Atoll 3.2.1 LTE

LTE Features
Atoll 3.2.1
© Forsk 2014 Confidential – Do not share without prior permission Slide 1

Training Programme
1. LTE Concepts
2. LTE Planning Overview
3. Modelling a LTE Network
4. LTE Predictions
5. Neighbours Allocation
6. Automatic Frequency and PCI Planning
7. MIMO Features

1. LTE Concepts
Overview
OFDM Definition
Advanced OFDM: OFDMA
Benefits of OFDM/OFDMA
Multiple Access Techniques and Duplexing Methods
LTE Radio Interface

What is 4G?
Evolution of 3GPP standards

Release 99: UMTS FDD (3G)
Release 4: UMTS TDD + FDD repeaters (3G)
Release 5: HSDPA (3.5G)
Release 6: HSUPA (enhanced uplink) + MBMS (3.5G)
Release 7: HSPA+ (2x2 MIMO, higher order modulations, etc.) (3.75G)
Release 8: LTE FDD and TDD (3.9G) + HSPA+ multi-carrier
Release 10: LTE advanced (4G)
WCDMA HSDPA/HSUPA HSPA+ LTE LTE Adv.

384 kbps downlink 14 Mbps peak downlink 42,2 Mbps peak downlink 100 Mbps peak downlink 100 Mbps to 1Gbps
128 kbps uplink 5.7 Mbps peak uplink 11 Mbps peak uplink 50 Mbps peak uplink peak downlink
3GPP 3GPP LTE Adv.

LTE 3GPP
3GPP Release 99/4 Release Release 3GPP
Release 8
5/6 7/8 Release 10
Technologies
WCDMA WCDMA WCDMA OFDMA + Carrier aggregation (DL/UL)
+ Enhanced architecture + MIMO SC-FDMA + HetNets
+ Higher order modulations + Dual-carrier MIMO + MIMO (up to 8*8)

OFDM Frequency and Time Domains
What is OFDM ?
OFDM = Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing
Frequency domain organization

Advanced form of Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM)
Principle:
• Wideband channel split into multiple orthogonal
narrowband radio carriers (subcarriers)
• Subcarriers are spaced in a manner that the centre of each

subcarrier corresponds to a zero crossing point of the
neighbouring subcarriers
• Good spectral efficiency compared to FDM systems

OFDM Frequency and Time Domains
Time domain organization

Adjustable guard period referred to as cyclic prefix
• Used to fight against multipath effects (delay spread)
Two configurations depending on the environment

• Normal cyclic prefix: 4.7 us
• Extended cyclic prefix: 16.7 us
Typical values of delay spread:

• Open environment: 0.2 us
• Suburban: 0.5 us
• Urban: 3 us
• Hilly area: 3-10 us

Advanced OFDM: OFDMA
OFDM : Orthogonal Frequency OFDMA : Orthogonal Frequency

Division Multiplexing Division Multiple Access
OFDM allocates users in time domain only OFDMA allocates users in time and frequency
domains
The entire channel bandwidth is allocated to

one user Several users served at once
Resource Blocks

Benefits of OFDM/OFDMA
OFDM(A) summary:
Narrowband orthogonal subcarriers

• Negligible inter-carrier interference (ICI)
• No frequency selective fading
Long symbol durations + cyclic prefix

• Negligible inter-symbol interference (ISI)
No ICI and ISI:

No intra-cell interference in theory
Possibility to support less robust modulations like 16QAM, 64QAM… for higher throughput !

Multiple Access Techniques and Duplexing Methods
OFDMA in DL
Each subcarrier carries one specific
data symbol (QPSK, 16QAM...)
SC-FDMA in UL (OFDMA variant)

Single-Carrier Frequency Division
Multiple Access
Each subcarrier carries information of

all data symbols
Technique well suited to LTE UL

requirements
• Lower PAPR*
• Power consumption limited
LTE can be deployed in FDD and TDD
*PAPR: Peak to Average Power Ratio

LTE Radio Interface
LTE channel structure

A channel is composed of more than 1 frequency block (FB)
• Fixed width = 180 kHz (LTE system level constant)
• 1 frequency block over 1 slot = 1 resource block (RB)
• Each FB is composed of many subcarriers
• Two subcarrier widths possible: 15 kHz, 7.5 kHz (specified for MBMS/SFN services)
• 1 FB = 12 SCa of 15 kHz OR 24 SCa of 7.5 kHz
• 1 subcarrier over 1 SD (symbol duration) = 1 resource element (RE)

LTE Channel Structure
LTE PHY layer supports a wide range of bandwidths

Spectrum flexibility
Channel Subcarrier Number Number of Sampling

FFT size
bandwidth spacing of FBs subcarriers frequency
1.92 MHz
1.4 MHz 6 72 128
(1/2 x 3.84)
15 kHz 3.84 MHz

3 MHz 15 180 256
(1 x 3.84)
7.68 MHz
5 MHz 25 300 512
(2 x 3.84)
(7.5 kHz for 15.36 MHz

10 MHz 50 600 1024
MBMS) (4 x 3.84)
23.04 MHz
15 MHz 75 900 1536
(6 x 3.84)
30.72 MHz
20 MHz 100 1200 2048
(8 x 3.84)

LTE Frame Structure
Time domain structure (for both UL and DL)

Specific frame structures for TDD and FDD
1 frame = 10 ms = 2 half-frames (TDD) = 10 sub-frames or TTI (each 1 ms)
= 20 slots (each 0.5 ms)
1 slot (0.5 ms) = 6 or 7 symbol durations (depending on the cyclic prefix duration)
1 FB over 1 sub-frame (1ms) = smallest unit that can be allocated by the scheduler (scheduling block)
Control channels transmitted on sub-frames 0 and 5 (always DL)
10 ms
LTE Frame
1 ms
SF 0 SF 1 …………………………….. SF 9
0.5 ms
Slot 0 Slot 1 Slot 2 Slot 3 …………………………….. Slot 18 Slot 19
OFDM OFDM OFDM OFDM OFDM OFDM OFDM

CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
Symbol 0 Symbol 1 Symbol 2 Symbol 3 Symbol 4 Symbol 5 Symbol 6

Physical Channels
Random access
HARQ feedback,
CQI reporting,
Traffic
UL scheduling request,
CQI reporting for MIMO
related feedback
Pilot (channel
estimation),
slot/frame eNode-B
synchronization and
cell identification
Traffic, MBMS, HARQ feedback,

system information, transport format,
paging UL scheduling grants,
DL resource allocation

OFDMA LTE Frame (DL)
Structure of a resource block

Frame structure of type I (FDD), 1 antenna port, ΔF = 15 kHz
• Standard frequency block:
• Any frequency block within the centre 6 frequency blocks:
Legend:
Downlink reference signals
PBCH (Physical Broadcast Channel)
PSS (Primary Synchronisation Signal)
SSS (Secondary Synchronisation Signal)
PDCCH / PHICH / PCFICH (Physical - Downlink Control / HARQ Indicator / Control Format Indicator - Channels)
PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Data Channel)
RBs allocated to mobiles are not necessarily adjacent  interference coordination

OFDMA LTE Frame (DL)
7 OFDM symbols at normal CP per slot (0.5 ms)

CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
symbol 0 symbol 1 symbol 2 symbol 3 symbol 4 symbol 5 symbol 6
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Legend:
Downlink reference signals
PBCH
Centre 6 RBs
1 subframe = 2 slots (1 ms) PSS

SSS
PDCCH / PHICH / PCFICH
PDSCH
180 kHz
SF 0 SF 1 SF 2 SF 3 SF 4 SF 5 SF 6 SF 7 SF 8 SF 9
Channel bandwidth
1 frame (10 ms)

= 10 subframes (1 ms)
= 20 slots (0.5 ms)

SC-FDMA LTE Frame (UL)
7 OFDM symbols at normal CP per slot (0.5 ms)

CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
symbol 0 symbol 1 symbol 2 symbol 3 symbol 4 symbol 5 symbol 6
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Legend:
UL DRS (Uplink Demodulation Reference Signal)
UL SRS (Uplink Sounding Reference Signal)
1 subframe = 2 slots (1 ms) PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel) (incl. HARQ feedback
and CQI reporting)
Demodulation Reference Signal for PUCCH
PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel)
180 kHz
SF 0 SF 1 SF 2 SF 3 SF 4 SF 5 SF 6 SF 7 SF 8 SF 9
Channel bandwidth
1 frame (10 ms)

= 10 subframes (1 ms)
= 20 slots (0.5 ms)

Training Programme
1. LTE Concepts
4. LTE Predictions
7. MIMO Features

LTE Features Supported in Atoll
LTE Planning Workflow in Atoll

Atoll fully supports LTE/LTE-A networks

Various E-UTRA frequency bands
Scalable channel bandwidths (from 1,4 MHz to 20 MHz)
Support of TDD and FDD frame structures
Normal and extended cyclic prefixes
Downlink and uplink control channels and overheads

• Downlink and uplink reference signals, PSS, SSS, PBCH, PDCCH, PUCCH, etc.
Physical Cell IDs implementation
Network capacity analysis using Monte-Carlo simulations
RSRP, RSSI and RSRQ support in predictions and simulations


Inter-cell interference coordination (ICIC) support
• Hard FFR (Fractional Frequency Reuse),
• Time-switched FFR,
• Soft FFR,
• Partial soft FFR
• eICIC (enhanced ICIC)
Support of fractional power control (UL)
Modelling of multi-layer heterogeneous networks (HetNets)
Services can be mapped to QoS Class Identifiers (QCI)
Beamforming modelling (smart antennas)
Possibility of fixed subscriber database for fixed applications


Carrier Aggregation up to 5 carriers of 20 MHz
Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) systems

• Transmit and receive diversity
• Single-user MIMO or spatial multiplexing
• Adaptive MIMO switching (AMS)
• Modelling of Multi-User MIMO (MU-MIMO)
Tools for automatic resource allocation

• Automatic allocation of neighbours
• Automatic allocation of Physical Cell IDs (PCI)
Specific module (AFP)
• Automatic allocation of frequencies
• PRACH RSI (root sequence indexes)
Network verification using drive test data

LTE Planning Workflow in Atoll
Open an existing project or

create a new one
Network configuration
- Add network elements ACP
- Change parameters
Basic predictions
(Best server, signal level)
Automatic or manual neighbour allocation
Automatic or manual frequency planning
Automatic or manual Physical Cell ID planning
Traffic maps
Monte-Carlo User-defined
And/or
simulations values
Cell load
Subscriber lists
conditions
Frequency plan Signal quality and throughput Prediction study

analysis predictions reports

Training Programme
1. LTE Concepts
4. LTE Predictions
7. MIMO Features

Global Settings
Frequency bands and channels definition
Global LTE frame definition
Radio Parameters
Sites
Transmitters
Cells
Multi-layer Networks (HetNets)

HetNets Configuration
eICIC

Global Settings (1/2)
Frequency bands and channels definition

Atoll can model multi-band networks within the same document
2 duplexing methods available: FDD and TDD
Bandwidths from 1,4 MHz to 20 MHz supported

Global Settings (2/2)
Global LTE frame definition Normal (default) or extended cyclic prefix

 at 15 kHz, 7 SD/slot (normal), or 6 SD/slot (extended)
Number of SD for PDCCH

(from 0 to 4) carrying DL
and UL resource allocation
information
Average number of
resource blocks for
PUCCH
TDD option only:

switch from DL to UL
every half-frame
(default) or every
frame
System-level constants (hard-coded)
Width of a resource block (180 kHz)
Frame duration (10 ms)
Other control channel overheads defined by 3GPP
• Reference signals, PSS, SSS, PBCH, etc.

