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Impact of Flexible RLC PDU Size on HSUPA Performance

Enrico Jugl, Michael Link, Jens Mueckenheim*
*Hochschule Merseburg, Germany
Outline

Motivation

Flexible RLC PDU Size Feature

Packet Data Performance

- Single User Performance
- Multi-User Performance

VoIP Performance
- Transmission Technique
- Performance Criteria
- Simulation Results

Conclusions

Slide 2 18-May-2011 Impact of Flexible RLC PDU Size on HSUPA Performance

Motivation (1)
3GPP introduced an enhanced layer 2 (i.e. flexible RLC PDU size) for the downlink in
Release 7 allowing for a more efficient transmission of higher data rates
- Required for evolution of HSDPA, e.g. 64 QAM, MIMO and dual-cell HSDPA

In Release 8 a similar layer 2 enhancement was added for the uplink by introduction of
a MAC-i/is entity handling flexible RLC PDU sizes
- Allowsfor higher data rates given by advanced E-DCH features like 16 QAM and
dual-cell HSUPA

Maximum achievable RLC throughput:

RWIN ⋅ ( N RLC PDU − N RLC header )
RRLC max = ,
RTT + TSP
- RWIN: RLC window size in number of RLC PDUs
- NRLC PDU: size of the RLC PDU (e.g. 336 bits, 656 bits)
- NRLC header: size of the AM RLC PDU header (16 bits)
- RTT: round trip time
- TSP: timer status prohibit

Slide 3 18-May-2011 Impact of Flexible RLC PDU Size on HSUPA Performance

Motivation (2)
With RWIN = 2047, RTT = 70 ms, TSP = 50 ms
- RRLC max = 5.4 Mbps for 336 bits PDU size
- RRLC max =10.8 Mbps for 656 bits PDU size

By increasing RLC PDU size the maximum RLC data rate can be increased
- Problematic at cell edge if the UE is in power limitation, where a large PDU cannot
be transmitted at all or with insufficient power only

Enhanced layer 2 can alleviate this tradeoff

- Large PDUs can be used if allowed by radio conditions
- Small PDUs can be used in power limited situations

If large PDUs are used

- RLC overhead is reduced, as well as the padding in the MAC-i PDUs
- Transmission of less PDUs in a TTI allows for reduction of processing load in the
terminals and the network equipment

Slide 4 18-May-2011 Impact of Flexible RLC PDU Size on HSUPA Performance

Flexible RLC PDU Size Feature

Example for a single logical channel: RLC provides segmentation/concatenation of

variable sized RLC SDUs (IP packets) into
TCP/IP
TCP/IP Payload RLC/MAC-d PDUs
header

MTU: 576 or 1500 E.g. a RLC SDU contains an IP packet of

1500 bytes (MTU=1500)
RLC SDU
The maximum RLC PDU size is 1505 octets
(configurable)
RLC PDU RLC PDU
The length of the data field is a multiple of 8
Max RLC PDU Flexible size
bits
Pad.

MAC-i
H RLC PDU RLC PDU
header RLC PDU size can vary according to the
MAC-is PDU amount of data requested by current E-TFCI
H: MAC-is header
selection

Cf. 25.322 Rel-8

Slide 5 18-May-2011 Impact of Flexible RLC PDU Size on HSUPA Performance

Simulation Scenario
Parameter Value
# of NodeB Single user: 1 sector
(sites)/ sectors Multi-user: 12 sites/ 3 sectors
each (wrapped around)
Pathloss model COST 231 Okumura Hata
urban
Cell radius 1000 m
Shadow fading Single cell: no
Multi-cell: 7dB standard dev,
50 m correlation length
UL receive 2 way
diversity
Channel Model Single user: AWGN
Multi-user: Mixture
Mobility Single user: no
Multi-user: random
movement with soft/softer
handover
UL Target Load ≡ 8dB noise rise)
85% (≡

Service 1 2 MByte FTP upload

Service 2 VoIP: 12.2 k AMR speech,

50% activity

Slide 6 18-May-2011 Impact of Flexible RLC PDU Size on HSUPA Performance

Packet Data Performance – Single User (1)

