CORESET in NR

Created By :
Shubham Pawar

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 To be discussed

 What is coreset ?

 LTE Control Region vs NR CORESET

 Structure of CORESET

 CCE to REG Mapping and Types

 Blind Decoding and Search Space

 Search Space Configuration

 Aggregation Levels with Example

 CORESET 0 and Configuration

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What is Coreset ?

 CORESET is a set of physical resources(i.e, a specific area on NR Downlink Resource Grid) and
a set of parameters that is used to carry PDCCH/DCI.

 It is equivalent to LTE PDCCH area (the first 1,2,3,4 OFDM symbols in a subframe).

 In LTE PDCCH region, the PDCCH always spread across the whole channel Bandwidth

 NR CORESET region is localized to a specific region in frequency domain.

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 LTE Control Region vs NR CORESET
 Legacy LTE control channels are always distributed across the entire system bandwidth, making it difficult to
control intercell interference .
 NR PDCCHs are specifically designed to transmit in a configurable control resource set (CORESET).
 A CORESET is analogous to the control region in LTE but is generalized in the sense that the set of RBs and
the set of OFDM symbols in which it is located are configurable with the corresponding PDCCH search
spaces. Such configuration flexibilities of control regions including time, frequency, numerologies, and
operating points enable NR to address a wide range of use cases.
The main difference between CORESET and LTE Control Region.
 Frequency Domain Parameter : Since Control Region in LTE is always spreaded
across the whole channel band width, there is no parameters defining the
frequency domain region for LTE control region, but in NR we need a
parameter defining the frequency domain width for CORESET since the
frequency domain width can be set in any value in the multiples of 6 RBs.
 Time Domain Parameter : Both NR CORESET and LTE Control Region can vary in
time domain length. So we need the parameter for time domain length both in
LTE in NR. In LTE, the time domain length of control region is defined by the
physical channel called PCFICH but in NR the time domain length of CORESET is
defined by the RRC parameter (ControlResourceSetduration).

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 Structure of CORESET
 A CORESET is made up of multiple aggregation levels. Aggregation Level indicates how many CCEs are
allocated for a PDCCH
 An Aggregation Level is made up of N CCE.
 A CCE is made up of 6 REGs. The number REG bundles within a CCE varies.
 One REG bundle is made up of multiple REGs. The bundle size is specified by the parameter 'L'. The L is
determined by the RRC parameter reg-bundle-size.
 A REG is made up of 1 RB and 1 OFDM Symbol.
 The number of Aggregation Levels for each size can be 0 or multiples and it is specified by RRC Parameter
nrofCandidates

Note: LTE has similar mapping between Aggregation Level and the Number of CCEs as described above.

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Structure of CORESET
A CORESET is made up of multiples resource blocks (i.e, multiples of 12 REs) in frequency domain and '1 or 2
or 3' OFDM symbols in time domain.
controlResourceSetId: this corresponds to L1 parameter 'CORESET-ID’.
• Value 0 identifies the common CORESET configured in MIB and in ServingCellConfigCommon.
• Values 1..maxNrofControlResourceSets-1 identify CORESETs configured by dedicated signaling
• The controlResourceSetId is unique among the BWPs of a ServingCell.
frequencyDomainResources: CORESET Frequency domain resources allocation, This is represented as a 45
bits BitMap, each bit represents a group of 6PRB's, since Max BW size is 275 PRBS = 275/6 = 45 , Bit value 1
indicates that particular group of 6PRBs are active part of the CORESET region, Bit value 0 indicates that group
of 6PRBS are not used for that CORRSET.

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Blind Decoding and Search Space

 The UE generally does not know the number of CCEs occupied by the current PDCCH, what DCI format
information is transmitted , and where the information it needs is located.

 However, the UE knows what information it is expecting, and UE is aware of the RNTI value, For Example , In
Idle state UE would be expecting Paging or SI information, After initiating Random Access UE expects a RACH
Response, When there is uplink data in the buffer waiting to be sent UE expects UL Grant, etc…

 For different expected information , The UE uses the corresponding RNTI to perform CRC check on the received
TB that has the CRC scrambled with the respective RNTI.

 If the CRC check is successful, Then the UE knows that this information is what it needs and will further derive
the content of the DCI message, This is called PDCCH Blind decoding process.

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 Blind Decoding Example

• Common Search Space (CSS) PDCCH blind decoding procedure (Common RNTI's are mandated to use AL4,
AL8,AL16)
• Based on the above CSS nested CCE tree PDCCH blind decoding is performed based on following sequence, 4
CCEs (perform Blind decoding for 4 PDCCH Candidates), Then 8 CCEs(perform blind decoding for 2 PDCCH
candidates) and Then, Finally 16 CCEs(perform Blind decoding for 1 PDCCH candidate).

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 Search Space Configuration
• Typically, a UE does not attempt to decode each and every PDCCH candidate. To keep minimum restrictions on
the scheduler and at the same time to maintain less number of blind decoding attempts by the UE, There are
search spaces configured.

• Search Space are indicated by a set of contiguous CCEs the UE is supposed to monitor for scheduling
assignments/grants relating to a certain component carrier.

• Below are two types of search spaces used in NR-PDCCH to control each component carrier.
 Common Search Space (CSS): DCI CRC is Scrambled with a SI-RNTI (System Information), RA-RNTI
(Random Access),TCRNTI( Temp Cell RNTI), P-RNTI (Paging ), INT-RNTI (Interruption ), SFI-RNTI (Slot Format
Indication), TPC-PUCCH-RNTI (Tx Pwr Ctrl), TPC-PUSCH-RNTI, TPC-SRS-RNTI, C-RNTI (Cell RNTI), CS-RNTI
(Configured Scheduling), For all common procedures

 UE-Specific Search Space(USS): DCI CRC is Scrambled with a C-RNTI (Cell RNTI), CS-RNTI (Configured
Scheduling), these are specifically targeted to individual UE.

