User Description, LAPD Multiplexing Strona 1 z 7

User Description 85/1553-HSC 103 12 Uen C

User Description, LAPD Multiplexing

Copyright

© Ericsson AB 2002, All rights reserved.

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.

Contents
1 Introduction

2 Glossary
2.1 Terminology

3 Capabilities

4 Technical description
4.1 General
4.2 LAPD Multiplexing RBS2000
4.3 LAPD Link Supervision
4.4 Main Changes in Ericsson GSM System R8/BSS R8.0

5 Engineering Guidelines
5.1 Paging

6 Parameters
6.1 Main controlling parameters
6.2 Value range and default values

7 References

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1 Introduction
The cost of transmission represents a significant part of the total cost of cellular networks. This
is especially true for rural areas where existing distance between the cell sites are longer. This
is main reason for optimizing of transmission solutions. The benefit of LAPD multiplexing is
reducing the number of required physical links between the BSC and the RBS.

LAPD multiplexing offers an efficient usage of the signaling transmission between Base
Transceiver Station (BTS) and Base Station Controller (BSC). The improved utilization of the
signaling transmission is achieved by multiplexing of A-bis LAPD signaling links and traffic links
on the same 64 kbit/s link.

2 Glossary

2.1 Terminology

BSC Base Station Controller

BTS Base Transceiver station

G12 BTS Logical Model supported by RBS 2000

GS Group Switch

LAPD Link Access Protocol on D-Channel

RBS Radio Base Station

SAPI Service Access Point Identifier

TEI Terminal Endpoint Identifier

TR DEV Transmission device

TRH DEV Transceiver Handler Device

TRX Transceiver

TRXC Transceiver Controller

3 Capabilities
This feature saves A-bis transmission resources and is especially useful for small sites (typically
2 TRX or less).

A transmission saving can be seen in the table below.

Table 1
TRXs/cell Normal LAPD mux Savings
1 3 2 33%

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2 6 4 33%

Sub rate switching on RBS site is required for this feature. This is only supported in RBS 2000
(BTS model G12). This feature can not be used together with LAPD concentration on the same
TG (see User Description, LAPD Concentration ). The LAPD multiplexing is most efficient at
small RBS sites, typically up to two TRX per cell. The LAPD concentration is most efficient for
RBS sites with 3 TRXs or more per cell.

4 Technical description

4.1 General

The entire signaling information is transferred over one or more channel (64 kbits/s) timeslots
and then converted back at the receiving end. This is done in the LAPD protocol (Link Access
Procedure on the D-channel). The sending side constructs an LAPD frame, which is then divided
into a number of bytes and transported over the signaling channel in PCM link.

4.1.1 LAPD Protocol

All messages sent on the A-bis interface use the LAPD protocol that enables reliable
transmission of information. LAPD provides two kind of transfer modes:

Unacknowledged info transfer with no guarantee that the information frame is successfully
delivered to the addressee, and acknowledged information transfer, which is more common,
where each signal is acknowledged, and the system makes sure that the frame has reached the
destination successfully. Only measurement reports use unacknowledged information transfer.

4.1.2 Frame Structure

A flag, 01111110 (h'7E), delimits a frame. The one flag is enough between consecutive frames.
The receiving entity looks for the flag 01111110 to synchronize on the start of a frame.

Figure 1 LAPD frame

TEI and SAPI are used to access the right entity and right function at the receiving end.

SAPI is the address used to access different functions, such as TRXC, CF and Layer 2
management procedures, within one physical entity.

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TEI is the address used to access different physical entities such as an individual TRX for radio
signaling.

Two data link types are defined for each TEI. The data link types and their corresponding SAPI
are:

SAPI = is used for the Radio Signaling Link (RSL). This link is used for supporting traffic
0 management procedures. One link is required per TRX defined.

SAPI = is used for the Operations & Maintenance Link (OML). This link is used for supporting
62 network management procedures. One link is required per TEI defined.

The physical entities (TRX) that BSC communicates with at the BTS, via data links, are referred
to Terminal Equipment. A TEI/SAPI pair, unique for each physical connection identifies each
data link. Each physical connection can support a number of data links.

Each PCM timeslot dedicated for TRH -TRXC signaling will carry two logical channels: Radio
Signaling Link (RSL) for traffic messages, Operation & Maintenance Link (OML) for the BTS
equipment.

