Random Access

MSRBS-V1

Feature Description

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Copyright

© Ericsson AB 2016. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be

reproduced in any form without the written permission of the copyright owner.

Disclaimer

The contents of this document are subject to revision without notice due to
continued progress in methodology, design and manufacturing. Ericsson shall
have no liability for any error or damage of any kind resulting from the use of
this document.

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 Contents

Contents

1 Introduction 1
1.1 Basic Characteristics 1
1.2 Random Access Summary 2
1.3 Additional Information 2

2 Feature Operation 3
2.1 Network Requirements 3
2.2 Feature Operation Sequence Diagram 3
2.3 Process Stages 4

3 Parameters 7
3.1 Feature Configuration Parameters 7
3.2 Affected Parameters 7

4 Network Impact 8
4.1 Capacity 8
4.2 Coverage 8
4.3 Handover 8

5 Associated Features 9
5.1 Prerequisite Features 9
5.2 Affected Features 9
5.3 Affected System Functions 9

6 Performance 10
6.1 Key Performance Indicators 10
6.2 Counters 10
6.3 PM Events 10
6.4 False Detections of Preambles 10

7 Feature Activation and Deactivation 11

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Random Access

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 Introduction

1 Introduction

User Equipment (UE) uses the RA process to gain new or renewed access
and uplink timing synchronization to the network.

In the LTE network, the UE uses the RA process to gain access to cells for the
following reasons:

• Initial access to the network from the idle state

• Regaining access to the network after a radio link failure

• As part of the handover process to gain timing synchronization with a new

cell

• Regaining uplink time alignment

• Request uplink grant for UE without dedicated scheduling request

resource

The RA process allows multiple UE, transmitting different RA preamble codes

in uplink on the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH), to gain
simultaneous access to a cell.

Correct operation of the RA function is required to ensure the following

actions:

• Initial access to the network

• Correct operation of LTE handover

• Successful transmission of downlink and uplink data

• Successful UE paging

1.1 Basic Characteristics

Table 1 Basic Characteristics

Feature name: Random Access
Product identity: FAJ 121 4280
Replaces: N/A
Dependencies: N/A
Licensing: Basic feature. No license required.

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 Random Access

Feature activation MO: N/A

1.2 Random Access Summary

The RA process is required for the successful operation of LTE functions
including system access, uplink and downlink data transfer, inter-cell
handover, and paging.

1.3 Additional Information

For more information about this feature and related topics, see the following
documentation:

• 3GPP TS 36.300, Overall description; Stage 2

• 3GPP TS 36.211, Physical Channels and Modulation

• 3GPP TS 36.321, Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol specification

The latest versions of these documents can be obtained from http://www.

3gpp.org.

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 Feature Operation

2 Feature Operation

The main purpose of the RA process is to allow UE to obtain new or renewed

access to the network and to obtain uplink timing synchronization.

To gain simultaneous access to a cell, the RA process allows multiple UE to

use different RA preamble codes. The RA preamble codes are transmitted in
uplink on the PRACH. The preamble codes exhibit very good cross-correlation
properties. This allows the RBS to detect multiple RA preambles in the same
PRACH activity.

The form of RA process uded in the PRABS in the Contention Based Random
Access (CBRA) process. It is initiated by the UE to gain access to the network.
It involves the UE randomly selecting one RA preamble code from a list of
codes available for selection by all UE in the cell. CBRA requires additional
signalling to resolve contention. Contention can occur when multiple UE
attempts are made to access the cell in the same PRACH subframe using the
same preamble code.

The CBRA process can be used for all RA applications.

2.1 Network Requirements

The LTE basic system is configured to allow UE to use CBRA for initial
network access, handover between cells, synchronization for uplink transfers,
and access following a radio link failure.

2.2 Feature Operation Sequence Diagram

There are a number of stages involved in the RA process. The CBRA process
involves stages 1, 2, 3, and 4.

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 Random Access

UE eNB

RA Preamble Assignment 0

1 Random Access Preamble

Random Access Response 2

3 Scheduled Transmission (MSG3)

HARQ

Contention Resolution (MSG 4) 4

HARQ

L0000780A

Figure 1 RA stages used in CBRA process

2.3 Process Stages

2.3.1 RA Preamble Transmission

The UE transmits RA preamble bursts on the PRACH uplink channel. The
network provides information about the PRACH to UE in an overhead
message. This allows the UE to determine when the PRACH channels are
scheduled and also determines the preamble format and code sequence to
use.

