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Knowledge Data Base

TCH Drop Optimization


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!"#
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'age (total)
! (!*)

Optimization Knowledge Data Base
TCH Drop Optimization
+uality $ssurance
Author Version Date Comment
+uality $ssurance !"# !!"#&"2#!#
Knowledge Data Base
TCH Drop Optimization
Technology
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1 PURPOSE.................................................................................................................................................. 3
THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROCEDURE IS TO TEACH OR TO HELP THE GSM RF ENGINEERS TO
EFFECTIVELY OPTIMIZE THE TCH DROP RATE...................................................................................... 3
THERE DIFFERENT REASON OF TCH DROP RATE. IN THIS PROCEDURE IT TRIES TO EXPLAIN
EACH ONE OF THEM AND GIVE POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO REDUCE THEM......................................3
2 PROCESS DESCRIPTION......................................................................................................................... 3
3 KPIS, ANALYSIS & MEASUREMENTS OF THE PROCESS....................................................................4
.....................................................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................
UL ! UPLINK, DL ! DO"NLINK, BL !BAD #UALITY AND LO" SIGNAL .............................................
4 FLO" DIAGRAM FOR PROCESS............................................................................................................ $
FLO" DIAGRAM POINTS DESCRIPTION............................................................................................... %
$ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION................................................................................................................. 14
Knowledge Data Base
TCH Drop Optimization
Technology
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$pproed Date
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1 PURPOSE
The purpose o- this procedure is to teach or to help the G./ R0 1ngineers to
e--ectiely optimize the TCH Drop Rate"
There di--erent reason o- TCH Drop Rate" In this procedure it tries to e2plain each one o-
them and gie possi3le solutions to reduce them"
The document descri3es the inestigation procedure -or TCH Drop Optimization"
2 PROCESS DESCRIPTION
The -irst thing to do is to understand the process o- TCH $ssignment so in this way we
can identi-y what 4ind o- TCH Drop are we dealing with" 0irst o- all we hae to identi-y the
possi3le causes o- TCH Drop" This can 3e chec4ed with the -ile GT5G./5BH5.T$T."2ls" Here
you can see all the reasons o- the TCH Drop"
The -ollowing procedure should 3e per-ormed -or TCH $ssignment analysis6
!6 0or TCH assignment success rate7 the -irst thing7 chec4 the TCH Time Congestion"
26 I- there is congestion on TCH7 it is recommend doing the dimensioning and adding TR8
3ased on carried TCH tra--ic demand"
,6 I- there is no congestion on TCH7 chec4 the output power o- the BT." I- the output power is
low7 increase the output power"
96 I- the output power is o47 chec4 the -aulty BT. 3y e2tracting BT. error log"
&6 I- hardware -ault -ound7 swap or repair H:"
'er-orm drietests to chec4 the coerage and receied R2;1<"