Advanced Settings (1/2)
Downlink Cell-specific Reference Signals R0 R0
One antenna port

Reference Signal Power Boost R0 R0
• With more than one antenna port R0 R0
R0 R0
l0 l6 l0 l6
• Each antenna uses different resource
elements to transmit reference signals
R0 R0 R1 R1
Two antenna ports

• Resource elements of one antenna R0 R0 R1 R1
port that correspond to reference

R0 R0 R1 R1
signal transmission on another
antenna port are not used (DTX) R0 R0 R1 R1
l0 l6 l0 l6 l0 l6 l0 l6
R0 R0 R1 R1 R2 R3
Four antenna ports
R0 R0 R1 R1 R2 R3
R0 R0 R1 R1 R2 R3
R0 R0 R1 R1 R2 R3
l0 l6 l0 l6 l0 l6 l0 l6 l0 l6 l0 l6 l0 l6 l0 l6
even-numbered slots odd-numbered slots even-numbered slots odd-numbered slots even-numbered slots odd-numbered slots even-numbered slots odd-numbered slots
Antenna port 0 Antenna port 1 Antenna port 2 Antenna port 3
Different LTE equipment and vendors may support different methods for reusing the energy
corresponding to the “unused” resource elements

Advanced Settings (2/2)
Downlink Transmit power calculation

0-Max Power defined manually in the cell table. The energy of the “unused” resource elements is available
for the PDSCH channel.
1-RS EPRE defined manually. The Max Power will automatically be calculated
2-Max Power defined manually in the cell table. The energy of the “unused” resource elements is allotted
to reference signal resource elements only (RS Power Boost = 3dB for 2 antennas and 6dB for 4 antennas)
3-Max Power defined manually in the cell table. The energy of the “unused” resource elements is lost
4-Max power and RS EPRE defined manually in the cell table.

Radio Parameters Overview
Sites
Characterized by their X (longitude) and Y (latitude) coordinates
Transmitters
Presented in the
Activity “General Features” course
Antenna configuration (model, height, azimuth, mechanical/electrical tilts...)
UL and DL losses / UL noise figure
Propagation (model, radius and resolution)
Cells
Frequency band & channel
Layer
Cell Type
Physical Cell ID
Power definition of DL channels
Min. RSRP
DL and UL traffic loads
Diversity support (MIMO)
Neighbours
Transmitter Parameters
Antenna configuration and losses Propagation settings

parameters
Transmitter parameters
DL and UL
total losses,
UL noise figure
Antenna
configuration

Cell Parameters
Main parameters
Cell activity
• Only active cells are considered in predictions
Frequency band and channel number
Physical Cell ID
• PSS/SSS ID automatically computed
Powers and energy offsets

• Computed from RS EPRE*
Min. RSRP
• Used as a cell coverage limit
Load conditions
• DL traffic load (%)
• UL noise rise due to surrounding mobiles (dB)
*RS EPRE: Reference Signal Energy Per Resource Element

Cell Parameters
Main parameters
Layer
• Similar to HCS layers in 2G networks
• Used to model HetNets*
Frame configuration (optional)

• See next slide
MIMO configuration
• Diversity support DL/UL:
• Transmit diversity
• SU-MIMO
• AMS: Adaptative MIMO Switching
• AAS: Advanced Antenna Systems
• MU-MIMO
Neighbours-related parameters
*HetNets: Heterogeneous Networks

Cell Parameters
Specific frame configurations

Each cell can be assigned a specific frame configuration (optional)
PDCCH/PUCCH overheads and cyclic prefix can be set for each frame
• Override values defined in global parameters
PRACH preamble format

• Defines a max. distance limiting the best server coverage (see 3GPP specs.)
Specific parameters used in case of interference coordination support (ICIC)

• Group 0/1/2 frequency blocks, ICIC mode, cell-edge power boost (DL)

What is HetNets?
HetNets, or Heterogeneous Networks, are comprised of traditional large macrocells and smaller cells like:
• Microcells (< 5W)
• Picocells (< 1W)
• Femtocells (~ 200mW)
HetNets provide two basic benefits to operators:

• Increase capacity in hotspots as traffic is not uniformly distributed
• Improve coverage in places where macro coverage is not adequate

Multi-layer heterogeneous network deployment

Atoll LTE fully supports multi-layer networks
• Different layers with different priorities and selection margins can be defined for your LTE network
• Taken into account during cell selection
• The definition of layers can be based on the operating frequencies
• Each cell has to be mapped to a layer
• You can also assign supported layers to different services and terminals
Layers management
You can define network layers with corresponding:
• Priorities
• Supported mobile speeds
• Selection margins (for cell range extension, see next slide)

Layers management
Principle of the cell selection margins
• Due to the wide difference of power levels between macro and pico/femtocells, most of the UEs will get
associated to the macrocells resulting in a load imbalance throughout the network
• To counterbalance this effect, and thus enhance the system performance, an offset is to be added to the
actual RSRP value from the pico/femtocells (range expansion) during the cell selection process
• Cell range expansion concept modelled by cell selection margins in Atoll
Area where the picocell is

received with a higher power
than the macrocell

Compatibility between services, terminals and network layers

Managed in the services and terminals properties

Carrier Aggregation (LTE-A)
Definition
Carrier Aggregation (CA) increases the
channel bandwidth by combining
multiple RF carriers
• Each individual RF carrier is known as
a Component Carrier (CC)
• All CCs belong to the same eNodeB
5 CCs may be aggregated to reach a

maximum of 100 MHz
• However, initial LTE-A deployments
will likely be limited to 2 CCs
Carrier Aggregation is applicable to both

DL and UL, and both FDD and TDD
3 general types of Carrier Aggregation

scenario have been defined by 3GPP
• Intra-band contiguous
• Intra-band non-contiguous
• Inter-band

