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Understanding General
Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
Application Note 1377
Table of Contents
Page
Introduction
In response to customer demand for wireless Internet
accessand as a stepping-stone to 3G networksmany
GSM operators are rolling out general packet radio service
(GPRS). This technology increases the data rates of
existing GSM networks, allowing transport of packetbased data. New GPRS handsets will be able to transfer
data at rates much higher than the 9.6 or 14.4 kbps
currently available to mobile-phone users. Under ideal
circumstances, GPRS could support rates to 171.2 kbps,
surpassing ISDN access rates. However, a more realistic
data rate for early network deployments is probably
around 40 kbps using one uplink and three
downlink timeslots.
Unlike circuit-switched 2G technology, GPRS is an
always-on service. It will allow GSM operators to
provide high speed Internet access at a reasonable cost
by billing mobile-phone users for the amount of data
they transfer rather than for the length of time they
are connected to the network.
This paper will look in detail at the new protocols,
procedures, and other technology changes that GPRS
brings to GSM networks.
MAP
GMSC
PSTN
MAP
BSC
PCU
HLR
AUC
GPRS
register
Gs
Gb
Gr
SGSN
GPRS traffic and signaling
Gn
Gc
GGSN
Packet
data
network
(internet/intranet
mail server)
Gi
Mobile phones go through different states of communication. For example, when a GSM phone camps onto a
network, the phone enters an idle state in which it uses
very few network resources. When the user makes a call
request or receives a call, however, the phone goes into
the dedicated state in which it is assigned a continuous
resource until the connection is terminated.
Class A (GSM/GPRS)
Class A mobiles can attach to the GPRS and GSM network
simultaneously. They can receive GSM voice/data/SMS
calls and GPRS data calls. For this to happen, the
mobiles must monitor both the GSM and GPRS
networks for incoming calls. Class A mobiles also can
make and receive GPRS and GSM calls simultaneously.
Operational requirements of this class include an
additional receiver in the mobile phone for neighbor
cell measurements.
Class B (GSM/GPRS)
This class is similar to class A with the exception that
Class B mobile phones will not support simultaneous
traffic. If a GPRS call is ON, the phone cannot receive
GSM calls and vice versa.
Class C (GSM or GPRS)
This class of mobile phones will have both GSM and
GPRS functionality but will attach to only one network
at a time. Thus, if the phone is attached to the GPRS
network, it will be detached from the GSM network
and will not be able to make or receive GSM calls.
Conversely, if it is attached to the GSM network, it
will not be able to make or receive GPRS calls.
Today most manufacturers are building Class B phones.
GMM
MS
Um
BSS
Gb
1. Attach request
2. Security procedures
SGSN
Gs
VLR
MAP
HLR
2. Security procedures
3. Location update
4. Location update
5. Attach accept
Gs
SM
MS
Um
BSS
Gb
SGSN
Gs
GGSN
GGSN
Application
IP/X.25
SNDCP
LLC
RLC
MAC
GSM RF
MS
Relay
Um
Relay
BSSGP
RLC
MAC
NS
GSM RF
L1 bis
BSS
Gb
SNDCP
LLC
BSSGP
NS
L1 bis
GTP
UDP/TCP
IP
L2
L1
SGSN
10
Gn
IP/X.25
GTP
UDP/TCP
L2
IP
L2
L1
L1
GGSN
11
Compression
1520 octets segmentation
C
D
LLC
Blocks
SNDCP
LLC
Relay
BSSGP
GTP
UDP/TCP
GTP
Application
L1 bis GSM RF
BSS
UDP/TCP
L2
L1
Gn
L1
GGSN
RLC
Blocks
E
4 TDMA Bursts
L2
IP
IP/X.25
IP
L2
NS
L1
L1 bis
SGSN
Gb
Application
NPDU
Application
Um
Application
IP/X.25
SNDCP
LLC
RLC
MAC
GSM RF
Ms
12
13
NPDU NPDU
Compression
segmentation
LLC LLC LLC LLC
Frame Frame Frame Frame
IP/X.25
Relay
SNDCP
LLC
BSSGP
GTP
GTP
UDP/TCP
UDP/TCP
IP
IP
NS
L2
L1
L1 bis
SGSN
14
Application
Gn
L2
L1
L2
L1
GGSN
15
Option 1: Uses GSM signaling resources and fixed or dynamic traffic channels
BCH
CS
CS
CS
CS
CS
P-Data P-Data
Option 2 : Uses separate signaling resources and fixed or dynamic traffic channels
16
BCH
CS
PBCH
CS
CS
CS
P-Data P-Data
PAGCH
DL
PACCH
UL/DL
PTCCH
UL/DL
PNCH
DL
17
TN
B
0 HC
10123
Timing frames
........51
2 B0 B1 B2 T B3 B4 B5 I B6 B7 B8 T B9 B10 B11 I
3
4
Idle frames
5
6
7
18
19
Multi-slot configurations
A multi-slot configuration consists of multiple circuit-or
packet-switched channels together with their associated
control channels, all allocated to the same mobile phone.
