3G SYSTEM

Data Transmission

GSM & UMTS Evolution

3G/UMTS Architectures (Migration)

Specification of GSM
Frequency band :
Uplink
890 915 Mhz
Downlink
935 960 Mhz
Duplex spacing : 45 Mhz
Carrier spacing : 200 khz
Modulation
: GMSK
Access method : FDMA / TDMA

GSM network Architecture (contd)

3 Subsystem in GSM network
- BSS (Base Station Subsystem)
- NSS (Network and Switching Subsystem)
- OSS/OMC (Operating and Support system or
Operating and Maintenance Centre)

GSM network Architecture (contd)

BSS (Base Station SubSystem)
BTS (Base Transceiver Station)
- Radio equipment
- To transmit and Receive signal to MS
- Defined a Cell coverage
depend on the power transmit

BSC (Base Station Controller)

- RRM for several BTS
- Handover management

TRAU
- Rate adaption

GSM network Architecture (contd)

NSS (Network and Switching Sub System)
MSC (Mobile Switching Centre)
HLR (Home Location Register)
VLR (Visitor Location Register)
AuC (Authentication Center)

GSM network Architecture (contd)

Operation and Support System
Control and Monitor the Network
- NMC (Network Management Centre)
- Some OMC are controlled by NMC

- OMC (Operation and Maintenance Centre)

GSM Frequency Bands

GSM type

Frequency Band
Uplink (UL)

Downlink (DL)

890-915 Mhz

935-960 Mhz

GSM 1800 (DCS 1800)

1710-1785 Mhz

1805-1880 Mhz

GSM 1900 (PCS 1900)

1850-1910 Mhz

1930-1990 Mhz

GSM 900

GSM Channelization
Physical Channel
200 Khz (Frequency Carrier) consist of 8 TS

Logical Channel
Control Channel
Traffic Channel

Control
Channel

Traffic
Channel

GSM channelization (Contd)

Logical
channel

Chontrol
Channel

Broadcast
channel

Common
Control
Channel

Traffic
Channel

Dedicated
Control
Channel

Full Rate

Half rate

3G/UMTS Concept

WCDMA Concept
UMTS Architecture
Channelization
Handover

WCDMA - Wideband CDMA

Radio access technology for one of the UMTS access
modes (UTRA FDD) using 5 MHz duplex channels.
Frame length is of 10 msec, Chip rate is 3.84 Mcps
All users share the same frequency and time domain
Users separated by the codes

UMTS Radio Frequency Ranges

FDD (Frequency Division Duplex)
TDD (Time Division Duplex)

Channelization in UMTS

Logical Channel between RLC

and MAC
Specific for information types
What type of data to be
transferred

Transport channel between MAC

and PHY
Specific for how to transfer
information? (quality guarantee)
How and with which type of
characteristic the data is
transferred by the Physical
Layer

Physical Channel

Exact Physical characteristics of the

radio channel

WCDMA Channel (Cont.'s)

Spreading means increasing the signal bandwidth
Spreading includes two operations
Channelization (increases signal bandwidth)
Orthogonal Spreading

Scrambling
(does not affect the signal bandwidth)
Use pseudo-noise codes

Handover Concept
BSC
Handover Req
Acknowledge

Handover
Request
Handover Req
Acknowledge

Handover Req
Acknowledge
Handover
Complete

Handover
command
Handover
Request

Posisi 2

Site B

Posisi 3

Posisi 1

Site A

Handover: Types (2G)

Intracell handover
MS moves from one sector to another sector within
same cell
IntraBSC handover
MS moves from cell to another cell within same BSC
IntraMSC handover
MS moves from cell to another cell from different BSC
within same MSC
InterMSC handover
MS moves from cell to another cell from different BSC
and different MSC

Handover: Types (3G)

Intra-System handovers
Intra-frequency handovers
Soft, Softer
Inter-frequency handovers
Hard
Inter-System handovers
Handover between
WCDMA <> GSM (Hard)
Handover between
WCDMA/FDD <> TDD
(Hard)

Pilots Set
The handset considers pilots in sets
Active : pilot of sector actually in use
Candidate : pilots mobile requested,
but not yet set up & transmitting by
system
Neighbors: pilots told t mobile by
system, as nearby sectors to check
Remaining: any pilots used by system
but not already in the other sets

Soft Handover Algorithm

T
Measurement
Quantity

CPICH 1

As_Th + As_Th_Hyst

AS_Th AS_Th_Hyst

As_Rep_Hyst

CPICH 2

CPICH 3

Time

Cell 1 Connected

Event 1A
Add Cell 2

Event 1C
Replace Cell 1 with Cell 3

Event 1B
Remove Cell 3

Module 2

DRIVE TEST CONCEPT

Network Environment
UMTS Drive Test is testing and measuring performance of
3G/UMTS network.
Tools :
1. Software Nemo Outdoor
2. PC laptop
3. GPS
4. Scanner

Reason of Drive Test?

Network Performance Monitoring

Maintenance
Benchmarking
Customer Complains

Continuous Drive Test

Drive Test (outdoor)
GPS

Walk Test (indoor)

Pin point/way point

Analyze Data Collection

Analyze data that was collected before
(from Log files)

To know some problems in current area

Reporting
To Answer Analyze Data Collection (Objective
Answer)
Optimization Consideration
Recommendation

Parameters DT GSM
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Rx Level
Rx Qual
SQI
Cell Id, BSIC
TA (Timing Advance)
ARFCN, etc

Parameters DT UMTS
UARFCN (UMTS Absolute Radio Frequency Channel
Number)
RSCP (Receive Signal Code Power)
RSSI (Receive Signal Strength Indicator)
SC (Scrambling Code)
Ec/No
UE TxPower (dBm)
Throughput
BER, etc

Open Device Manager

Step 1:
Start >Settings> Control
Panel > System
Or My Computer >
Manage > Device Manager

Step 2: Choose Hardware

Tab in System Properties >
Click Device Manager.