Carrier Aggregation categorises cells as:

Primary Cell
• The cell upon which the UE performs initial connection establishment
• Each connection has a single primary cell
• The primary cell can be changed during the handover procedure
• Used to generate inputs during security procedures
• Used to define NAS mobility information (e.g. Tracking Area Identity)
Secondary Cell
• A cell which has been configured to provide additional radio resources after connection establishment
• Each connection can have multiple secondary cells
Serving Cell
• Both primary and secondary cells
are categorised as serving cells
• There is one HARQ entity per
serving cell at the UE
• The different serving cells may
have different coverage

Primary and Secondary cells are modelled in

Atoll via the parameter “Cell Type”
Defines whether the cell supports LTE (3GPP
Rel-8/9) and/or LTE‐A (3GPP Rel-10 and later)
• A cell can be configured to be a LTE cell, a
LTE‐A P-Cell (Primary Cell), and a LTE‐A S-Cell
(Secondary Cell)
• If the cell type is left empty, Atoll considers it
as LTE‐only
Both LTE and LTE‐A users can connect to

LTE‐only cells without the possibility to
perform Carrier Aggregation
Cells that only support LTE‐A, and not LTE, can

only serve LTE‐A users
• The process of only allowing LTE‐A users to
connect to a cell and excluding all LTE users
is called Cell Barring

UE Categories in Atoll
LTE-A to LTE Downgrade Category:

Used to define the UE category to
consider when a LTE-A mobile is
connected to a LTE Rel-8/9 cell
Additional UE
Categories

LTE-A terminals in Atoll

Carrier Aggregation support is
defined at the terminal level
• You have to define the
maximum number of Secondary
Cells supported in DL and UL
• The number of UL Secondary
Cells must be less than or equal
to the number of DL Secondary
Cells
• Setting the maximum number
of Secondary Cells to 0 means
that the terminal does not
support Carrier Aggregation

Improvements in predictions for Carrier Aggregation

You can carry out coverage predictions for different serving cells
• Main (P-Cell or LTE Rel-8/9 cells)
• Nth S-Cell
You can also perform aggregated throughput predictions including all serving cells, or even some of them
Throughput prediction Coverage prediction

Example: Coverage by throughput

Intra-band contiguous Carrier Aggregation
• Co-located cells with similar coverage
• Channel width = 20 + 20 MHz
• MIMO 2 X 2 (AMS)
With a LTE Rel-8/9 terminal With a LTE-A terminal

Improvements in the Point Analysis Tool for Carrier Aggregation
Serving Cells (P-Cell and S-Cell)
Aggregated throughput

Training Programme
1. LTE Concepts
4. LTE Predictions
7. MIMO Features

4. LTE Predictions
Introduction
Parameters used in Predictions
Prediction Settings
Fast Link Adaptation Modelling
Coverage Prediction Examples
Point Analysis Studies

Introduction
• RSRP level: Receive Signal Receive Power calculated

Coverage for one RE
• RS level: Reference Signal level calculated on the
predictions whole bandwidth
• RSRQ: Reference Signal receive Quality

Quality • PDSCH C/I+N: Signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio
based on the PDSCH channel
predictions • RS C/I+N: Signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio based
on the Reference Signal channel
Throughput • Based on the RLC or Application layers

• Peak, Effective or Average throughput
predictions • Carried out for one or several users

Introduction
Principle of LTE studies based on traffic

Study calculated for:
• Given load conditions: UL
noise
• UL noise rise (dB)
rise
• DL traffic load (%)
• A non-interfering user with:

DL
• A service Terminal traffic
• VoIP, load
• Web browsing, LTE
• FTP download...
prediction
• A mobility
• Fixed,
• Pedestrian,
Mobility Service
• 50 Km/h...
• A terminal type
• Smartphone,
• Rooftop terminal...

Load Conditions
Load conditions, defined in the cells properties

Traffic load (DL) (%)
UL noise rise (dB)
Values taken into consideration in

predictions for each cell

Service Properties
Service: parameters used in predictions

Highest/lowest bearers in UL and DL
Body loss
Application throughput parameters

Mobility Properties
Mobility: parameters used in predictions

Mapping between mobility and thresholds in bearer and quality indicator determination (as radio
conditions depend on user speed)
Mapping
Reception equipment properties

Terminal Properties
Min/max terminal power + noise figure + losses

Terminal: parameters used in predictions
Min/max terminal power
Gain and losses
Noise figure
Antenna settings (incl. MIMO support)
Carrier aggregation settings
Support of
MIMO
Number of antenna ports in UL and DL in case of MIMO support

Prediction Settings
Layers management in LTE predictions

Possibility to carry out studies on the best layer or,
on a specific layer
Best layer determination

(1) Potential servers ranked by decreasing order
• From the best signal level to the lowest
• Criterion: RS level or RSRP [Network Settings]
• Layers which are not supported by the service and
the terminal are discarded
• Layers which do not support the user mobility are
discarded (max speed criterion)
(2) Reduced list of potential servers

• Best server + all potential servers within a certain
margin from the best server (selection margin)
(3) Selection of the layer with the highest priority

Prediction Settings
Best layer determination (example)

(1) Potential servers ranked by decreasing order, from the best signal level to the lowest
Layers Layer priority Signal level (RSRP) Selection margin
L0 0 (lowest) -100 dBm 2 dB 3rd best
L1 1 -98 dBm 1 dB Best
L2 2 -99 dBm 3 dB 2nd best
L3 3 (highest) -101 dBm 1 dB 4th best
(2) Reduced list of potential servers

• Best server + all potential servers within a certain margin from the best server (1 dB here)
L1 1 -98 dBm 1 dB
L2 2 -99 dBm 3 dB
(3) Selection of the layer with the highest priority

• L2 selected (highest priority layer)

