Communication Systems

Mobile Communication Systems

Lecture (4-2) :-The Radio Interface (UM) for GSM
The previous lecture firmed in the consideration that the speech signal
constructed into burst form after treated of the speech coding, channel coding and
ciphering process are modulated using GMSK technique and became ready to
transmit it through the wireless channels, also we know that each burst have the
duration of (577 µSec) and need (200 kHz ) physical channel bandwidth.
in this lecture and beyond we shall explain the wireless interface between the mobile
station and the next unit of the mobile system ( Base station).
This subject include the Usable frequency bandwidth for the GSM systems, physical
distribution for channels , the classification of the channels, the framing in GSM,
types of channels in GSM, the location of each channel in the frame structure, and the
burst formats for each type.

 Usable Frequency Bandwidth for GSM Systems.

The GSM systems uses two separated frequency bands, one for up-link and the
other for down-link , each band divided using FDMA technique to multi physical
channels, each one of these channels occupies (200kHz) from the assigned
bandwidth , this small bandwidth (200kHz) called (physical Channel).
Each physical channel are divided in the time domain to 8 time slot, each time slot
which called ( Logical channel) can be serve one subscriber (inserted of one burst),
therefore eight (8) subscribers can be sharing into one physical channel using the
TDMA technique. Figure (1) below illustrate the channel distribution in the
frequency bands for the Primary GSM 900 system.
Note :- some time slots can be carry not only traffic burst but other types like signals
burst or other.
Practically there are four GSM systems uses different frequency bands which are :-
1 – Primary GSM 900 (PGSM 900)
2 – Enhanced GSM 900 (EGSM 900)
3 – GSM 1800
4 – GSM 1900
The specifications for these GSM systems are shown in table (1) below

Table (1) GSM SYSTEMS

GSM system U LINK MHz D Link MHz U / D BW Ph. Ch
PGSM 900 890 – 915 935 – 960 25MHz 125
EGSM 900 880- 915 925 - 960 35MHz 175
GSM 1800 1710 – 1785 1805 - 1880 70MHz 350
GSM 1900 1850 – 1910 1930 - 1990 60MHz 300
Speech and data transfer systems
Physical channel Bandwidth = 200KHz
Each physical Cannel carry 8 traffic channels using (TDMA)
Signaling rate = 270 Kbit/Sec
Maximum data bit-rate = 9.6Kbit/Sec


 - Channel distribution in GSM system

As we know previously there are (1000) subscribers can be contact in the network at
the same time ( in PGSM), this quite not enough, the efficient solution to increase the
capacity of subscribers is the use of frequency reuse technique. This technique done
by divide the 125 physical channel into multi groups each group contain specific
number of physical channel ( not necessary to be equal in each group).
in the other hand, the served land divided into multi clusters, each cluster contain
multi cells , each group of channels serve one cell within the cluster, and the each
cluster occupied the all 125 physical channels.
 The shape of cell can be take many form, may be circular ,rectangular , square,
triangular, hexagon or other forms, the shape of the cell assigned according to
electromagnetic topography, and this done by practical measurements of the
electromagnetic signal radiation pattern on the land.

the number of cells per cluster (K) and the distance between two cells that carry the
same frequency group are illustrated below
  - Framing structure in GSM system
As we illustrate previous, each physical channel contain 8 time slot, and
each time slot may be occupied by the traffic burst or other , the non traffic burst
which may be occupied the time slots are the signaling burs, therefore there are two
type of framing structures in GSM system , the traffic framing structure and
signaling framing structure.

.a – Traffic framing structure : - each 8 time slot represent one frame which have
time duration equal to (8*577µSec = 4.615 m Sec), each (26) frame represent
one multi frame , and each (51) multi frame represent one Super frame.
.b – Signaling framing structure : - each 8 time slot represent one frame which
have time duration equal to (8*577µSec = 4.615 m Sec), each (51) frame
represent one multi frame , and each (26) multi frame represent one Super
frame.
  - Classification of radio interface channels
We can understand from the previous sections in this lecture that the usable GSM
bandwidth (25 MHz in PGSM) are divided to 125 physical channels, each
physical occupied 200KHz and each physical channel are divided in the time
domain to 8 time slot, each time slot called Logical channel. These logical
channels can be presented into two form
a- Traffic channel which represent the speech signal for the subscriber which
formatted as (Tch burst), this type can be appear into two main types,
 - Speech channels
 - Data channels.
b- Signaling channels which transfer the necessary signals that used by the GSM
system to arrange the mobile communication link. These signaling channels
can be classified into three types
 - Broadcasting Channels
 - Common Control Channels
 - Dedicated Control Channels
The block diagram for the logical channels in GSM air interface are shown below