4.2 LAPD Multiplexing RBS2000

LAPD multiplexing is a feature that will significantly improve the transmission efficiency in the
access network between the RBS and the BSC. LAPD signaling is the main part of the signaling
on the A-bis interface. It contains among other things the information to be broadcasted on the
BCCH on the air interface. Normally the LAPD signaling occupies one PCM timeslot, i.e. 64 kbps
bandwidth.

Figure 2 LAPD multiplexing in the BSC

A 16 kbit/s subrate physical channel (B) is multiplexed through the group switch and subrate
switch and together with speech channels (S) forms a 64 kbit/s connection between the GS and
the TR device. See figure 2.

LAPD Multiplexing is recommended for small cells with 1-2 TRX. LAPD multiplexing then
provides the most efficient A-bis transmission available today.

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4.2.1 Administration

RBS 2000 is administrated and controlled remotely from BSC. All handling of RBS equipment,
including configuration, maintenance, and administration, is controlled by BSC. RBS software
loading and administration are also governed by the BSC. RBS 2000 supports embedded LAPD.

Concentration/Multiplexing/Multi Drop functionality is a part of DXU (Distribution Switch Unit).

This is a modeled as separate Managed Object (MO) within BSC. There is a priority value given
to users of Abis paths. Signaling has higher priority than speech/data. Within signaling, there
will be two priority levels, the CF link has highest priority (1) and TRXC signaling has priority 2.
Priorities are used in recovery, higher priority links are recovered first and they will steal lower
priority links if no other links are available.

4.2.2 One TRX

LAPD multiplexing utilizes the fact that one TRX always uses 7 of the 8 available air timeslots
for traffic. The remaining air timeslot is used for signaling. Since each speech connection uses
about 16 kbps on the transmission interface, the seven traffic channels need 1,75 PCM timeslot
(i.e. 1,75 times 64 kbps). The LAPD signaling from the TRX can be multiplexed onto the
remaining 0,25 PCM timeslot. The total transmission need is then 2 PCM timeslots for one TRX.

It is possible to have very small sites where a cell is supported by only one 64 kbit/s
transmission link from BSC to BTS. In such a cell it will be possible to have three full rate or six
halfrate traffic channels if 16 kbit/s signaling rate is used.

4.2.3 Two TRXs

With 2 TRX in a cell, there is a similar case. Normally only 14 of the available channels on the
air interface are used for traffic and the remaining 2 air timeslots for BCCH, CCCH and SDCCH
signaling. Hence there is a transmission need for approximately 14 X16 kbps = 3,5 PCM
timeslots. The remaining half of timeslot is used for LAPD signaling from the two TRX. In total 4
PCM timeslots are used for 2 TRX.

Figure 3 The 2 Mb PCM link without and with LAPD multiplexing

For cells with 3 or more TRX, LAPD multiplexing is not recommended, since there might be a
need for more LAPD signaling than available, causing signaling delays.

4.3 LAPD Link Supervision

CON sends CON QUEUE congestion when a LAPD link is overloaded via the CF signaling link up

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to the BSC (see User Description, BTS Alarm Coordination ).

Figure 4 BTS alarm updating in the BSC

Due to that the object CON should always be manually deblocked.

4.4 Main Changes in Ericsson GSM System R8/BSS R8.0

No Changes.

5 Engineering Guidelines

5.1 Paging

Table 2 below shows the recommended maximum paging rate, PAGLIMIT, for the different
signaling link types.

Table 2
Link Type Recommended maximum Pagings/s*
LAPD 64kbit/s No restriction
LAPD Multiplexing 32kbit/s 60
LAPD Multiplexing 16kbit/s 30

* The pagings/s means the paging per second in the Location Areas.

6 Parameters

6.1 Main controlling parameters

TEI is the terminal endpoint identifier LAPD element used for L2 addressing to a TRXC or a CF.
TEI is set per CF and TRXC.

SIG is the signalling type set per CF and TRXC:

UNCONC Concentration / multiplexing not used

MPLEX16 16 multiplex required

MPLEX32 32k multiplex required

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PAGLIMIT Max number of paging orders allowed to be sent to the TRH per second. Set per
BSC.

6.2 Value range and default values

Table 3
Parameter name Default value Recommended value Value range Unit
MPLEX16
SIG UNCONC
MPLEX32 UNCONC
TEI 0-63
PAGLIMIT 0 (no restriction) See chapter 5.1 0-10 10*pagings/s

7 References
1. User Description, LAPD Concentration
2. User Description, BTS Alarm Coordination

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