*6 I- no dominant cell or similar signal strengths o- a -ew cells -ound during drietests7 it is
recommended to add BT."
=6 I- there is no pro3lem on the dominant cell7 chec4 the inter-erence whether co>channel or
ad?acent channel"
@6 Chec4 the distur3ance whether it is on .DCCH or target TCH" I- distur3ance -ound7 improe
the -reAuency plan"
/ostly7 the pro3lems o- low TCH assignment are TCH aaila3ility and inter-erence"
Causes o- high rate o- call loss drop are as -ollows6
(!) Inter-erence (networ4 internal inter-erence7 e2ternal inter-erence7 inter-erence -rom the
eAuipment itsel-")
(2) Bad coerage (Blind Bones7 ;onely Islands)
(,) Inappropriate handoer (planning o- ad?acent cells7 handoer parameters")
(9) Im3alance 3etween uplin4s and downlin4s (Tower $mpli-ier7 'ower $mpli-ier7 $ntenna
Direction)
Knowledge Data Base
TCH Drop Optimization
Technology
2G
Document ID
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$pproed Date
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9 (!*)
(&) Inappropriate 'arameter con-iguration (Counter -or radio lin4 -ailure7 num3er o- .$CCH
multi>-rames
(*) 1Auipment pro3lem (Carrier 3oard7 'ower $mpli-ier7 Tower $mpli-ier)
3 KPIS, ANALSIS ! "EASURE"ENTS o# the $ro%ess
% TCH ASSIGNMENT SUCCESS RATE =
TASSATT
100 * TFCASSALL
Name Data T&$e Des%ri$tion
TASSATT
numeric(!2
)
Number of
assignment attempts
on TCH
TFCASSALL
numeric(!2
)
Assignment complete
for all MS
Knowledge Data Base
TCH Drop Optimization
Technology
2G
Document ID
Reision
!"#
$pproed Date
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'age (total)
& (!*)
E&'())*+ F*&,-./)
Total Dropcall DROP_CALL (TNDROP)/(TCASSALL)
DropCall by TA DROP_TCH_ETA (TDISTA)/(TNDROP)
DropCall By Low
Sigal Str!g"t DROP_TCH_LSS
(TDISS#L$TDISSDL$TDISSBL
)/(TNDROP)
DropCall By LSS i
t"! #pli% DROP_TCH_LSS_#L (TDISS#L)/(TNDROP)
DropCall by LSS i
t"! Dowli% DROP_TCH_LSS_DL (TDISSDL)/(TNDROP)
DropCall by Ba&
'(ality DROP_TCH_B'
(TDIS'A#L$TDIS'ADL$TDIS
'ABL)/(TNDROP)
DropCall By B' i
t"! #L DROP_TCH_B'_#L (TDIS'A#L)/(TNDROP)
DropCall By B' i
t"! DL DROP_TCH_B'_DL (TDIS'ADL)/(TNDROP)
DropCall By
S(&!ly Lo)t
Co!ctio DROP_TCH_SLC (TS#DLOS)/(TNDROP)
C*-+01& D1)(&'20'*+
TNDROP N(*b!r o+ &ropp!& co!ctio)
TCASSALL A))ig*!t co*pl!t! +or all ,S
TDISTA Dropp!& co!ctio) at Ti**ig A&-ac!
TDISSXX Dropp!& co!ctio) at Sigal Str!g"t
TDIS#AXX Dropp!& co!ctio) at low .(ality &ow or (p li%/
TSUDLOS Dropp!& )(&&!ly lo)t co!ctio)

UL ' U$(in), DL ' Do*n(in), +L '+a, -ua(it& an, Lo* Si.na(
Knowledge Data Base
TCH Drop Optimization
Technology
2G
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!"#
$pproed Date
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/ 0LO1 DIA2RA" 0OR PROCESS
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3 0LO1 DIA2RA" POINTS DESCRIPTION
The TCH reports can 3e -ound in statistics reports serer6
CC!=2"22"!2"!2DCcompartidoC2##@5G./5Daily5ReportsCC1;;5R1'ORT.CGT5G./5BH5.T$T."2ls
!" Chose worst per-orming cells 3ased on EGT5G./5BH5.T$T."2lsF6 This report shows
the 3usy hour -or each cell and has a monthly trend"
2" Is data relia3leG /a4e sure that the in-ormation is relia3le7 so you can 3e sure that no
errors or missing data can 3e the cause o- the high congestion"
.uccess-ul assignments show the num3er o- success-ul TCH allocations at call setup"
$t unsuccess-ul assignment7 the $ssignment Complete message7 sent 3y the /.7 was neer
receied 3y the BT."
