WiMAX: Broadband Wireless Access

Wireless Networks Spring 2007

802.16 Standards Development

Use wireless links with microwave or millimeter wave radios

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10-66 GHz 802.16a extension to 2-11 GHz

Use licensed spectrum (unlicensed too in 802.16a) Metropolitan in scale Provide public network service to feepaying customers Point-to-multipoint architecture with rooftop or tower-mounted antennas
Wireless Networks Spring 2007

802.16 Standards Development

Provide efficient transport of heterogeneous traffic supporting QoS Capable of broadband transmissions (275 Mbps)
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Accommodate both continuous and bursty traffic

Mobile extensions: 802.16e

Wireless Networks Spring 2007

IEEE 802.16 Protocol Architecture

Wireless Networks Spring 2007

Protocol Architecture

Physical layer functions:

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Encoding/decoding of signals Preamble generation/removal Bit transmission/reception On transmission, assemble data into a frame with address and error detection fields On reception, disassemble frame, and perform address recognition and error detection Govern access to the wireless transmission medium
Wireless Networks Spring 2007

Medium access control layer functions:

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Protocol Architecture

Convergence layer functions:

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Encapsulate PDU framing of upper layers into native 802.16 MAC/PHY frames Map upper layers addresses into 802.16 addresses Translate upper layer QoS parameters into native 802.16 MAC format Adapt time dependencies of upper layer traffic into equivalent MAC service
Wireless Networks Spring 2007

IEEE 802.16 Services

Digital audio/video multicast Digital telephony ATM Internet protocol Bridged LAN Back-haul Frame relay
Wireless Networks Spring 2007

Burst Profiles

Each subscriber station negotiates a burst profile with the base station Burst profiles decided based on QoS needs and channel conditions
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Harsher environment demands more robust profiles Favorable environment allows efficient profiles

Wireless Networks Spring 2007

IEEE 802.16.1 Frame Format

Header - protocol control information

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Downlink header used by the base station Uplink header used by the subscriber to convey bandwidth management needs to base station Bandwidth request header used by subscriber to request additional bandwidth

Payload either higher-level data or a MAC control message CRC error-detecting code
Wireless Networks Spring 2007

Physical Layer: Uplink

Stations transmit in in their assigned allocation specified in an initial map Uplink sub-frame may also contain contention-based allocations for initial system access Uses a DAMA-TDMA technique Error correction uses Reed-Solomon codes Modulation scheme based on QPSK, 16QAM or 64-QAM
Wireless Networks Spring 2007

Physical Layer: Downlink

Continuous downstream mode

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For continuous transmission (audio/video) Simple TDM scheme is used for channel access Frequency division duplex (FDD)

Burst downstream mode

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For bursty transmission (IP-based traffic) DAMA-TDMA scheme for channel access FDD with adaptive modulation, frequency shift division duplexing (FSDD), time division duplexing (TDD)
Wireless Networks Spring 2007

Medium Access Control (MAC)

Connection-oriented
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All services inherently connectionless mapped to a connection

Connections referenced using a 16bit connection identifier (CID) Management channels and transport channels for contracted services

Wireless Networks Spring 2007

Radio Link Control

Power control and paging Transition among burst profiles Downlink burst profile change
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Subscriber station monitors downlink quality Requests a new profile Granted if base station judges possible Base station monitors the uplink signal quality Specifies the new profiles usage code when granting subscriber bandwidth in a frame
Wireless Networks Spring 2007

Uplink profile change

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Bandwidth Requests & Grants

Two kinds of subscribers

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Grant per connection (GPC) Grant per subscriber (GPSS)

Both classes request bandwidth per connection for QoS guarantees For GPC, bandwidth explicitly guaranteed to connection For GPSS, bandwidth aggregated into a single grant for SS
Wireless Networks Spring 2007

Requesting Bandwidth

Unsolicited grants
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No need to request bandwidth for services that generate fixed units of data periodically Negotiated at connection setup time

Send a bandwidth request MAC packet Piggyback request within MAC data packet Polling by base station

Wireless Networks Spring 2007

MAC Management Messages

Uplink and downlink channel descriptor Uplink and downlink access definition Ranging request and response Registration request, response and acknowledge Privacy key management request and response Dynamic service addition request, response and acknowledge
Wireless Networks Spring 2007

MAC Management Messages

Dynamic service change request, response, and acknowledge Dynamic service deletion request and response Multicast polling assignment request and response Downlink data grant type request ARQ acknowledgment
Wireless Networks Spring 2007