Convergence Sublayer & Common

Part Sublayer
● Service Specific
Convergence Sublayer
● MAC Common Part
Sublayer
● Network Entry and
Initialization

167677 Timo Salminen

 MAC Convergence Sublayer
● Functions:
– Classification &
possible processing of
higher-layer PDUs
– Delivery to proper
MAC SAP
– Receives CS PDUs
from peer
● Two sublayers
specified: ATM and
packet
 ATM Convergence Sublayer
● ATM cells mapped to MAC frames
● differentiates Virtual Path switched / Virtual
Channel switched ATM connections
● assigns channel ID (CID)
● can perform Payload Header Suppression (PHS)
 PHS in ATM CS
● 12/8 bit VPI
(VP connections) or
28/24 bit VPI+VCI
(VC connections)
mapped to 16 bit CID
● ATM header thrown
away, except for payload
type indicator (PTI) and
cell loss priority field
(CLP)
 ATM CS - features
● Several ATM cells with same connection ID may
be packed to save bandwidth
● Convergence sublayer supports common channel
signalling (CCS)
– CCS mechanism in ATM uses separate connection for
signaling messages
– every 802.16 station needs channel id for CCS
– signalling to MAC mapping left to vendors to
implement
● associated signalling, proxy signalling or virtual
UNI not supported
 Packet convergence sublayer
● used for all packet-based protocols,
such as IP and IEEE 802.3 (Ethernet)
● similar functions as ATM convergence
sublayer, including PHS
– PHSI identifies the rules used for
suppression -> higher-layer PDU can be
rebuilt at other end
 Classification of Data
● Both layers perform classification of data from
higher layers
● Data associated with connection
● QoS made possible
● Classifier: a set of matching criteria applied to
each packet
 Classifiers
● Several classifiers can point to same service flow
● Multiple classifiers applied according to their priority
● Can use various parameters (source address, destination
address, IP headers ...)
● Classifiers also define use of PHS
● Can be added by network management or dynamically
● Give connection ID as output
● Behaviour on data that doesn't match any classifiers is not
standardized
– Possibly default CID used or packet discarded
Classification
 Payload Header Suppression
● Repetitive portion of header suppressed at sender
and restoring it at receiver
● Repetitive portion replaced with index (PHSI)
● Suppression mask (PHSM): which bytes to
suppress
– constant portions suppressed
– changing portions not suppressed (such as IP
sequence numbers)
● Suppression valid -option (PHSV): is header
verified before suppression
 More on PHS
● BS assigns all PHSI values
● Either sender or receiver specifies suppression
field and suppression size (PHSF and PHSS)
● PHS intended for unicast (not defined for
multicast)
● PHS rules generated by higher layer service
entity
● Higher layer is also responsible for constant
(suppressed) parts staying constant
PHS Illustration
PHS Operation
 CS operation summary
● Classifier rules determine service flow, CID and
PHS Rule
– If PHS used, sender uses suppression mask and
supresses chosen bytes, then prefixes frame with PHS
Index
● Data sent to MAC SAP
● Receiver determines associated CID
● Packet reassembled using PHS Index
 MAC Common Part Sublayer
● Defines multiple-access
mechanism
● On downlink only base
station transmitting
– no need for coordination
– base station broadcasts,
stations retain only
messages addressed to
them
 MAC CPS cont'd
● On uplink user stations have to share
– Three basic principles used to determine right to transmit:
unsolicited bandwidth grants, polling and contention
procedures
– Sharing dynamic and with on-demand basis
– Sharing can depend on service classes (continuing rights to
transmit / transmit right only on request)
● Connection-oriented MAC
– Connections associated with preprovisioned service flows after
SS registration
– QoS provided for service flows
– Connection adding, modification and deletion can be static or
dynamic
 Duplexing
● Duplexing possible in frequency or time domain
– in frequency domain duplexing (FDD) uplink and
downlink on different frequencies
● Adjusting width of frequency band devoted to links is
difficult -> static division between uplink and downlink
● fixed duration frames -> allows different modulation types
– in time-division duplexing (TDD) time divided into
uplink and downlink periods
● dynamic division between uplink and downlink
– division can be controlled by higher layers
● fixed duration frames
– frame contains one downlink and one uplink subframe
● integer number of slots / frame -> easy bandwidth
partitioning
 Addressing and Connections
● Each SS has universal 48bit MAC address
● Connections identified by 16-bit CID
– used to distinguish between multiple uplink channels
associated with the same downlink channel
– also used with connectionless traffic (used as pointer
to destination and context information)
– many higher-layer sessions may share same CID
(with same service parameters)
● 3 management connections in each direction
established automatically
 MAC Data Frame
● MAC PDU consists of header, payload (optional) and CRC
(optional)

