Contenido

Capítulo 1: LTE Architecture...............................................................................................................2

Capítulo 2: LTE Frame.........................................................................................................................5
Capítulo 3: LTE TDD............................................................................................................................6
Capítulo 4: Differences between LTE TDD and LTE FDD.....................................................................7
Capítulo 5: How Works Syncronization in LTE....................................................................................8
Capítulo 6: LTE Authentication...........................................................................................................9
Capítulo 7: Basics Concepts................................................................................................................9
Capítulo 8: Automatic Neighbour Relation (ANR)............................................................................12
Capítulo 1: LTE Architecture
 
Figure 1 shows an LTE network reference model, consisting of LTE entities (UE and eNB)
and EPC entities (S-GW, P-GW, MME, HSS, PCRF, SPR, OCS and OFCS). A PDN is an internal
or external IP domain of the operator that a UE wants to communicate with, and provides
the UE with services such as the Internet or IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). In the
following, Table 1 and Table 2 show the functions of the LTE and EPC entities. Table 3 lists
the reference points of the LTE network reference model and gives a description of
interfaces between EPS entities. 
 
 

Figure 1. LTE network reference model

 
Table 1. LTE entities
 
Table 2. EPC entities

 
Table 3. LTE interfaces
Capítulo 2: LTE Frame

The duration of one LTE radio frame is 10 ms. One frame is divided into 10 subframes of 1
ms each, and each subframe is divided into two slots of 0.5 ms each. Each slot contains
either six or seven OFDM symbols, depending on the Cyclic Prefix (CP) length. The useful
symbol time is 1/15 kHz= 66.6 mircosec. Since normal CP is about 4.69 microsec long,
seven OFDM symbols can be placed in the 0.5-ms slot as each symbol occupies (66.6 +
4.69) = 71.29 microseconds. When extended CP (=16.67 microsec) is used the total OFDM
symbol time is (66.6 + 16.67) = 83.27 microseconds. Six OFDM symbols can then be placed
in the 0.5-ms slot. Frames are useful to send system information. Subframes facilitate
resource allocation and slots are useful for synchronization. Frequency hopping is possible
at the subframe and slot levels.

In LTE, radio resources are allocated in units of Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs). Each PRB
contains 12 subcarriers and one slot. If the normal Cyclic Prefix is used, a PRB will contain
12 subcarriers over seven symbols. If the extended CP is used, the PRB contains only six
symbols. The UE is specified allocation for the first slot of a subframe. There is implicit
allocation for the second slot of the subframe. For example, if the eNB specifies one RB as
the resource allocation for the UE, the UE actually uses two RBs, one RB in each of the two
slots of a subframe. When frequency hopping is turned on, the actual PRBs that carry the
UE data can be different in the two slots. In a 10 MHz spectrum bandwidth, there are 600
usable subcarriers and 50 PRBs.

Capítulo 3: LTE TDD

In some TDD systems, the alternating time slots are of the same duration or have equal DL
and UL times. However, the system doesn’t have to be 50/50 symmetrical. The system can
be asymmetrical as required.

For instance, in Internet access, download times are usually much longer than upload
times so more or fewer frame time slots are assigned as needed. Some TDD formats offer
dynamic bandwidth allocation where time-slot numbers or durations are changed on the
fly as required.

LTE frame structure is application to TDD system. As shown in the figure, here radio frame
composed of two half frames, each of 5ms duration resulting in total frame duration of
about 10ms. Each radio frame will have total 10 subframes,each subframe will have 2 time
slots. subframe configuration is based on Uplink downlink configuration(0 to 6). Usually in
all the cases, subframe #0 and subframe#5 is always used by downlink. The Special
subframe carry DwPTS(Downlink Pilot Time Slot),GP(Guard Period) and UpPTS(Uplink Pilot
Time Slot). For the 5ms DL to UL switch point periodicity case, SS(Special subframe ) exists
in both the half frames. For the 10ms DL to UL switch point periodicity case, SS exists only
in first half frame.
DL to UL configuration which determines what goes in all the subframes is mentioned
below in the table.

Capítulo 4: Differences between LTE TDD and LTE FDD

Capítulo 5: How Works Syncronization in LTE

Cell synchronization is the very first step when UE wants to camp on any cell. From this,
UE acquires physical cell id (PCI), time slot and frame synchronization, which will enable
UE to read system information blocks from a particular network.

UE will tune it radio turn by turning to different frequency channels depending upon
which bands it is 
supporting. Assuming that it is currently tuned to a specific band / channel, UE first finds
the primary 
synchronization signal (PSS) which is located in the last OFDM symbol of first time slot of
the first subframe (subframe 0) of radio frame as shown in figure (green squares). This
enables UE to be synchronized on subframe level. The PSS is repeated in subframe 5
which means UE is synchronized on 5ms basis since each subframe is 1ms. From PSS, UE is
also able to obtain physical layer identity (0 to 2).

In the next step UE finds the secondary synchronization signal (SSS). SSS symbols are also
located in the same subframe of PSS but in the symbol before PSS as shown in the
figure(yellow squares). From SSS, UE is able to obtain physical layer cell identity group
number (0 to 167).