The multi-slot configuration occupies up to 8 physical
channels, with different timeslot numbers (TNs) but the
same frequency parameters and the same training
sequence.
A mobile may be allocated several PDTCH/Us (packet
traffic data channel/uplink) or PDTCH/Ds (packet traffic
data channel/downlink) for a mobile-originated or a
mobile-terminated communication, respectively. In this
context, allocation refers to the list of PDCHs that can
dynamically carry the PDTCHs for that specific mobile.
The PACCH may be mapped onto any of the allocated
PDCHs. If there are m timeslots allocated for reception
and n timeslots allocated for transmission, there shall
be Min (m, n) reception and transmission timeslots
with the same TN.
Multi-slot configuration depends on the type of mobiles:
Type 1 mobiles do not transmit and receive simultaneously. Hence their multi-slot usage is limited by
the time required to do neighbor cell measurements.
There are 29 multi-slot classes defined, each with specific parameters. Key parameters for multi-slot configuration are the following:
Tx, the number of simultaneous timeslots on which a
mobile can transmit
Rx, the number of simultaneous timeslots on which
MS can receive
Sum, the total number of timeslots that can be
used in the uplink and downlink. For example, the
expression TX =3 and Rx=3, Sum = 4 means that a
mobile of this class can receive on three timeslots
and transmit on one only; receive on two and transmit
on two; or receive on one and transmit on three. In
any case, the total number of timeslots cannot be
greater than four.
Tn, the minimum number of timeslots required to
measure adjacent channels for a particular class of
mobile. This parameter will impose limitations on
the type of mobile for a particular class.
Type 2 mobiles can transmit and receive simultaneously and hence support more slots.
Figure 10. MS multislot class
Multislot class
Rx timeslots
Tx timeslots
Sum
Tn
1
1
1
2
4
2
2
1
3
3
3
2
2
4
3
4
3
1
4
3
5
2
2
4
3
6
3
2
4
3
7
3
3
4
3
8
4
1
5
2
9 10 11 12 13 14
3 4 4 4 3 4
2 2 3 4 3 4
5 5 5 5 NA NA
2 2 2 2 3 3
20
15
5
5
NA
3
16
6
6
NA
2
17
7
7
NA
1
18
8
8
NA
0
19
6
2
NA
2
20
6
3
NA
2
21
6
4
NA
2
22
6
4
NA
2
23
6
6
NA
2
24
8
2
NA
2
25
8
3
NA
2
26
8
4
NA
2
27
8
4
NA
2
28
8
6
NA
2
29
8
8
NA
2
RF power control
RF power control is used to minimize the transmit
power required by the mobile or BSS while still maintaining the quality of the radio links. By minimizing the
transmit power levels, interference among co-channel
users can be reduced.
For circuit-switched services, the mobile is commanded
by the base station to change its power level. The base
station directs this process with the help of the uplink
Rx level and Rx quality measurements. For GPRS, however, the process is controlled by the mobile, since
transmission is not continuous.
The mobile calculates the output power (in dBm) to be
used on each uplink PDCH. The output power of any
channel has to be the minimum required to maintain the
quality of service, with exception of the maximum power
transmitted on the access bursts.
Output power is calculated by the mobile using specific
power-control parameters set by the network, which are
dependent on the maximum allowed power in the cell,
the mobiles power class, and the signal strength of
the receiver.