● Payload may have subheaders and several MAC PDUs (or

PDU fragments)
 MAC Header Types
● Two header formats defined, indicated by Header Type (HT)
– generic (HT 0): used for higher layer data and MAC management messages
– bandwidth request (HT 1): no payload, identified by header

● EC: Encryption Control, EKS: Encryption Sequence, HCS: Header

Check Sequence, LEN: Length, Type: payload type (which
subheaders present), BR: Bandwidth Request
 Features
● Payload can be encrypted
– BS responsible for refreshing keying material periodically
● Use of CRC depends on connection ID
– CRC calculated after encryption on header + payload
● Multiple frames may be concatenated into single
transmission
– may join all types: user data, bandwidth request frames and
management messages
● One frame may be fragmented into several frames
– efficient use of bandwidth relative to QoS
– sequence numbers
– uses Fragmentation subheader
 More Features
● Several frames may be packed into single frame
– Packing subheaders may be used to mark beginning of
each frame -> allows retransmission of lost fragments
 MAC Management Messages
● Handle ranging, registration, privacy and describing
downlink and uplink
– link describing:
● BS transmits channel uplink and downlink descriptor
messages (UCD and DCD) at periodic intervals
● UCD and DCD contain burst profile: info on modulation,
error-correction, preamble length, etc.
● uplink and downlink map messages (UL-MAP, DL-MAP)
define burst start times and allocate access to
corresponding link channel
– ranging: subscriber stations trasmit ranging requests
at initialization and then periodically
● determines power and burst profile changes
 Management Connections
● 3 management connections correspond to 3
different QoS levels of management traffic
– basic connection: short delay
– primary management connection: longer, more delay-
tolerant messages
– secondary management connection: delay-tolerant,
standards-based messages (DHCP, SNMP etc.)
 Network Entry and Initialization
(subscriber station)
● 10 phases

● 1) Scan for downlink channel and synch with BS

– first tries the channel used previously
– on failure scans all possible channels
 Network entry cont'd
● 2) Get link parameters
– BS transmits channel descriptor messages and link map
messages periodically (addressed to all)
– SS obtains downlink synch on reception of DL-MAP and stays
in synch as long as it gets periodical DCD and DL-MAP
messages
– SS builds set of usable uplink channel IDs from UCD-
messages and checks channel parameters
– when suitable uplink channel is found, time synchronization is
obtained from next DL-MAP
– before transmitting SS has to wait for bandwidth allocation
map for chosen channel
– uplink parameters are valid as long as SS gets periodical UCD
and UL-MAP messages
 Network Entry cont'd
● 3) perform ranging
– SS needs to acquire correct timing offset to align it's
transmissions to the mini-slot boundaries
– SS checks UL-MAP message for initial maintenance
interval
● interval is speficied by BS and is large enough to account
for delays
– during the next initial maintenace interval SS sends
ranging request message
● connection ID is set to 0, since SS doesn't yet have ID
● first message sent with minimum power level
● if not successful, message is resent with more power until
successful
 Network entry - ranging
– on successful reception BS sends back a ranging
response message
● message contains basic and primary mgt. CIDs, FR power
level adjustment, offset frequency adjustment and timing
offset
– SS can then adjust signal accordingly
– initial ranging must be done at least once and SS tries
ranging on all suitable uplink channels
– periodic ranging allows adjustments later on
● ranging request transmitted with basic CID and contains
current power level, time and frequency offset
● response message contains required fine-tunings
● each SS granted periodic ranging opportunity (period
depending on BS)
 Network entry cont'd
● 4) Inform BS of SS's basic capabilities
– BS responds with intersection of capabilities
● 5) Perform authorization and key exhange
– each SS contains 48 bit IEEE-style MAC address and
X.509 digital certificate
● 6) Registration
– SS sends registration request
– BS responds with registration response, which
includes secondary management connection ID
– SS is now authorized to forward traffic to network
 Network Entry cont'd
● 7) IP connectivity established on secondary
management connection
– standard DHCP used to obtain IP address and
configuration
● 8) Current time and date required
– necessary for timestamping
● 9) Exchanging operational parameters
● 10) Setting up preprovisioned service flows (if
mentioned in SS's service contract)
 Sources
● T. Cooklev, Wireless Communications Standards,
A Study of 802.11, 802.15, and 802.16, IEEE
Press, 2004.
● IEEE 802.16-2001, IEEE Standard for Local and
Metropolitan area networks – Part 16: Air
Interface for Fixed Broadband Wireless Access
Systems
MAC layer: Channel access and QoS
Some enhancements

