LECTURE 1

INTRODUCTION TO WIRELESS
COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

References:
•Bernhard (Chapter 1, 4, 6-14)
•Rappaport (Chapter 1)
•Prasad (Chapter 1)
•Kaaranen (Chapter 1)
 INTRODUCTION
 Wireless refers to the electromagnetic waves or
Radio Frequency (RF) without the use of electrical
conductors or wires.
 Wireless communication is the transfer of
information over a distance through wireless medium
or channel.

.
 Wireless Communication
 Advantages
– Cost independent of terrain and distance
– Suitable for incremental capacity enhancement, i.e.
flexible planning
– Reduced maintenance effort, i.e. better reliability
– Ease of installation and maintenance, i.e. suitability for
temporary or emergency services
– Dynamic use of medium, i.e. trunking capability
– Mobility
– Suitable for multiple operators, i.e. service liberalization
 Wireless Communication
 Limitations
– Capacity limited by frequency allocation, i.e. cellular
design is expensive
– Margin has to be provided for multipath propagation
effect and interferences, i.e. expensive for normal
urban application
– Power source required at terminal end
– Generally very low transmission rates for higher
numbers of users
 Wavelength of Some Technologies
 Electromagnetic waves
 Travel at speed of light (c = 3x108 m/s)
 Has a frequency (f) and wavelength (λ)
 c=fxλ
 Higher frequency means higher energy photons
 GSM Phones:
 frequency ~= 900 MHz
 wavelength ~= 33cm
 PCS Phones
 frequency ~= 1.8 GHz
 wavelength ~= 16.7 cm
 Bluetooth:
 frequency ~= 2.4 GHz
 wavelength ~= 12.5 cm
Electromagnetic Spectrum
 The frequency spectrum is a scarce resource and
must be managed efficiently.
104 102 100 10-2 10-4 10-6 10-8 10-10 10-12 10-14 10-16

Radio Micro Cosmic

IR UV X-Rays
Spectrum wave Rays

104 106 108 1010 1012 1014 1016 1018 1020 1022 1024
1MHz ==100m
100MHz ==1m
10GHz ==1cm
Visible light < 30 KHz VLF
30-300KHz LF
300KHz – 3MHz MF
3 MHz – 30MHz HF
30MHz – 300MHz VHF
300 MHz – 3GHz UHF
3-30GHz SHF
> 30 GHz EHF
Electromagnetic Spectrum
Frequency Bands

 VHF (30 MHz - 300 MHz)

– VHF Mid Band (70 - 87.5 MHz)
– VHF High Band (148 - 174 MHz)

 UHF (300 MHz - 3 GHz)

– UHF Band (403 - 420 MHz)
– UHF Band (450 - 520 MHz)
– UHF Band 900 MHz (820 - 960 MHz)
– UHF Band 1.9 GHz (1880 - 1900 MHz)
 What is Mobility

 Initially Internet and Telephone Networks is

designed assuming the user terminals are
static
No change of location during a call/connection
A user terminals accesses the network always from
a fixed location
What is Mobility

 Wireless
 Radio
 Mobility

 Two aspects of mobility:

 user
mobility: users communicate (wireless) “anytime,
anywhere, with anyone”
 device
portability: devices can be connected anytime,
anywhere to the network
Degrees of Mobility
 Walking Users
Low speed
Small roaming area
Usually uses high-bandwidth/low-latency access

 Vehicles
High speeds
Large roaming area
Usually uses low-bandwidth/high-latency access
Uses sophisticated terminal equipment (cell
phones)
Frequency Carries/Channels

 The information from sender to receiver is carried

over a well defined frequency band.
 This is called a channel

 Each channel has a fixed frequency bandwidth (in

Hz) and Capacity (bit-rate)
 Different frequency bands (channels) can be used to
transmit information in parallel and independently.
 Example
 Assume a spectrum of 90 kHz is allocated over a base
frequency b for communication between stations A and B
 Assume each channel occupies 30 kHz.
 There are 3 channels
 Each channel is simplex (Transmission occurs in one way)
 For full-duplex communication:
» Use two different channels (front and reverse channels)
» Use time division in a channel

Channel 1 (b - b+30)
Station A Channel 2 (b+30 - b+60) Station B
Channel 3 (b+60 - b+90)
 Transmission Mode
 Simplex transmission
– Only one way communication
– Paging Systems.
 Half duplex transmission
– Two ways communication, but one at a time; not
simultaneously.
– “Push-to-talk” and ‘release-to-listen” are fundamental
features.
 Full duplex transmission
– Simultaneous in both directions
– By providing two simultaneous but separate channels
(FDD) or
– Adjacent time slots on a single radio channels (TDD).
Simplex Communication