Fast Link Adaptation Modelling
Atoll determines, on each pixel, the highest bearer that each user can obtain
After the layer determination, connection to the best server in terms of RS level or RSRP
Bearer chosen according to the radio conditions (PDSCH and PUSCH CINR levels)
Process: prediction done via look-up tables
Radio conditions
Best server area Throughput &
estimation
RS level (C) or determination quality indicator
(PDSCH and Bearer selection
RSRP evaluation (limited by min. predictions (BER
PUSCH CINR and BLER)
RSRP)
calculation)

Interference Estimation
Atoll calculates PDSCH and PUSCH CINR according to:

The victim traffic (PUSCH or PDSCH) power [C]
The sum of interfering signals [I], affected by:
• The interfering signals’ EIRP (power + gains - losses) weighted by traffic loads (in DL)
• The path loss from the interferers to the victim
• The shadowing effect and the indoor losses (optional)
• The interference reduction factor applied to interfering base stations transmitting on adjacent channels
(adjacent channel suppression factor)
• The interference reduction due to static ICIC (optional)

Prediction Examples (General Studies)
Cell dominance (overlapping zones)

(based on RSRP levels)
Coverage by transmitter
(based on RSRP levels)

Prediction Examples (Dedicated Studies)
Coverage by RSRP level

(with power boost)
Coverage by RSRP level

Prediction Examples (Dedicated Studies)
Application Channel
Throughput (UL)
Coverage by PUSCH CINR

Point Analysis Tool: Reception
Radio reception diagnosis at a given point

Choice of UL/DL load conditions: Selection of the value to be
if (cells table) is selected  analysis based on DL load and UL displayed (RS, SS, PDSCH, RSRP)
noise rise from cells table
Reference
signals,
PDSCH and
PUSCH
availability
(or not)
Definition of the user Cell bar graphs (best server on top)

(terminal, service, mobility)
Analysis details on
reference signals,
PDSCH and PUSCH

Point Analysis Tool: Interference
Radio interference diagnosis at a given point
Choice of UL/DL load conditions: Selection of the value to be displayed

if (cells table) is selected  analysis based on DL load and UL (RS, SS, PDSCH, RSRP)
noise rise from cells table
Serving cell
(C)
Total level of
interference
(I + N)
Definition of the user

List of interfering cells
(terminal, service, mobility)

Training Programme
1. LTE Concepts
4. LTE Predictions
7. MIMO Features

5. Neighbour Allocation
Detailed information about neighbours allocation is available in Atoll_3.2.1_Neighbours.pdf

Training Programme
1. LTE Concepts
4. LTE Predictions
7. MIMO Features

6. Automatic Frequency & PCI Planning
Automatic Physical Cell ID planning

AFP overview
Automatic resource allocation process
Interference matrix calculation
Physical Cell ID overview
PCI allocation process
Running the automatic resource allocation
PCI allocation examples
Automatic frequency planning

Running the automatic resource allocation
Frequency allocation examples

AFP Overview (1/2)
Prerequisite: AFP license
Goal: Optimize resource allocation (channels or PCI) following the user-defined constraints
• To minimize interference (channels)
• To avoid collisions (PCI)
Tool based on an iterative cost-based algorithm

The algorithm starts with the current frequency plan (used as initial state)
Different frequency plans are then evaluated and a cost is calculated for each of them
The best frequency allocation plan is the one with the lowest global cost

AFP Overview (2/2)
The cost is calculated thanks to:

Interference matrices
• Probabilities of interference in co- and adjacent channel cases
• A probability is calculated for each case and for each interfered-interfering cell pair
Distance relation
• Avoid frequency reuse between cells for which the inter-site distance is lower than a “min. reuse distance”
• Taking into account distance and cells’ azimuth
Neighbours
• Taking into account neighbours importance (can be calculated by Atoll)

Automatic Resource Allocation Process
Define radio parameters at cells level

• Frequency band allocation
• Allocation status: not allocated or locked
• Minimum reuse distance (optional)
Import / calculate a neighbour plan
Import / calculate an interference matrix
Run the automatic resource allocation tool
Commit and analyse results

Interference Matrix Calculation (1/2)
Interference matrix definition

For each cell pair, interference probability for co and adjacent channel cases
Probabilities of interference are stated as the ratio between:

• The interfered area within the best server area of the victim
• Best server area of the victim
Serving Area
TX_B
Interfering
TX_A Transmitter
Victim Transmitter
Area where TX_B is interfering TX_A

 Interference probability = 50%
 In other words, 50% of TX_A’s serving area is interfered by TX_B
C C
Co-channel interference occurs when:  Min Reference Signal
I  MQ   N N

Interference Matrix Calculation (2/2)

Physical Cell ID Overview
Physical Cell ID definition

Cell search and identification is based on Physical Cell IDs
• Optimised allocation needed to avoid unnecessary problems
in cell recognition and selection
504 Physical Cell IDs defined by 3GPP
Physical Cell ID grouped into:

(Cell search procedure)
• 168 unique Cell ID groups (SSS IDs in Atoll, from 0 to 167)
• Each group containing 3 unique identities (PSS IDs in Atoll, from 0 to 2)
Each cell’s reference signal transmits a pseudo random sequence corresponding to the Physical Cell ID of
the cell
When Physical Cell ID + pseudo-random sequence is known, cell is recognized by mobile based on the
received reference signal
Channel estimation performed on reference signals

Physical Cell ID Allocation Process
PCI allocation to cells

Main requirement
• Avoid PCI collision and confusion
• Not allocate the same PCI to nearby cells
• To avoid problems in cell search and selection
PCI A PCI B
PCI A PCI A
PCI B
PCI collision PCI confusion
Secondary requirements
• Different PSS ID at nearby cells
• Avoid RS-RS collisions
• Preferably the same SSS ID at co-site cells (especially in the case of 3-sector sites)
• May facilitate neighbour cell identification
• May help in measurements and handover procedures