'ro3a3le Reason
Ho dominant sering cell The sering cell cannot cope with the
TCH tra--ic"
.eere congestion on
TCH
0ailing TCH allocation -or assignment
or handoer due to congestion
;ow signal strength -or
call access
The signal strength might 3e higher on
the BCCH than on the TCH"
Inter-erence Distur3ance on .DCCH or target TCH
0aulty transceier 0aulty eAuipment
TC4 Dro$ Ana(&sis
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15 Ra,io Lin) Time6Out
1ery time a .$CCH message can not 3e decoded the radio lin4 time>out counter is
decreased 3y !" I- the message can 3e decoded the counter is incremented 3y 2" Howeer7
the alue can not e2ceed the initial alue" The initial alue is set 3y the parameter R;IHKT
-or radio lin4 time>out in themo3ile station and 3y R;IHK8' -or timeout in the B.C" I-
the mo3ile moes out o- coerage and no measurement reports are receied in the B.C7
there will 3e a radio lin4 time>out and the message Channel Release
(cause6 a3normal release7 unspeci-ied) is sent to the mo3ile station and the .$CCH is
deactiated in the BT." $ Clear ReAuest message is sent to the /.C" To 3e sure that
the mo3ilehas stopped transmitting7 the B.C now waits R;IHKT .$CCH periods 3e-ore the
timeslot is released and a new call can 3e esta3lished on the channel"
25 La&er 2 Time6Out
I- the BT. neer get an ac4nowledge on a ;ayer 2 message a-ter the time T2##IH2##7
the BT. will send 1rror Indication (cause6 T2## e2pired) to the B.C7 which will send Channel
Release (cause6 a3normal release7 timer e2pired) to the mo3ile station and a Clear ReAuest
to the /.C" The .$CCH is deactiated and the B.C waits R;IHKT .$CCH periods 3e-ore the
timeslot is released and a new call can use the channel" This is only alid i- the call is in
steady state7 i"e" not during handoer or assignment"
35 Re(ease In,i%ation
:hen the BT. receied a layer 2 DI.C -rame -rom the mo3ile it replies with a ;ayer 2
8$ -rame to the mo3ile station and a Release Indication to the B.C" The system does only
react on Release Indication i- it is receied during a normal disconnection situation" I- such a
message is receied une2pectedly this will usually cause radio lin4 time>out or
timer T2## e2piration as the mo3ile station stops the transmitting o- measurement reports" It
is also possi3le that the release will 3e normal depending on when the Release Indication is
receied"
/5 "SC Time6Out
Hormal Release6
I- the /.C neer receied a response on a message (e"g" Identity ReAuest) and there is
no radio lin4 time>out or layer 2 time>out7 the /.C will send a Clear Command to the B.C"
The time>out is depending on the message" :hen receiing Clear Command7 the B.C will
send a Channel Release (cause6 normal release) and then deactiates the .$CCH"
Re?ect (only .DCCH)6
I- the /.C neer receies a response on the -irst message a-ter 1sta3lish Indication7 the /.C
will send a re?ect message" I- the connection was a ;ocation 8pdate it will 3e a ;ocation
8pdate Re?ect (cause6 networ4 -ailure) and i- the connection was a mo3ile originating call (C/
.erice ReAuest) a C/ .erice Re?ect (cause6 networ4 -ailure) will 3e sent" The /.C will then
send a Clear Command to the B.C and the call is cleared 3y Channel Release (cause6 normal
release)"
35 Assi.nment to TC4
Be-ore sending an $ssignment Command -rom the B.C at TCH assignment7 the -ollowing two
criterion hae to 3e -ul-illed6
Knowledge Data Base
TCH Drop Optimization
Technology
2G
Document ID
Reision
!"#
$pproed Date
!!%#&%2#!#
'age (total)
D (!*)
a" There must 3e a TCH channel aaila3le7 i"e" no congestion
3" The locating algorithm must hae receied at least one alid measurement report"
I- either o- the criterions are not -ul-illed7 $ssignment Command will not 3e sent and a
Channel Release (cause6 a3normal release7 unspeci-ied) will 3e sent to the mo3ile station and
a Clear ReAuest to the /.C"
TC4 Dro$ reason
The classi-ications o- TCH Drop Reasons are arranged in the order o- priority6
!" 12cessieTiming $dance
2";ow .ignal .trength
,"Bad +uality
9".udden ;oss o- Connection
&"Other Reasons
Excessive Timing Advance
The TCH Drop counters due to 12cessie Timing $dance will pegged when the during
the time o- disconnection7 the last Timing $dance alue recorded was higher than the T$;I/
'arameter" This drop reason is commonly apparent to isolated or island sites with a
wide coerage area"
$ction6
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TCH Drop Optimization
Technology