 Normally, on a channel, a station can transmit

only in one way.
This is called simplex transmission.
 To enable two-way communication (called full-
duplex communication)
We can use Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD)
We can use Time Division Duplexing (TDD)
Duplexing Techniques
Duplexing

 Duplexing means separating the send and receive

signals (remember full-duplex).
 Usually the two parties that want to communication
in a duplex manner (both send and receive) are:
A mobile station (MS)
A base station (BS)
 Two famous methods for duplexing in cellular
systems are:
FDD: Frequency Division Duplex
TDD: Time Division Duplex
 Duplexing - FDD
 Uses a pair of frequency bands (two
simplex channels)– one for uplink and F
another for downlink BS MS

 A duplex channel consists of two Base R Mobile

simplex channel with different carrier Station Station
frequencies
 Forward band: carries traffic from
base station to mobile user.
 Reverse band: carries traffic from
mobile user to base station.
Reverse Forward
Channel Channel
fc,R fc,,F frequency

Frequency separation
Frequency separation should be carefully decided
Frequency separation is constant
 Duplexing - TDD
 A single radio channel (carrier
frequency) is shared in time in a BS MS
deterministic manner.
 The time is slotted with fixed slot length Base Mobile
(sec) Station Station
 Some slots are used for forward channel
(traffic from base station to mobile)
 Some slots are used for reverse channel
(traffic from mobile to base station)

Slot number 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 …
channel F R F R F R F R ….

Reverse Forward
Channel Channel
Ti Ti+1 time

Time separation
 Duplexing – TDD versus FDD
 FDD
 FDD is used in radio systems that can allocate individual radio frequencies for
uplink and downlink.
 For example analog systems: AMPS
 More suitable for wide-area cellular networks: all 2G cellular systems GSM,
AMPS all use FDD
 Requires good frequency separation filters – duplexer
 To facilitate FDD, it is necessary to separate the transmit and receive
frequency by about 5% of the nominal RF frequency,
 So that the duplexer provide sufficient isolation while being inexpensively
manufactured.
 TDD
– Can only be used in digital wireless systems (digital modulation).
– Requires rigid timing and synchronization
– Propagation delay limits cell size
 Mostly used in short-range and fixed wireless systems so that
propagation delay between base station and mobile do not change much
with respect to location of the mobile.
 Such as cordless phones and wireless LANs …
– very efficient for asymmetric traffic, e.g. internet download
Example - Frequency Spectrum
Allocation in U.S. Cellular Radio Service
Reverse Channel Forward Channel

991 992 … 1023 1 2 … 799 991 992 … 1023 1 2 … 799

824-849 MHz 869-894 MHz

Channel Number Center Frequency (MHz)

Reverse Channel 1 <=N <= 799 0.030N + 825.0
991 <= N <= 1023 0.030(N-1023) + 825.0

Forward Channel 1 <=N <= 799 0.030N + 870.0

991 <= N <= 1023 0.030(N-1023) + 870.0

(Channels 800-990 are unused)

Channel separation is 45 MHz
Multiple Access Schemes

 For multiple users to be able to share a common

resource in a managed and effective way, it
requires:
– Some form of access protocol
 Defines how or when the sharing is to take place and
the means for identifying individual messages.
 Process is known as multiplexing in wired networks
and multiple access in wireless communications.
Multiple Access Schemes
 FDMA, TDMA, CDMA, OFDMA
Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA)

 Dividing the entire frequency spectrum into smaller bands

 A frequency band is allocated per channel for the entire
transmission time
 FDMA,
– used in 1G systems (AMPS, CT-2, DECT),
– wastes spectrum
k1 k2 k3 k4 k5 k6
 Advantages:
code
 lower channel bit rate (than
f
TDMA) means less susceptible
to multi-path ISI
 Requires coordination
 works also for analog
signals
t
Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA)

 Disadvantages:
In-efficient use of bandwidth if the traffic is
distributed unevenly
Requires guard band between channels
Inflexible.
 Cannot readily support variable user data rates, fixed
channel width means fixed bit rate
Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)

 Entire spectrum is allocated for a channel some of the time

 For 2G systems (GSM, NA-TDMA, PDC)
 Advantages:
 Only one carrier in the medium at any given time
 High throughput even for many users
 Common Tx component design,
 only one power amplifier k1 k2 k3 k4 k5 k6

code
 Disadvantages:
f
– precise synchronization
necessary

t
Example TDMA System

 GSM is a good example of a TDMA system

GSM handsets transmit data at a rate of 270 kbps in a
200 kHz channel using GMSK modulation.
each frequency channel is assigned 8 users,
TDMA Frame
 TDMA used for the 3G air interface
 A frame length: 4.615 ms and it consists of
• 64 1/64 time slots of length 72 µs
• 16 1/16 time slots of length 288 µs