Isolated radio cell with

good radio conditions
(AWGN) and a HARQ
retransmission rate of 1%

For UE categories 5 & 6

about 5% throughput
improvement compared to
fixed RLC PDU size of 336
bits due to the reduced
RLC overhead

UE category 7: throughput
significantly drops down to
6.5 Mbps due to RLC
window size limitation

Maximum RLC PDU size: 12016 bits

Slide 7 18-May-2011 Impact of Flexible RLC PDU Size on HSUPA Performance

Packet Data Performance – Single User (2)

RLC buffer occupancy

limited to available RLC
window size

Fixed RLC PDU size (336/

656 bits): drops of
available RLC PDUs in the
RLC window to zero
disrupting the continuous
data flow

Flexible RLC PDU size:

there are always PDUs
available for transmission

Slide 8 18-May-2011 Impact of Flexible RLC PDU Size on HSUPA Performance

Packet Data Performance – Multi-User

Flexible RLC PDU size

provides cell throughput
increase of ~8%
- Reduced RLC overhead
- Finer granularity of the
RLC PDU size, allowing
for a better exploitation
of the uplink resources
- Reduced probability of
residual MAC-e block
errors after HARQ
(reduced TCP impact)

Only slight impact of the

maximum RLC PDU size
on throughput (should be
chosen > 5000 bits)

Slide 9 18-May-2011 Impact of Flexible RLC PDU Size on HSUPA Performance

VoIP – Transmission Technique/ Performance Criteria

MAC-d PDU size of 296 bits for the voice packet RLC RoHC
and 96 bits for the SID packet UM header RTP AMR frame
8 4 12
Transmission over E-DCH using non-scheduled bit bytes bit 244bit
transmission mode with 2ms TTI

Non-scheduled grant of 318 bits (transport block

size table 0)
Hdr./ Pad. MAC-d PDU
Maximum number of HARQ transmissions is 4,
296 bit
target average value 2.05

Minimum set E-TFCI: 318 for fixed and120 for MAC-e transport block: 318 bits
flexible PDU size

Performance criteria:
- Packet delay <= 90 ms
- 95%tile of the VoIP frame loss rate <= 2%
- Probability of exceeding 80% uplink cell load <= 2%

Slide 10 18-May-2011 Impact of Flexible RLC PDU Size on HSUPA Performance

VoIP Performance – Simulation Results
The VoIP packet delay increases with
higher path loss caused by
- Higher number of HARQ transmissions in
case of fixed RLC PDU size
- Allocation of several HARQ processes for
transmission of the whole MAC-d PDU in
case of flexible RLC PDU size

A delay higher than 90 ms is considered

to be a packet loss

About 2 dB coverage gain for flexible RLC

PDU size

In multi-UE scenario, the VoIP capacity is

slightly improved by 6% for flexible RLC
PDU size compared to fixed PDU size
- SID frames can now be transmitted with a smaller
RLC PDU size
- In case of power limitation the RLC PDU can be
segmented by MAC-is at the UE

Slide 11 18-May-2011 Impact of Flexible RLC PDU Size on HSUPA Performance

Conclusions
Flexible RLC PDU size feature in uplink was investigated by dynamic system simulations for
packet data services in single- and multi-user scenarios, and for VoIP over E-DCH

For UE categories 5 and 6 the single user throughput improves by about 5% compared to fixed
RLC PDU size of 336 bits due to the reduced RLC overhead

In case of multi-users, a maximum gain of about 8% was detected for UE category 6

- Reduced RLC overhead
- Finer granularity of the RLC PDU size allowing for better exploitation of the available uplink load
- Reduction of call drops caused by TCP timeouts by improvements of the behavior at cell edge

No significant impact of the maximum RLC PDU size on the performance, as long as this
parameter is chosen larger than 5000 bits

RLC window size limitations are resolved enabling for about 11.3 Mbps RLC throughput with UE
category 7 (16 QAM) compared to 6.5 Mbps for fixed RLC PDU size of 336 bits

Performance in power limitation at cell edge for VoIP over E-DCH users can be improved too
- Using smaller packet sizes in power limitation packet loss can be prevented at cost of an
increased transmission delay Improved coverage, about 2 dB gain
- Capacity gain of about 6% in multi-user scenarios

Slide 12 18-May-2011 Impact of Flexible RLC PDU Size on HSUPA Performance

Thank you!