Running the Automatic Resource Allocation (1/6)

Possibility to allocate channels or Physical Cell IDs
Allocation constraints
Run the calculation

Possibility to allocate channels or Physical Cell IDs
Allocation constraints
Run the calculation

During the optimisation, you can monitor the reduction of the total cost

You can compare the distribution histograms of the initial and current allocation plans

Once Atoll has finished allocating Physical Cell IDs, the proposed allocation plan is available on
the Results tab
The proposed PCI plan can be assigned automatically to the cells of the network if you click Commit

Physical Cell ID Allocation Results (1/2)
Automatic Physical Cell ID allocation in Atoll (example)

Same PCI all over - RS coverage C/(I+N) with DL traffic load = 0%

Physical Cell ID Allocation Results (2/2)
Automatic Physical Cell ID allocation in Atoll (example)

Automatic PCI allocation with AFP - RS coverage C/(I+N) with DL traffic load = 0%

Automatic Frequency Planning (1/2)
Philosophy of the channels automatic allocation is really similar to PCI allocation
Automatic channels allocation prerequisites

Define radio parameters at cells level
• Frequency band
• Channel allocation status
• Minimum reuse distance
Neighbour plan
Interference matrix (as explained previously)

Automatic Frequency Planning (2/2)
Philosophy of the channels automatic allocation is really similar to PCI allocation

Frequency Allocation Examples (1/2)
Basic frequency allocation (Single Frequency Network)

Same channel all over (15 MHz) - RS coverage C/(I+N):

Frequency Allocation Examples (2/2)
Optimised frequency allocation with AFP

3 channels (5 MHz) - RS coverage C/(I+N):

Find on Map Tool Overview
You can visualise channels and PSS ID reuse on the map

Possibility to find cells which are assigned a given:
• Frequency band + channel
• Physical Cell ID
• PSS ID
• SSS ID
Way to use this tool

Create and calculate a coverage by transmitter with a colour
display by transmitter
Open the “Find on map” tool available in the “tools” menu

• or use [Ctrl+F],
• or directly in the toolbar

Channel Search
Channel reuse on the map
Colours given to transmitters:

• Red: co-channel transmitters
• Yellow: multi-adjacent channel (-1 and +1) transmitters
• Green: adjacent channel (-1) transmitters
• Blue: adjacent channel (+1) transmitters
• Grey thin line: other transmitters

Physical Cell ID Search
Physical Cell ID, PSS ID or SSS ID reuse on the map
Colours given to transmitters:

• Red or grey thin line: if the transmitters carries or not the
specified resource value (Physical Cell ID, PSS ID or SSS ID)

PCI Allocation Audit (1/2)
You can check if your constraints are satisfied by the current allocation by performing an audit
Respect of a minimum reuse distance
Respect of neighbourhood constraints (two neighbour cells must have a different PCI)
Respect of PSS/SSS ID allocation strategy

PCI Allocation Audit (2/2)
Audit results
The exclamation mark icon ( ) means that the collision may or may not be a problem depending on your
network design rules and selected strategies.
On the other hand, the cross icon ( ) implies an error.

Training Programme
1. LTE Concepts
4. LTE Predictions
7. MIMO Features

8. MIMO Features
Introduction
MIMO Techniques Overview
MIMO Settings in Atoll
Adaptive MIMO Switching
Diversity and Throughput Gains
Calculation Details
Use Case: 4x2 MIMO (AMS)

Introduction (1/2)
Shannon’s formula
Theoretical limit to transmit without error: 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑙 𝐶𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 𝑊. 𝑙𝑜𝑔2 (1 + SNR) , (bits/s)
How to increase the channel capacity ?

Increase the bandwidth (W )
Improve the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR )
Limitation of SISO* systems to reach very high data rates
Why MIMO ?
The usage of multiple antennas improves dramatically the channel capacity without additional bandwidth
or transmit power
Expected benefits with MIMO

• Higher throughput
• Better coverage
*SISO: Single Input Single Output

Introduction (2/2)
General concept of MIMO

Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) configurations benefit from multiple antenna elements at the
transmitter and multiple antenna elements at the receiver
Terminology
Similar terminology is used for Single Input Multiple Output (SIMO), Multiple Input Single Output (MISO),
and Single Input Single Output (SISO)
4x2 MIMO
1x4 SIMO
Propagation
channel Propagation
channel
4x1 MISO SISO
Propagation Propagation
channel channel

MIMO Techniques Overview
Four different MIMO techniques can be listed
Transmit diversity
• Aims to improve the signal quality by sending several times the same data stream
• Usually used in areas with bad CINR conditions
Single-User MIMO (or SU-MIMO, also referred to as Spatial Multiplexing)

• Aims to improve the signal throughput by transmitting simultaneously (i.e. using the same
set of time/frequency resources) multiple data streams to a single user
• Usually used in areas with good CINR conditions
Beamforming
• Aims to improve both signal quality and throughput by focusing the signal energy towards
the receiver
Multi-User MIMO (or MU-MIMO)

• Aims to improve the system capacity by sending simultaneously different data streams to
different users

Transmitters Settings
You have to set the appropriate number of antenna ports at the Transmitters level
In this example, 4 ports are defined for the

transmission (used for DL calculations), and
2 ports for the reception (used for UL
calculations)
4x? MIMO (DL)
Propagation
channel ?
Depends on the number of reception

antenna ports defined in the terminal
properties (see slide 49)
?x2 MIMO (UL)
Propagation
channel ?
Depends on the number of transmission

antenna ports defined in the terminal
properties (see slide 49)