Downlink Uplink

Switching point between uplink and

288µs
72µs downlink
 TDMA and FDMA
 Combination of both methods
– A certain frequency band for a given amount of time is allocated
per channel
– Example: GSM
 Advantages:
– Improved protection against tapping
and frequency selective interference k1 k2 k3 k4 k5 k6
– Higher data rates compared to code
multiplex code
 Disadvantages: f

– Requires precise
coordination

t
 Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)

 Each channel has a unique code.

k1 k2 k3 k4 k5 k6
 All channels use the same
spectrum at the same time.
coding
 Advantages:
 bandwidth efficient and good power control
 no need for coordination and synchronization
 good protection against interference and
tapping f

 Disadvantages:
 lower user data rates
 more complex signal regeneration
t
 Implemented using spread spectrum
technology
 CDMA Classification
 CDMA Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS)
 CDMA Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum(FHSS)
 Carrier frequency changes periodically, after T sec
 Hopping pattern determined by spread code

Frequency

Direct sequence

Frequency hopping

Time
What is PCS?

 Personal Communication Services

A wide variety of network services that includes wireless
access and personal mobility services
Provided through a small terminal
Enables communication at any time, at any place, and in
any form (Ubiquitous)
Combines the intelligence of today’s PSTN with modern
digital signal processing and RF technology.

 The market for such services is tremendously big

Think of cell-phone market

32
Several PCS Systems

 High-tier Systems
– GSM: Global System for Mobile Communications
The mobile telephony system that we are using
– IS-136 (Interim Standard-136)
USA digital cellular mobile telephony system
TDMA-based multiple access
– Personal Digital Cellular (PDC)
Similar to IS-136
– IS-95 cdmaOne System
CDM-based multiple access
33
Several PCS Systems

 Low-tier systems
– Residential, business and public cordless access
applications and systems
 Cordless Telephone 2 (CT2)
 Digital European Cordless Telephone (DECT)
 Personal Access Communication Systems (PACS)
 used inside office buildings as a wireless voice and data
telephone system or radio local loop.
 Personal Handyphone System (PHS)
 supports indoor and local loop applications in Japan.

34
Several PCS Systems

 Wideband wireless systems

– For Internet access and multimedia transfer
CDMA2000
W-CDMA, proposed by Europe
SCDMA, proposed by China/Europe

35
Several PCS Systems

 Other PCS Systems

– Special data systems
CDPD: Cellular Digital Packet Data
RAM Mobile Data
Advanced Radio Data Information System (ARDIS)
– Paging Systems
– Mobile Satellite Systems
LEO, MEO satellites for data/voice
– ISM band systems: Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, etc.

36
PCS Problems

 How to integrate mobile and wireless users to the

Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) (Voice
Network)
• Cellular mobile telephony system
 How to integrate mobile and wireless users to the
Internet (Data Network)
• Mobile IP, Cellular IP
 How to integrate all of them together and also add
multimedia services (3G Systems)

37
PCS Systems Classification

 Walkie-Talkie/Radio phone
 Cordless Telephones
 Cellular Telephony (High-tier)
 Wide Area Wireless Data Systems (High-tier)
 High Speed Local and Personal Area Networks
 Paging Messaging Systems
 Satellite Based Mobile Systems
 3G Systems & beyond.
WALKIE TALKIE

 Push on and off

 Half duplex System
 Low quality
 Short distance,
 No privacy to users,
Cellular Telephone Systems
 Characterized by
– High mobility provision
– Wide-range.
– Accommodates a large number of users over a large
geographic area, within a limited frequency spectrum.
– Two-way wireless voice communication
– Handoff and roaming support
– Integrated with sophisticated PSTN
– High transmit power requires at the handsets (~2W)

40
Cellular Telephony - Architecture

PSTN
T elephone
N etwork

41
 Cellular Telephony Systems
 Mobile users and handsets
– Very complex circuitry and design
– May be handed over to any number of BSs throughout duration of a call.
 Base stations
– Supports several Tx/Rx antennas
– Serves as a bridge between all users in the cell.
– Connects the simultaneous mobile calls via wired lines or microwave links to
MSC
– ~1 million dollar
 Mobile switching centers (MSC)
 coordinates the activities of all of the base stations.
 connects the entire cellular system to the PSTN.
– A typical MSC handles 100,000 cellular subscribers and 5,000
simultaneous conversations at a time,
 Accommodates all billing and system maintenance functions, as well.
– In large cities, several MSCs are used by a single carrier
 Cellular Telephony Systems
 Communication between BS and MS is defined by a
standard common air interface (CAI).
 CAI specifies four different channels.
– Forward voice channel (FVC).
– Reverse voice channel (RVC).
– Forward control channel (FCC).
– Reverse control channel (RCC).
 Wireless System Definitions
 Mobile Station (MS)
– A station in the cellular radio service intended for use while in
motion at unspecified locations.
– contains a transceiver, an antenna, and control circuitry.
– They can be either hand-held personal units (portables) or
installed on vehicles (mobiles)