Nash Technologies GmbH

Thurn-und-Taxis-Str. 10
D-90411 Nuremberg
www.nashtech.com
Enrico.Jugl@nashtech.com
Backup
 RLC Rate Limit – WS Optimum for Peak Rate
Parameters: Note:
• RLC RTT TSP > RTT ⇒ step size > WS/2
TSP = RTT ⇒ step size = WS/2
• TimerStatusProhibit TSP > RTT
Tx window One SR arrives per TSP. TSP < RTT ⇒ step size < WS/2
• Available MAC-is peak rate r SR acknowledges PDUs up
state variable • RLC window size WS is optimum for to the situation one RTT
VT(...) RTT, TSP and r earlier. RLC window jumps
by a fraction of WS.
Result: Mean RLC rate R:
R = WS / (TSP + RTT) = r

SR – status report Exactly when Tx

window is full, the
next SR arrives.

RTT
MS (upper edge) WS

RTT TSP With TSP > RTT:

S (actually submitted) R < WS / (2 * RTT)
A (lower edge) Time

Slide 15 18-May-2011 Impact of Flexible RLC PDU Size on HSUPA Performance

 UTRAN Architecture
Evolution from Rel-7 SRNC RRC PDCP
• Enhanced layer 2 which is
RLC
already available for
DCCH
HSPDA is also supported Logical Channels DTCH BCCH

for E-DCH
MAC-es/
MAC-d
MAC-is
E-DCH in Rel-8 MAC-d MAC-d DCH
flows flows

• Additions in RRC to
choose between MAC- CRNC

w/o MAC-c/sh
c/sh

w/o MAC-c/sh
c/sh
Upper phy

e/es and MAC-i/is

MAC-c MAC-c/sh
• RLC now supports flexible
PDU size (UM & AM)
• New MAC-is entity with NodeB
link to MAC-d and MAC-c MAC-e/ MAC-hs/
MAC-b
MAC-i MAC-ehs
• New MAC-i entity located DSCH

in the Node B Transport Channels EDCH HS-DSCH FACH BCH

• MAC-i entities from

multiple NodeB may serve
one UE (soft HO)
Slide 16 18-May-2011 Impact of Flexible RLC PDU Size on HSUPA Performance
Data Flow through Layer 2 – UTRAN Side
DCCH DTCH DTCH

RLC RLC PDU: Header DATA TSN: Transmission Sequence

Number (6 bits)
MAC-d
DATA
SS: Segmentation Status (2
MAC-d PDU:
bits)
Disassembly & Disassembly & Disassembly &
Reassembly Reassembly Reassembly
Mac-is SDU LCH-ID: Logical Channel
Reordering Reordering Reordering Mac-is PDU:
Identifier (4 bits)
TSN SS DATA DATA

- Maps to MAC-d flow ID

Reordering queue Reordering queue
distribution distribution
L: Length of MAC-is SDU in
MAC-is MAC-d Flows
octets (11 bits)
F: Flag indicating if more fields
Demultiplexing
are present in MAC-i header or
Read UE id MAC-i LCH-ID DATA DATA Padding
L F
(FDD only) PDU:
MAC-i header
(Opt)
not (1 bit)
MAC-i
HARQ - 0: Flag is followed by additional
set of LCH-ID, L, F field

Transport block:
DATA - 1: Flag is followed by MAC-is
L1
PDU

Mapping info signaled to Node B

LCH-ID => MAC-d flow ID Cf. 25.319 Rel-8

Slide 17 18-May-2011 Impact of Flexible RLC PDU Size on HSUPA Performance