• A common search space (CSS) is shared across all UEs and a UE-specific search space (USS) is used per UE basis
(meaning this SS is specific for a UE).

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 Search Space Configuration

 searchSpaceId : Identity of the search space. SearchSpaceId = 0 identifies the SearchSpace configured via PBCH
(MIB) or ServingCellConfigCommon. The searchSpaceId is unique among the BWPs of a Serving Cell

 controlResourceSetId : The CORESET applicable for this SearchSpace. Value 0 identifies the common CORESET
configured in MIB and in ServingCellConfigCommon Values 1..maxNrofControlResourceSets-1 identify
CORESETs configured by dedicated signaling.

 monitoringSlotPeriodicityAndOffset : Slots for PDCCH Monitoring configured as periodicity and offset.

Corresponds to L1 parameters 'Montoring-periodicity-PDCCH-slot' and 'Montoring-offset-PDCCH-slot'.
Forexample, if the value is sl1, it mean that UE should monitor the SearchSpace at every slot. if the value is sl4,
it mean that UE should monitor the SearchSpace in every fourth slot.NRITSU CCOONRFPIODREANTTIIOANL 17
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 Search Space Configuration

 monitoringSymbolsWithinSlot : Symbols for PDCCH monitoring in the slots configured for PDCCH
monitoring. The most significant (left) bit represents the first OFDM symbol in a slot. The least significant
(right) bit represents the last symbol. Corresponds to L1 parameter 'Montoringsymbols-PDCCH-within-slot'.
This indicates the starting OFDM symbols that UE should search for a SearchSpace. For example, if the value is
'1000000000000', it mean that UE should start searching from the first OFDM symbol. if the value is
'0100000000000', it mean that UE should start searching from the second OFDM symbol.

 nrofCandidates : Number of PDCCH candidates per aggregation level. Corresponds to L1 parameter

'Aggregation-level-1' to 'Aggregation-level- 16'. The number of candidates and aggregation levels configured
here applies to all formats unless a particular value is specified or a format specific value is provided (see
inside searchSpaceType).

 SearchSpaceType : Indicates whether this is a common search space (present) or a UE specific search
space as well as DCI formats to monitor for.

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 CORESET -0

 MIB carries the parameters indicating the location & resources for ControlResourceSetZero (CORSET#0) on the resource grid,
where UE needs to search for the Type0-PDCCH common search space to derive the SIB1 information.

 As per 38.213 (Clause 4.1), UE determines If a control resource set zero for Type0-PDCCH common search space is present if
following criteria is met, if Kssb<=23 for FR1 and if Kssb is <= 11 for FR2 .
 UE decodes the MIB message and reads the value of the IE " PDCCH Config SIB1". PDCCH Config SIB1: Value of this IE is a 8
bits length,
 First 4 bits (MSB) will determine the "controlResourceSetZero" Index , this will indicate the Number of RB/symbols used to
determine the CORESET size of the type0 PDCCH Common Search Space.
 Last 4 Bits (LSB) will determine the "searchSpaceZero" Index, this will indicate the PDCCH Monitoring Occasions, meaning the
System Frame Number & Slot Index that the UE need to monitor for the Type0-PDCCH common search space

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 CORESET -0 Configuration
• Now to get Number of RB/Symbol from Control Resource set 0 index,
which is 12 in this example. We need to refer 38.213 table from 13-1 to 13-10.
• To refer exact table, we need SSB Sub carrier spacing, PDCCH sub carrier
spacing and min BW.
• SSB sub carrier spacing we get from 38.104 - Table 5.4.3.3-1 for operating band. In this example band is n78 and from
38.104 SSB SCS is 30 kHz.
• PDCCH Sub carrier spacing is 30 kHz obtain from MIB SubCarrierSpacingCommon parameter. (n78 is FR1 band
).
• Min BW can be obtain from 38.101-1 - Table 5.3.5-1 Channel Bandwidths for Each NR band : FR1. For this n78 band Min
BW is 10 Mhz from the table
• To get which table to refer with this 3 conditions, I have made below table to refer.

 Based on ControlResourceSetZero index 12 we got number of RB 48 and number of Symbol 1 from table 13-4

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 CORESET -0 Configuration
• “SearchSpaceZero" Index, this will indicate the PDCCH Monitoring Occasions , meaning the System
Frame Number & Slot Index that the UE need to monitor for the Type0-PDCCH common search
space. In our example SearchSpaceZero" Index is 4.
• 3GPP has provided table 13-11 to 13-14 to get parameters related to PDCCH occasion information. We can
refer below table with summarized information.
• So, 38.213 specs has given below formula

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CORESET -0 Configuration

• For SSB index 4, O=5, M=1, i=0, SCS(u)=1, for u=1 slots/Frame=20
n0=(5x2^1+[0x1])mod20 = (10+0)mod20=10mod20=10
• CORESET 0 is scheduled at slot 10 and Slot 11 in the radio frame that meets the SFNc criteria

SFNc = |[(5x2^1+[0x1]/ 20)| mod 2= (10/20 )mod 2 = 0.5 mod 2 = 0

• According to this calculation, CORESET 0 is scheduled in every EVEN radio frame in Slot 10 & 11 and first
symbol is 0 and second symbol is 1
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