Open Device Manager

Step 3 :
Look port to
conect hardware
(Modem)
Scanner/GPS &
Check COM
Ports

Connect UE & Check COM Ports

Double click the 3G
Modem to check Trace
port number > Check
under Modem Tab.
For UE Modem:
In device manager
view:

Start Nemo Outdoor 5.07 and Load

Workspace

Make sure the Nemo dongle is connected to the laptop.

Launch Nemo Outdoor 5.07.
Load the desired workspace.
Workspace should contains adequate information for the
user to monitor.
Different workspace should be created for different setup
configuration.
Nemo workspace are stored proper folder for easy
access, eg.
C:\Nemo Tools\Nemo Outdoor\Workspaces

Running Program
Start >Program Files > Nemo Tools > Nemo Outdoor 5

Workspace
Details
Device Configuration
Load a measurement

User Interface Nemo Outdoor 5

Device

graph

Worksheet

Load Workspace
Step 3: Browse to Nemo Workspace Folder -> Select workspace >
Click Open.

Create Workspace
Parameter

Add Devices
Step 1: Go to Measurement workspace > Add New Device.

Step 2: Click the Configuration part

> Trace port and Modem port

Nemo Interface
Map Interface
Open map (.tab)

Nemo logfiles and other files are stored proper folder for easy
access, eg.
C:\Nemo Tools\Results (.nmf)

Module 3

DRIVE TEST ON FIELD (OUTDOOR)

Module 4

REPORTING

Map Info
Exporting from Nemo Outdoor
Select Parameters

Reporting KPI with Map Info

Layer Control
Symbol

Create Thematic Map

Define Network Performance
Open Table

Export to Map Info

Select Parameters

Report KPI With Mapinfo

KPI (Key Performance Indicator) : key

to detemaint Network performance.
like as , RSCP, Ec/No, etc

Mapinfo is Software for loading and

mapping geogharphic analysis

File > open file (chose file

extention .tab)
Ex : bandung.tap
Used Layer control

Open Log files

Example file (.tab)

Layer Control
Command:
View
Edit

Create Symbol

Create Thematic Map

Create Thematic Map (Cont.'s)

Create Thematic Map (Cont.'s)

Reporting with Map Info

Open Table

Module 4

ANALYSIS (TUNING THE NETWORK)

UMTS Optimization

3 Mayor Steps in Optimizing Network

UMTS performance indicator
Problem Signature
Tuning network
Specific Neighbor list
Managing excessive soft handoff

3 Mayor Steps in Optimizing Network

RF optimization is the process of measuring,
analyzing, and tuning and existing network to meet
network performance criteria
It usually occurs after the network planning is completed
It can be performed frequently to respond:
Changes or growth in the network
Customer complaints such as coverage,
dropped call etc.
The need to improve capacity.

UMTS Performance Indicator

KPI Target :

RSCP (good > -85 dBm)

Ec/No ( > -8 dB)
BER (98%)
Analyze Pilot Pollution Area
Drop Call Rate (DCR)
HSR (Handover Success Rate)
Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR)

Problem Signature
Missing Neighbor or No Neighbors defined for
Site. (Database)
Poor Coverage Area.
Pilot Pollution Area

Poor Coverage Area

Test mobile measurements

Antenna configuration check
Verification of RF network design
Propagation model verification
Link budget analysis

Improving coverage
Cell spliting, Sectorisation
Difficult , Expensive
Primarily used for capacity enhancement

Overlaid cell structure

Micro- and picocells
Cellular repeaters
RNC
Node B Node B
Node B
Node B

Pilot Pollution
Active set UE > 3 and in range 5 dB or approximately 3
dB from the biggest active set.
Reduce system performance,

Antenna Fine Tuning

Horizontal plane
Possible coverage weakness between sector
Interference reduction
Traffic load distribution

Vertical Plane
Interference reduction
Possible coverage weakness in the short to medium
distance range
Traffic load distribution

Tuning the Network

Solution (Antenna Adjustments)
Include :
Down tilting
Antenna Height
Azimuth
Type of antenna
Reason of Down tilting:
1 Reduce interference
2 Optimizing cell

Antenna Configuration
General points to check
antenna type, e.g.
omni
directional 60, 90 or 120 degrees
electrical downtilt
antenna azimuth angle (for directional antenna)
coverage targets
antenna tilt angle
electrical + mechanical
diversity & isolation
e.g. space diversity,
polarisation diversity

Type Antenna Down tilt

Mechanical down tilt

Physic, Sectoral

Electrical down tilt

Easy

0
Electrical

0
Mechanical

Typical antenna beam pattern

Omni vs. Sectorised

OMNI cells - more difficult to optimize
Electrical down tilt possible, however
same for entire cell

Parameters same for entire cell

Directional antenna
narrower beam easier to control interference
tilting less efficient with wider beams
Sectorised cell site with different
downtilt angles

Reference
Short Course In Building DCS 1800 Coverage, Mobile
Communication Laboratory, 2009
Short Course Drive Test UMTS, Mobile Communication
Laboratory, 2008
Short Course Drive Test CDMA 2001x and Optimization, Mobile
Communication Laboratory, 2008
Short Course CDMA Drive Test and Optimization, Antenna
Laboratory, 2007
Nemo_Outdoor_manual

Thanks