 Base Station (BS)

– A fixed station in a mobile radio system used for radio
communication with the mobile stations.
– Base stations are located at the center or edge of a coverage
region.
– They consists of radio channels and transmitter and receiver
antennas mounted on top of a tower.
Wireless System Definitions
– Mobile Switching Center (MSC)
– Switching center which coordinates the routing of calls in a
large service area.
– In a cellular radio system, the MSC is responsible for
connecting the cellular base stations and the mobiles to the
PSTN (telephone network).
– It is also called Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO)
– Subscriber
– A user who pays subscription charges for using a mobile
communication system
– Transceiver
– A device capable of simultaneously transmitting and
receiving radio signals
Wireless System Definitions

 Control Channel
– Radio channel used for transmission of call setup, call
request, call initiation and other beacon and control
purposes.
– FCC, RCC.
 Forward Channel
– Radio channel used for transmission of information from BS
to MS.
 Reverse Channel
– Radio channel used for transmission of information from MS
to BS
 Wireless System Definitions
 Simplex Systems
– Communication systems which provide only one-way
communication
– Half Duplex Systems
– Communication Systems which allow two-way
communication by using the same radio channel for both
transmission and reception.
– At any given time, the user can either transmit or receive
information.
– Full Duplex Systems
– Communication systems which allow simultaneous two-way
communication.
– Transmission and reception is typically on two different
channels (FDD) or two different times (TDD).
Wireless System Definitions

 Handoff
– The process of transferring a mobile station from one
channel or base station to another.
 Roamer
– A mobile station which operates in a service area (market)
other than that from which service has been subscribed.
 Page
– A brief message which is broadcast over the entire service
area, usually in simulcast fashion by many base stations at
the same time.
Figure 1.6 Timing diagram illustrating how a call to a mobile user initiated by a landline
subscriber is established.
Mobile Terminated Call
• 1: calling a GSM subscriber
• 2: forwarding call to GMSC
4
• 3: signal call setup to HLR HLR
5
VLR
8 9
• 4, 5: request MSRN from VLR 3 6 14 15
• 6: forward responsible calling 7
MSC to GMSC station 1
PSTN
2
GMSC MSC

• 7: forward call to 10 10 13 10
16
• current MSC
•
BSS BSS BSS
8, 9: get current status of MS 11 11 11
• 10, 11: paging of MS
11 12
• 12, 13: MS answers 17
• 14, 15: security checks MS
• 16, 17: set up connection

4.50
Figure 1.7 Timing diagram illustrating how a call initiated by a mobile is established.
Mobile Originated Call
• 1, 2: connection request
• 3, 4: security check
• 5-8: check resources (free circuit)
• 9-10: set up call VLR

3 4
6 5
PSTN GMSC MSC
7 8
2 9
1
MS BSS
10

4.52
Thank You
 Major Mobile Radio Standards - USA

Standard Type Year Multiple Frequency Modulation Channel

Intro Access Band BW
(MHz) (KHz)

AMPS Cellular 1983 FDMA 824-894 FM 30

USDC Cellular 1991 TDMA 824-894 DQPSK 30

CDPD Cellular 1993 FH/Packet 824-894 GMSK 30

IS-95 Cellular/PCS 1993 CDMA 824-894 QPSK/BPSK 1250

1800-2000

FLEX Paging 1993 Simplex Several 4-FSK 15

DCS-1900 PCS 1994 TDMA 1850-1990 GMSK 200

(GSM)

PACS Cordless/PCS 1994 TDMA/FDMA 1850-1990 DQPSK 300

 Major Mobile Radio Standards - Europe

Standard Type Year Multiple Frequency Modulation Channel

Intro Access Band BW
(MHz) (KHz)

ETACS Cellular 1985 FDMA 900 FM 25

NMT-900 Cellular 1986 FDMA 890-960 FM 12.5

GSM Cellular/PCS 1990 TDMA 890-960 GMSK 200KHz

C-450 Cellular 1985 FDMA 450-465 FM 20-10

ERMES Paging 1993 FDMA Several 4-FSK 25

CT2 Cordless 1989 FDMA 864-868 GFSK 100

DECT Cordless 1993 TDMA 1880-1900 GFSK 1728

DCS-1800 Cordless/PCS 1993 TDMA 1710-1880 GMSK 200

Major Mobile Radio Standards - Japan