The following information is included in the overhead message:

• The LTE Basic system uses preamble format 0 as defined in 3GPP TS

36.211. This format provides a maximum cell coverage range of
approximately 15 km.

• The LTE Basic system allocates one PRACH occurrence in each 10-ms
radio frame.

• The LTE Basic system applies the unrestricted set of cyclic shifts for
preambles.

The RA transmission process uses open-loop power control. The UE

estimates the transmission power required to achieve a specified reception
power value at the RBS for the first RA burst. Power ramping is used for
subsequent retransmission bursts if they are required. This process continues
until the UE successfully receives a response from the RBS or the maximum

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 Feature Operation

number of retransmission attempts is reached. The open-loop power control

process is detailed in 3GPP TS 36.321.

2.3.2 RA Response Message

The RBS generates the RA response message that is transmitted on the
Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) to a specific RA Radio Network
Temporary Identifier (RA-RNTI) address. The RA response message can
contain responses to more than one detected RA preamble code. It is also
possible to send multiple RA response messages within the RA response
window. This means that the RBS can respond to RA attempts from multiple
UE that are transmitted in the same PRACH subframe.

The UE monitors the PDCCH for its specific RA-RNTI address that matches
the subframe number in which the RA preamble burst was transmitted.

The RA response message includes the following information:

• RA preamble sequence code that identifies the preamble sequence code

that has been detected by the RBS

• Initial uplink grant used for transmitting the subsequent data on the uplink
channel

• Time alignment information that ensures that subsequent uplink data

transmissions are time aligned at the RBS receiver, that is, do not interfere
with uplink transmissions from other UE in adjacent subframes

• A temporary Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI)

2.3.3 Contention Resolution

The contention resolution stages are used by the CBRA process to resolve a
situation where two UEs have attempted an RA using the same preamble
code sequence. They are shown as stage 3 and stage 4 respectively in Figure
1.

In stage 3, the UE undertakes the first scheduled uplink transmission on

Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) following the successful receipt of
an RA response message. The UE provides the network with a unique
identifier in this message.

In stage 4, the RBS echoes the UE identity provided in stage 3. Only a

terminal that finds a match between the identity received in stage 4 and the
identity transmitted as part of the stage 3 declares the RA procedure
successful.

Terminals that do not find a match between the identity received in stage 4
and the respective identity transmitted as part of stage 3 are considered to
have failed the RA procedure and must restart the RA procedure from stage 1.

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 Random Access

Both stage 3 and stage 4 use the Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ)
process. For further details on the contention resolution process and the
HARQ process, see 3GPP TS 36.321.

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 Parameters

3 Parameters

3.1 Feature Configuration Parameters

• rachRootSequence

• cellRange

3.2 Affected Parameters

The implementation of this feature affects no parameters.

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 Random Access

4 Network Impact

4.1 Capacity
The LTE Basic system is designed to use one PRACH occurrence in each
frame.

4.2 Coverage
For the LTE Basic system, the cellRange parameter is fixed to 1 km.

4.3 Handover
The LTE RA feature affects inter-cell handover outage times. This is because
the UE needs to attempt an RA to the target cell during the handover process
to gain the timing advance information required for subsequent data
transmissions to the target cell.

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 Associated Features

5 Associated Features

5.1 Prerequisite Features

This feature has no prerequisite features.

5.2 Affected Features

Table 2 Affected Features

Feature Description
Intra-LTE Handover The intra-LTE handover processes use the RA process to
determine the correct timing advance information for
communications between the UE and the target RBS.
Paging The LTE Paging feature uses the RA process to gain access to
the RBS.

5.3 Affected System Functions

The RA process is used by UE in the RRC_CONNECTED state that does not
have timing synchronization in the uplink with the RBS. UE without uplink
timing synchronization must perform the RA process to get timing advance
information for subsequent data bursts. Data transmissions to and from the
UE cannot proceed until uplink synchronization is achieved. This has an
impact on the throughput and latency experienced by the UE.

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6 Performance

6.1 Key Performance Indicators

This feature has no associated Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

6.2 Counters
This feature has no directly associated counters.

6.3 PM Events
This feature has no associated PM events.

6.4 False Detections of Preambles

Based on the 3GPP requirement for white noise, the false alarm probability is
expected to be less than 10-3 for all 64 preambles.

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 Feature Activation and Deactivation

7 Feature Activation and Deactivation

This is a basic feature. It requires no activation.

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