Antti Laiti
antti.laiti@tut.fi
Some words used

● SS = Subscriber station
● BS = Base station
● NLOS = Non-line of sight
● PHY = physical layer
● BW = bandwidth
● DL = downlink
● UL = uplink
QoS principles

● Packets are associated with a service flow, which is the

central concept of the MAC protocol
● Service flow = an unidirectional flow of packets with a
particular QoS
● The QoS parameters of a flow can be specified by giving a
service class name or explicitly
● When data comes to mac layer, the convergence sublayer
gives it an connection ID (CID)
● The service flow is mapped to this ID
● Service class is optional; it may be implemented in BS
Service class

● Service class serves two purposes:

– The burden of configuring service flows can be moved
from provisioning server to BS
– Higher-layer protocols can create service flows by
their service class names
● Service class = identifier for set of QoS parameter
set values
Service flows

● Service flows are identified by Service Flow Identifier (SFID),

active ones have also Connection Identifier (CID)
● Service flow has parameters like bandwidth, latency, jitter and
other QoS-related variables
● Service flow QoS parameters may:
– include a reference to service class
– override service class QoS
Authorization

● Two types: dynamic and static

● On static, all services are defined in initial configuration of SS
● On dynamic, the module communicates with a server that
gives information on authorization
● Policy server
– may provide the authorization module with advance notice
of upcoming admission and activation requests
– will specify the proper authorization action to be taken on
those requests
Service flow types

● Three types of flows: two-stage activation model

● Provisioned: Flow is provisioned but not immediately
activated. BS assigns a SFID but does not reserve resources.
Provisioned flow can be later activated by SS or BS.
● Admitted: The resources are reserved but the flow isn't
active yet.
● Active: The flow is requesting and being granted bandwidth.
Modifying service flows

● Service flows can be created, changed or deleted.

● BS and SS can initiate a creation of dynamic flow
– This is done by series of MAC management messages
● Protocols are defined for modifying and deleting service
flows: when a flow is deleted, all its resources are released
– If a basic, primary or secondary management service flow
of an SS is deleted, the SS will have ro re-register itself
Connections

● The MAC is connection-oriented

– > All communications are in context of a connection
● after installation & registration of SS, connections
will be associated with service flows
● one connection, one flow

● When needed by customer, new connections will

be created or existing connections deleted.
QoS and bandwidth

● SS requests uplink bandwidth separately for each

connection
– different connections, different bandwidth needs
● BS grants bandwidth for entire SS
● requests are assigned to ID, not to SS
● SS can have several connections
Scheduling services

● Four types, everyone has some QoS parameters associated

● UGS, Unsolicited Grant Service

– real-time service flows, fixed packet size (VoIP)

● rtPS, real-time Polling Service

– real-time data, variable packet size (MPEG)

● nrtPS, non-real-time Polling Service

– non-real-time data, variable packet size (FTP)

● BE, best-effort

– best effort traffic

Collisions

● SSs need to send a request for bandwidth to BS

● BS grants some minislots from uplink channel for request intervals
to avoid collisions
– > however, collisions may happen on these intervals

● backoff counter is needed

● If SS receives data grant from BS, the transmission was succesful

● If not, SS will increase its backoff window by factor of two
– this continues until a grant is received or maximum value of
backuff window is achieved
Security

● The MAC security sublayer has two component

protocols
– encapsulation protocol for data encryption
● defines cryptocraphic suites i.e. pairings of data encryption
and authentication algorithms
● the rules for applying those algorithms to a MAC payload