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.et T$;I/ to a alue close to *,"
Tilt antenna%reduce antenna height%output power7 etc" -or co>channel cells"
Low Signal Strength on Down or Uplink or Both Links
The drops counters due to ;ow .ignal .trength will 3e pegged when the .ignal
.trength during the last /easurement Report 3e-ore the call dropped is 3elow the ;O:..D;
and%or ;O:..8; Thresholds" ;O:..D; and ;O:..8; are B.C 12change 'roperty
parameters which are used only -or statistics purposes and do not a--ect the 3ehaior o- calls"
I- 3oth 8; and D; .ignal .trength are 3elow the thresholds7 only Drop due to ;ow .. B; will
pegged" Hormally a call is dropped at the 3order o- large rural cell with insu--icient coerage"
Bad tunnel coerage cause many dropped calls as well as so called coerage holes" Bad
indoor coerage will result in dropped calls" Building shadowing could 3e another reason"
$ction6
Chec4 coerage plots"
Chec4 output power"
Chec4 power 3alance and lin4 3udget"
Chec4 i- Omni site"
Chec4 antenna con-iguration J type"
Chec4 antenna installation"
'er-orm drie tests J site surey"
Chec4 TRI%T. with high COH1RRCHT"
.olution6
$dd a repeater to increase coerage in -or e2ample a tunnel" Change to a 3etter antenna
(with higher gain) -or the 3ase station" $dd a new 3ase station i- there are
large coerage holes" Bloc4%De3loc4 TRI"
Poor Qualit on Down or Uplink or Both Links
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The drops counters due to Bad +uality will 3e pegged when the .ignal .trength during
the last /easurement Report 3e-ore the call dropped is a3oe the B$D+D; and%or B$D+8;
Thresholds" B$D+D; and B$D+8; (e2pressed in DT+8) are B.C 12change 'roperty
parameter which are used only -or statistics purposes and does not a--ect the 3ehaior o-
calls" I- 3oth 8; and D; +uality are a3oe the thresholds7 only Drop due to B$D +uality B; will
pegged"
'ro3lem on Bad +uality is usually associated with Co>channel Inter-erence on BCCH or
TCH" 0aulty /$IO assignment can cause -reAuency collisions on co>sited cells especially on
!2! Reuse" 12ternal inter-erence is also one possi3le cause o- pro3lem on Auality"
A%tion7
Chec4 C%I and C%$ plots"
Chec4 0reAuency 'lan (Co>BCCH or Co>B.IC 'ro3lem)"
Chec4 /$IO7 HO'7 H.H parameters"
Chec4 0HO' i- correctly con-igured (BB or .K)"
Chec4 -or 12ternal Inter-erence"
'er-orm drie tests"
So(ution7
Change BCCH -reAuency"
Change B.IC"
Change /$IO7 HO'7 H.H"
Change 0HO'"
Record RIR or on>site 0reAuency .canning to identi-y source o- inter-erence"
8se aaila3le radio -eatures"
Su,,en Loss o# Conne%tion
On circuit switch serice7 when a call is a3normally disconnected7 a Clear /essage with
cause code Call Control 3e treated as normal Disconnection is sent to the /.C L named Clear
ReAuest /essage" Re-er to 1ricsson system7 the -ollowing 8rgency condition is chec4ed at
that time and the releant counter is incremented as a conseAuence6
12cessie T$
;ow.ignal.trength
Bad+uality
.uddenDrop
$s named7 stright -orward meaning -or the dropped call is descri3ed -or the -irst three
items" Howeer7 .udden Drop is Auite not easy to understand"
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.udden ;oss are drops that hae not 3een registered as 3ad Auality7 signal strength7 timing
adance" The term .udden ;oss is used 3ecause i- the networ4 cannot esta3lish a connection
with the lost /. a-ter a pre>de-ined period7 the sudden loss counter is incremented i- the last
reported measurement -rom the /. does not -ul-ill any o- the reasons mentioned"
$ connection is mar4ed as .udden loss i- none o- the three types o- urgency states
(that is e2cessie T$7 low signal strength or 3ad Auality) are indicated and the locating
procedure indicates missing measurement results -rom the /."
Drops due to .udden ;oss are drops that hae not 3een registered as low signal
strength7 e2cessie timing adance7 3ad Auality or hardware (other) reasons7 and the
locating procedure indicates missing measurement results -rom the /."
There are some common scenarios that could lead to .udden ;oss o- connections such as
ery sudden and seere drops in signal strength7 such as when su3scri3ers enter into
3uildings7 eleators7 par4ing garages7 etc"7 ery sudden and seere occurrence o-
inter-erence7 /. runs out o- 3attery during conersation7 Handoer ;ost7 BT. H: -aults7
.ynchronization or $>3is lin4 -ault (transmission -aults)7 and /. 0aults"
A%tion7
Chec4 BT. 1rror ;ogs7 $larms and 0ault Codes"
Chec4 COH1RRCHT per TRI and T."