Cells Settings
MIMO techniques support

You can define the MIMO techniques
supported by your equipment in UL/DL in
the Cells properties
AMS = Adaptive MIMO Switching
AAS = Active Array System (beamforming)
• For more information see the training
course “LTE Features – Advanced”
MU-MIMO
• For more information see the training
course “LTE Features – Advanced”
Tx/Rx SU-MIMO AMS AAS MU-MIMO

diversity • UL/DL • UL/DL • DL only • UL/DL
• UL/DL

Terminal Settings
You have to configure a terminal that supports MIMO
LTE equipment defining SU-MIMO and diversity gains
MIMO
support
Number of antenna ports in UL and DL in case of MIMO support

(1Tx/2Rx is the most common configuration at the moment)

Adaptive MIMO Switching (1/3)
Definition
AMS is a combination between the SU-MIMO and Tx/Rx diversity techniques
It is used for switching from SU-MIMO to Tx/Rx diversity as the radio conditions deteriorate
Good radio conditions Bad radio conditions

-> Use of SU-MIMO -> Use of Tx/Rx diversity
-> Better throughput -> Better CINR
Transition area between SU-MIMO and Tx/Rx diversity

-> Determined by the AMS threshold (see next slide)
Advantages
Improves the throughput for users situated near the transmitter
Increases the signal quality for cell edge users

The AMS threshold is the parameter used to switch from SU-MIMO to Tx/Rx diversity
It can be defined in the reception equipment properties
• Default Cell Equipment (for UL calculations)
• Default UE Equipment (for DL calculations)
It is expressed in dB and refers to the Reference Signal or the PDSCH/PUSCH quality
The AMS threshold depends on the user mobility
You can choose the criterion the AMS threshold will be based upon in the LTE global settings
Reference Signal C/N or C/(I+N)
PDSCH or PUSCH C/(I+N)
Diversity and Throughput Gains (1/2)
Diversity and/or throughput gains can be applied when using certain MIMO techniques
They depend on the MIMO configuration used (2x1 MIMO, 2x2 MIMO, 4x4 MIMO…)
Besides PDSCH and PUSCH, PBCH and PDCCH can also benefit from diversity gains
All values set here should be in line with your vendor specific equipment
Diversity and Throughput Gains (2/2)
Additional diversity and throughput gains are defined in the clutter classes properties
Diversity and throughput gains can be tuned according to the environment
Calculation Details (1/2)
CINR improvement with the transmit diversity technique

Let’s consider for instance the CINRPDSCH
CINRPDSCH (With MIMO) = CINRPDSCH (Without MIMO) + Diversity Gain + Additional Diversity Gain (DL)
Calculation Details (2/2)
Throughput improvement with the SU-MIMO technique

Let’s consider for instance the DL peak RLC channel throughput
Peak Th. (With MIMO) = Peak Th. (Without MIMO) x [ 1 + (Max MIMO Gain – 1) x LTE SU-MIMO Gain Factor ]
Use Case: 4x2 MIMO DL (AMS) (1/5)
Atoll configuration
4 transmission antenna ports
• Transmitters properties
2 reception antenna ports
• Terminal properties
Diversity support (DL)
• AMS
Note: Traffic load (DL) = 75%
Peak RLC Channel Throughput Analysis (DL)

Conditions:
• Traffic load (DL) = 75%
• Channel width = 10 MHz
• Normal CP, PDCCH overhead = 2
• AMS threshold = 12 dB (RS CINR)
• Service = High Speed Internet
• Mobility = Pedestrian
Without MIMO
SU-MIMO
AMS threshold Tx/Rx

diversity
4x2 MIMO (AMS)
Peak RLC Channel Throughput Analysis (DL) – near the transmitter

Results based on pixels where the SU-MIMO technique is used (RS CINR > 12 dB)
100
90
80
70
60
50 Without MIMO
40
AMS 4x2
30
20
10
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70
Peak RLC Throughput (Mbps)
Quality analysis - PDSCH C/(I+N)

Conditions:
• Traffic load (DL) = 75%
• Channel width = 10 MHz
• Normal CP, PDCCH overhead = 2
• AMS threshold = 12 dB (RS CINR)
• Service = High Speed Internet
• Mobility = Pedestrian No service
Tx/Rx
diversity Without MIMO
SU-MIMO
AMS threshold
4x2 MIMO (AMS)
Quality analysis - PDSCH C/(I+N)

The overall quality (near transmitter and at cell edge) is considered on the chart below
100
90
80
70
60
50
Without MIMO
40 AMS 4x2
30
20
10
0
-20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20 25 30
PDSCH C/(I+N) (dB)
Appendix
LTE throughput formulas
Downlink Peak RLC channel Throughput

𝑷𝑫𝑺𝑪𝑯 𝑹𝑬 𝑨𝑽𝑨𝑰𝑳𝑨𝑩𝑳𝑬∗𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒚
𝑷𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝑹𝑳𝑪 𝑻𝒉𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒌𝒃𝒑𝒔 =
𝑭𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝑫𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒔
• Number of Ressource Elements available for PDSCH
• Bearer Efficiency : Number of bits per symbol * Coding rate
• Frame duration : 10 ms
Downlink Effective RLC channel throughput

𝑬𝒇𝒇 𝑹𝑳𝑪 𝑻𝒉𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒌𝒃𝒑𝒔 = 𝑷𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝑹𝑳𝑪 𝑻𝒉𝒑𝒖𝒕 ∗ (𝟏 − 𝑩𝑳𝑬𝑹)
• BLER: Downlink block error rate read from the graphs available in LTE Network Settings / Reception
Equipment
Downlink Application channel throughput

𝑺𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓
𝑨𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑻𝒉𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒌𝒃𝒑𝒔 = 𝑬𝒇𝒇 𝑹𝑳𝑪 𝑻𝒉𝒑𝒖𝒕 ∗ − 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒔𝒆𝒕
𝟏𝟎𝟎
• Throughput scaling factor defined in the properties of the service used by the pixel (Traffic parameters /
Services)
• Throughput offset defined in the properties of the service used by the pixel (Traffic parameters / Services)
Downlink peak RLC cell capacity