– privacy key management (PKM)

● describes how the BS distributes keys to client SS
Enhancements for 2-11GHz

● Frequencies of 2-11GHz make the NLOS links

possible
● This freq. range requires a different physical layer
and some changes to MAC layer
● Enhancements needed by point-to-multipoint and
licence-exempt bands
● Multipath is significant
– > losses over the wireless medium will increase
Mesh systems

● Mesh systems are multipoint-to-multipoint

networks
● Nodes are able to forward packets
Mesh terms

● Downlink = traffic away from the mesh BS

● Uplink = traffic towards the mesh BS
● Neighbor = a direct link to another station
● Neighborhood = all neighbors of a node
● Extended neighborhood = all neighbors of
neighbors of a node
The problem

● In mesh networks, the nodes are close to each other

– they cannot transmit at the same time in the same channel
– even the BS must coordinate the transmissions with other
stations
● The main difference between mesh and a point-to-multipoint
networks is that the channel resources are shared between the
systems on demand basis
● Two ways to assign channel resources
– distributed scheduling: distributed decisions
– centralized scheduling: the BS makes decisions
Coordinated distributed scheduling

● All stations coordinate their transmissions in the

extended neighborhood
● Stations transmit periodically in the same channel
their own schedules and proposed schedule
changes
– > scheduling does not rely on the BS
Uncoordinated distributed
scheduling
● Uncoordinated scheduling is used in ad-hoc type
networks
● Schedules are estabilished between two nodes
● In uncoordinated scheduling, management
messages can collide
– In coordinated they are scheduled in control subframe
Centralized scheduling

● Scheduling is performed by the BS

● BS broadcasts the scheduling message to all its
neighbors and they rebroadcast it
● BS gathers resource requests from all the SSs
within a certain treshold hop range and grants
resources for up- and downlink according to those
requests
Advanced antenna systems (AAS)

● In 2-11 Ghz band, AASes can be used

● In AAS, more than one antenna is used
– more range and capacity
● Spectral efficiency increases linearly with the number of antennas
● Initially, only BS can have AAS
● Migration from non-AAS to AAS system is easy and it does not
make an interrupt to services
● The goal of 802.16 is to make possible systems that consist of
AAS-BS, some AAS-SSs and some non-AAS-SSs.
AAS frame structure

frame
downlink AAS downlink uplink AAS uplink
control

SS burst SS burst SS burst

AAS requirements for MAC layer

● Control functionality
– responsible for DL- and UL-map distribution and
channel description
● Utility functionality
– responsible for PHY-related information provided by
the MAC layer
 Additional logical channels for AAS
● Downlink synchronization channel

– time and frequency synchronization

● Downlink polling channel

– needed if downlink traffic channels cannot be opened for SS in any other way

● Downlink traffic channels

– carries downlink user traffic as scheduled by BS

● Uplink contention channel

– for SS-initiated random access, including ranging and BW requests

● Uplink traffic channels

– carries uplink user traffic as scheduled by BS

Automatic repeat request (ARQ)

● Multipath in 2-11GHz
– > intersymbol interference
– > reduced SNR
– > increased BER & PER
● For these issues, there is ARQ
● ARQ is optional part of MAC layer an can be enabled on a per-
connection basis
– parameters can be negotiated on connection start/change
– no mixing of ARQ and non-ARQ traffic is allowed
ARQ in MAC

● MAC frame consists of single header and

fragmented payload(s)
● When ARQ is used, MAC frame can contain ARQ
feedback payload preceeded by an appropriate
subheader
ARQ transmitter state machine

ARQ discard
sent and
acknowledged
done

ACK
ACK

Retransmit
transmit Waiting for
not sent outstanding
retransmission
timeout or NACK

fragment fragment
lifetime lifetime

discarded
Dynamic frequency selection

● DFS is required when non-licenced bands are used

● There are some primary users for some bands
– wireless systems can communicate on these bands only
if they can avoid the primary users with DFS
Dynamic frequency selection

● DFS provides following features

– Requesting and reporting measurements
– Probing channels for primary users
– Detecting primary users
– Ceasing operation on a channel if primary users are
found
– Selecting and advertising new channel
● DFS requires also monitoring by SS
Thank you!