Using physical layer identity and cell identity group number, UE knows the PCI for this cell
now. In LTE 504 physical layer cell identities (PCI) are allowed and are divided into unique
168 cell layer identity groups where each group consist of three physical layer identity. As
mentioned earlier, UE detects physical layer identity from PSS and physical layer cell
identity group from SSS. Assuming physical layer identity = 1 and cell identity group=2
then the PCI for given cell is

PCI = 3*(Physical layer cell identity group)+ physical layer identity = 3*2+1 = 7

Once UE knows the PCI for a given cell, it also knows the location of cell Reference signals.
After cell synchronization procedure, UE will proceed to read Master information and
other System information blocks.

Capítulo 6: LTE Authentication

In mobile communication networks, authentication refers to the process of determining

whether a user is an authorized subscriber to the network that he/she is trying to access.
Among various authentication procedures available in such networks, EPS AKA
(Authentication and Key Agreement) procedure is used in LTE networks for mutual
authentication between users and networks.
 
When a user requests for access to a LTE network, mutual authentication between the
user and the network is conducted using EPS AKA procedure. An MME, upon receipt of
such request, identifies the user using his/her IMSI and requests authentication vector(s)
(AVs) from an HSS1. The HSS then generates AV(s) using EPS AKA algorithm, AV={RAND,
XRES, AUTNHSS, KASME}, and forwards them to the MME.
 
After storing the AVs, the MME selects one of them and uses it to perform mutual
authentication with the UE2. The MME forwards RAND and AUTNHSS to the UE, which then
computes RES, AUTNUE and KASMEusing EPS AKA algorithm. The UE now compares its own
AUTNUE and AUTNHSS received from the MME for network authentication. Once
authenticated, RES is forwarded to the MME, which then compares the XRES received
from the HSS and the RES received from the UE for user authentication. If the UE and
network have authenticated each other, they share the same key K ASME (KASME is not
transferred between UE and MME, though).

Capítulo 7: Basics Concepts

Reference Symbol Received Power (RSRP):

RSRP is the linear average of the downlink reference signals across the channel
bandwidth 
RSRP provides information about signal strength and gives no indication of signal quality 
RSRP measurements are used in handover, cell selection and cell re-selections 
The reporting range of RSRP is defined from -140 dBm to -44 dBm with 1 dB resolution as
shown in table below

RSRP measurement report mapping (3GPP Reference: TS 36.133)

Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI):

 RSSI represents the total received wide-band power by UE
 RSSI is measured only in symbols containing Reference signals 
 RSSI includes power from serving cell as well as co-channel interference and noise
 RSSI helps in determining interference and noise information 
 RSSI is never reported by UE

Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ):

RSRQ indicates quality of received reference signal. RSRQ measurement and calculation is
based on RSRP and RSSI since RSRP determines signal quality and RSSI determines co-
channel interference and noise. RSRQ formula is shown below (N represents number of
resource blocks)

The reporting range of RSRQ is defined from -19.5 dB to -3 with 0.5 dB resolution

CQI:
CQI stands for Channel Quality Indicator. As the name implies, it is an indicator carrying
the information on how good/bad the communication channel quality is. This CQI is for
HSDPA. (LTE also has CQI for its own purpose).
CQI is the information that UE sends to the network and practically it implies the following
two
i) Current Communication Channel Quality is this-and-that..
ii) I (UE) wants to get the data with this-and-that transport block size, which in turn can be
directly converted into throughput

QCI:
QoS Class Identifier (QCI) is a mechanism used in 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks
to ensure bearer traffic is allocated appropriate Quality of Service (QoS). Different bearer traffic
requires different QoS and therefore different QCI values. QCI value 9 is typically used for the
default bearer of a UE/PDN for non privileged subscribers.

The QoS concept as used in LTE networks is class-based, where each bearer type is assigned
one QoS Class Identifier (QCI) by the network. The QCI is a scalar that is used within the
access network (namely the eNodeB) as a reference to node specific parameters that control
packet forwarding treatment, for example scheduling weight, admission thresholds and link-
layer protocol configuration.
Capítulo 8: Automatic Neighbour Relation (ANR)

Figure below shows ANR and its environment as per 3GPP. It shows interaction between
eNB and O&M due to ANR.
The ANR function resides in the eNB and manages the conceptual Neighbour Relation
Table (NRT). Located within ANR, the Neighbour Detection Function finds new neighbours
and adds them to the NRT. ANR also contains the Neighbour Removal Function which
removes outdated NRs. The Neighbour Detection Function and the Neighbour Removal
Function are implementation specific.

An existing Neighbour cell Relation (NR) from a source cell to a target cell means that eNB
controlling the source cell  knows the ECGI/CGI and Physical Cell Identifier (PCI) of the
target cell and has an entry in the NRT for the source cell identifying the target cell.

For each cell that the eNB has, the eNB keeps a NRT. For each NR, the NRT contains the
Target Cell Identifier (TCI), which identifies the target cell. For E-UTRAN, the TCI
corresponds to the E-UTAN Cell Global Identifier (ECGI) and Physical Cell Identifier (PCI) of
the target cell. 

The ANR function relies on cells broadcasting their identity on global level, E-UTRAN Cell
Global Identifier (ECGI) and allows O&M to manage the NRT. O&M can add and delete
NRs. It can also change the attributes of the NRT. The O&M system is informed about
changes in the NRT.