To measure the minimum uplink output power of a
mobile,
Pch = min (0-ch-( * (C+48)), Pmax
21
22
B0
B1
B0
B1
B0
B1
B0
B1
B0
B1
~
~
B0
B1
TAI=0
B2 T B3 B4
TA message 1
TAI=2
B2 T B3 B4
TA message 1
TAI=4
B2 T B3 B4
TA message 2
TAI=6
B2 T B3 B4
TA message 2
TAI=8
B2 T B3 B4
TA message 3
TAI=14
B2 T B3 B4
TA message 3
B5
B6
B7
B5
B6
B7
B5
B6
B7
B5
B6
B7
B5
B6
B7
B5
B6
B7
TAI=1
B8 T B9 B10 B11 I
TA message 1
TAI=3
B8 T B9 B10 B11 I
TA message 1
TAI=5
B8 T B9 B10 B11 I
TA message 2
TAI=7
B8 T B9 B10 B11 I
TA message 2
TAI=9
B8 T B9 B10 B11 I
TA message 3
TAI=15
B8 T B9 B10
TA message 3
~
~
B11 I
USF
BCS
Tail bits
Coding
Puncturing
Encoded
bits
22 octets
181 bits
9.05
40
228
Half rate
No
456
32 octets
268 bits
13.4
16
294
Half rate
132
456
38 octets
312 bits
15.6
16
338
Half rate
220
456
52 octets
428 bits
21.4
12
16
456
No
No
456
BO
23
Section 6:
Packet data transfer operations
In this final section we examine some of the procedures
associated with packet data transfer. This is important
because the concepts described here will provide valuable background information for RF engineers who are
required to troubleshoot GPRS data network problems
using the layer 3 message protocol decoding capability
of commercial drive test tools from vendors such as
Agilent Technologies.
As we have already seen, to initiate a packet transfer
a GPRS mobile first must attach itself to the GPRS network, and then perform a GPRS-specific process known
as PDP context activation. The PDP context assigns an
IP address to the mobile (if it has no static address).
Then the mobile can access the network, request
resources, send data, go into standby mode if no data is
being transmitted, and repeat the process over again.
One-phase request
MS
Network assigns either
- set of radio blocks
- single block (turns
to phase two)
BSS
Packet channel request
RACH cause: one-phase/two-phase
Packet uplink assignment
Two-phase request
MS
Network assigns either
- single block for
next message
BSS
Packet channel request
RACH cause: one-phase/two-phase
Packet uplink assignment
Packet resource request
Fixed
Dynamic
24
PRACH
More capabilities
- multislot class
- priority level
- # of Blocks
required (1 - 8)
DL
B0
B1
B2
B3 B4
B5
PCCH USF2/1 USF2/1 T USF1/4 USF8 USF8
UL
B2
B0 R R R R MS2
B3
MS2
B4
MS1
B6
B7
B8
B9 B10 B11
USF8 USF3/1 USF3/1 T USF3/1 USF4/1 USF4/1 I
B5
MS1
B6
MS1
B7
MS1
B8
MS3
B9
MS3
B10
MS4
B11
MS4
25
TN
B
0 HC
10123
2 PDTCH
3
4
Start frame: 5
Timeslots: 2
BitMap: 6 bits: 100111
PDTCH PDTCH T PDTCH PDTCH PDTCH I PDTCH PDTCH PDTCH T PDTCH PDTCH PDTCH
........51
PDTCH PDTCH T PDTCH PDTCH PDTCH I PDTCH PDTCH PDTCH T PDTCH PDTCH PDTCH
26
1 0 0 1 1 1
50123
6 PDTCH
........51
MS
BSS
Packet channel request
Packet uplink assignment
Data block
Data block (last in send window [64])
Temporary packet ack/nack
Data block
Data block
Data block
Packet resource reassignment
Packet resource reassignment ack
Data block
Data block
Data block (last)
Final packet ack/nack
RACH/PRACH
AGCH/PAGCH
PDTCH
PDTCH
PACCH
PDTCH
PDTCH
PDTCH
PACCH
PACCH
PDTCH
PDTCH
PDTCH
PACCH
27
MS
BSS
Packet paging request
Packet channel request
Packet downlink assignment
Data block
Data block (polling)
Packet downlink ack/nack
Data block
Data block
Data block
Packet downlink assignment
Packet control ack
Data block
Data block
Data block (last, polling)
Packet downlink ack/nack (final)
PPCH
RACH/PRACH
AGCH/PAGCH
PDTCH
PDTCH
PACCH
PDTCH
PDTCH
PDTCH
PACCH
PACCH
PDTCH
PDTCH
PDTCH
PACCH
28
Cell reselection
The final data transfer process that we will consider
is cell reselection. This is useful for understanding how
a mobile will hand over a call from cell to cell as the
mobile moves through the wireless network.
Summary
GPRS technology adds packet-switching capability to GSM
that opens the door for new Internet-based services and
other high-speed data applications. However, GPRS also
adds new protocols and complexity to the network. An
understanding of the technology and the changes it
brings will be vital for successful deployment of GPRS
and a full realization of the benefits it brings to the
mobile network.
29
30
31
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