Chec4 Transmission ;in4 ($>3is)"
Chec4 -or DI' .lips"
Chec4 ;$'D Congestion"
Correlate Handoer ;ost to Drops due to .udden ;oss
So(ution7
0i2 Hardware 0aults and $larms"
Reset TRI with high COH1RRCHT"
1nsure that .ynchronization and $>3is ;in4 are sta3le"
Change RB;T with high DI' .lips"
Change COH0$CT or increase Transmission Capacity
Inestigate HO ;ost 'ro3lem
T!" Drops due to #ther $easons
TCH drops due to Other Reasons are computed 3y su3tracting the sum o- drops due to
12cessie T$7 ;ow ..7 Bad +uality and .udden ;oss -rom the Total TCH Drop Counts" Drops
due to Other Reasons are generally associated with hardware pro3lems7 transmission lin4
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TCH Drop Optimization
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$pproed Date
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pro3lems on $>3is7 $ter or $inter-aces7 and sometimes Handoer ;ost"
A%tion7
Chec4 BT. 1rror ;ogs"
Chec4 $larms and 0ault Codes"
Chec4 COH1RRCHT per TRI and T."
Chec4 Transmission ;in4 ($>3is)"
Chec4 -or DI' .lips"
Correlate Handoer ;ost to Drops due to Other Reasons
So(ution7
0i2 Hardware 0aults and $larms"
Reset TRI with high COH1RRCHT"
1nsure that .ynchronization and $>3is ;in4 are sta3le"
Change RB;T with high DI' .lips"
Inestigate HO ;ost 'ro3lem
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TCH Drop Optimization
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8 A,,itiona( In#ormation
"ow to Deal with T!" % T!" &nter'erence
$ G./ cell has more than one carrier to handle su3scri3er capacity reAuirements" Only
one o- the aaila3le carriers will 3e the BCH7 which will 3e on continuouslyM the remaining
TCH carriers will only turn on -or speci-ic timeslots when a call is initiated on that channel"
During pea4 hours7 the actiity on the TCH carriers will 3e at a ma2imum7 whereas actiity
may 3e zero during o-->pea4 hours" TCH carriers are also reused7 and hence can contri3ute to
co>channel inter-erence7 although this inter-erence will not always 3e presentM it will only 3e
present when these TCH carriers hae call actiity (not necessarily during pea4 hours)" How
do we measure the C%I -or these reused TCH carriersG One approach is to pic4 the suspected
reuse inter-erer7 set up calls on each timeslot (eight calls)7 and then drie around in the
inter-ering cell measuring the C%I" This is a tedious process" The easiest way to sole this
measurement pro3lem is to ma4e delta (di--erence) measurements" $s an e2ample7 consider
two cells7 Cell ! and Cell 2
T!"%T!" co%channel inter'erence(
Cell ! has a BCH carrier on $R0CH B! and Cell 2 has a BCH carrier on $R0CH B27 while
the TCH carriers in 3oth Cell ! and Cell 2 are on $R0CH T!" Instead o- ma4ing the C%I
measurement on T!7 we can ma4e a delta measurement o- B2%B!7 which is near to the C%I
alue o- T! when 3oth the T! carriers are on air7 since the propagation loss -or B2%B! and T!
is nearly the same" This can 3e easily done with the G./ receier7 which has a BCH analyzer
display -unction
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B!" anal)er displa generated * +S, receiver( The x%axis shows A$-!.s/ and the %axis
shows received power level(
The analyzer allows us to create a user list o- $R0CHs -or Cell 2 and Cell ! and then7 on
the amplitude%time display7 place a mar4er on B2 and a delta mar4er on B!" The delta
measurement is the same as measuring the C%I on T!"
Amplitude versus time displa showing delta amplitude di''erence *etween B0 and B1(
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!* (!*)
Using post%processing so'tware/ we can also plot the !2& map 'or T!"%T!" inter'erence
!2& map o' T!"%T!" inter'erence measured * the +S, receiver( Points where !2& 3 4 dBare
indicated * arrows(

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