𝑷𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝑪𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒌𝒃𝒑𝒔 = 𝑷𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝑹𝑳𝑪 𝑻𝒉𝒑𝒖𝒕 ∗ 𝑻. 𝑳.𝑴𝑨𝑿
• T.L.: Maximum Downlink Traffic Load
Downlink effective RLC cell capacity

𝑬𝒇𝒇 𝑪𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒌𝒃𝒑𝒔 = 𝑷𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝑪𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 ∗ (𝟏 − 𝑩𝑳𝑬𝑹)
• BLER: Downlink block error rate read from the graphs available in LTE Network Settings / Reception
Equipment
• Peak Cell Capacity: Downlink Peak RLC Cell capacity (kbps)
Downlink Application cell capacity

𝑨𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑪𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 (𝒌𝒃𝒑𝒔) = 𝑬𝒇𝒇 𝑪𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 ∗ (𝑺𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓)/𝟏𝟎𝟎 − 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒔𝒆𝒕
• Throughput scaling factor defined in the properties of the service used by the pixel (Traffic parameters /
Services)
• Throughput offset defined in the properties of the service used by the pixel (Traffic parameters / Services)
Downlink peak RLC throughput per user

𝑷𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝑹𝑳𝑪 𝑪𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚
𝑷𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝑹𝑳𝑪 𝑻𝒉𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒓 𝒌𝒃𝒑𝒔 = 𝑵𝑫𝑳 𝑼𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒔
• N DL users: Number of users connected to the cell in downlink
Downlink effective RLC throughput per user

𝑬𝒇𝒇 𝑹𝑳𝑪 𝑪𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚
𝑬𝒇𝒇 𝑹𝑳𝑪 𝑻𝒉𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒓 𝒌𝒃𝒑𝒔 =
𝑵𝑫𝑳 𝑼𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒔
• N DL users: Number of users connected to the cell in downlink
Downlink application throughput per user

𝑨𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑪𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚
𝑨𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑻𝒉𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒓 𝒌𝒃𝒑𝒔 =
𝑵𝑫𝑳 𝑼𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒔
• NDL users: Number of users connected to the cell in downlink
RSRQ formula
RSRQ is the ratio over the entire channel bandwidth of the wanted RS signal / All signal
𝑹𝑺𝑹𝑷
𝑹𝑺𝑹𝑸 𝒅𝑩 = × 𝑵𝑹𝑩
𝑹𝑺𝑺𝑰
• RSRP: Received Signal Received Power: Received Power at the UE per Reference signal channel resource
element from its serving cell
• RSSI: Received Signal Strength Indicator: Total power received at the UE from its serving and adjacent cells
• NRB : Number of resource blocks over which the RSSI is measured
Thank you

Atoll 3.2.1 LTE

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Atoll 3.2.1 LTE

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LTE Features

© Forsk 2014 Confidential – Do not share without prior permission Slide 1

2. LTE Planning Overview

3. Modelling a LTE Network

6. Automatic Frequency and PCI Planning

© Forsk 2014 Confidential – Do not share without prior permission Slide 2

Advanced OFDM: OFDMA

Multiple Access Techniques and Duplexing Methods

LTE Radio Interface

© Forsk 2014 Confidential – Do not share without prior permission Slide 3

Evolution of 3GPP standards

WCDMA HSDPA/HSUPA HSPA+ LTE LTE Adv.

3GPP 3GPP LTE Adv.

© Forsk 2014 Confidential – Do not share without prior permission Slide 4

Frequency domain organization

• Subcarriers are spaced in a manner that the centre of each

• Good spectral efficiency compared to FDM systems

© Forsk 2014 Confidential – Do not share without prior permission Slide 5

Time domain organization

Two configurations depending on the environment

Typical values of delay spread:

© Forsk 2014 Confidential – Do not share without prior permission Slide 6

OFDM : Orthogonal Frequency OFDMA : Orthogonal Frequency

The entire channel bandwidth is allocated to

© Forsk 2014 Confidential – Do not share without prior permission Slide 7

Narrowband orthogonal subcarriers

Long symbol durations + cyclic prefix

No ICI and ISI:

© Forsk 2014 Confidential – Do not share without prior permission Slide 8

SC-FDMA in UL (OFDMA variant)

Each subcarrier carries information of

Technique well suited to LTE UL

LTE can be deployed in FDD and TDD

*PAPR: Peak to Average Power Ratio

© Forsk 2014 Confidential – Do not share without prior permission Slide 9

LTE channel structure

© Forsk 2014 Confidential – Do not share without prior permission Slide 10

LTE PHY layer supports a wide range of bandwidths

Channel Subcarrier Number Number of Sampling

15 kHz 3.84 MHz

(7.5 kHz for 15.36 MHz

© Forsk 2014 Confidential – Do not share without prior permission Slide 11

Time domain structure (for both UL and DL)

Slot 0 Slot 1 Slot 2 Slot 3 …………………………….. Slot 18 Slot 19

OFDM OFDM OFDM OFDM OFDM OFDM OFDM

© Forsk 2014 Confidential – Do not share without prior permission Slide 12

Traffic, MBMS, HARQ feedback,

© Forsk 2014 Confidential – Do not share without prior permission Slide 13

Structure of a resource block

• Any frequency block within the centre 6 frequency blocks:

RBs allocated to mobiles are not necessarily adjacent  interference coordination

© Forsk 2014 Confidential – Do not share without prior permission Slide 14

7 OFDM symbols at normal CP per slot (0.5 ms)

1 subframe = 2 slots (1 ms) PSS

1 frame (10 ms)

© Forsk 2014 Confidential – Do not share without prior permission Slide 15

7 OFDM symbols at normal CP per slot (0.5 ms)

1 frame (10 ms)

© Forsk 2014 Confidential – Do not share without prior permission Slide 16

2. LTE Planning Overview

3. Modelling a LTE Network

6. Automatic Frequency and PCI Planning

© Forsk 2014 Confidential – Do not share without prior permission Slide 17