E1 – E2 (CM) – Core Paper (2022)

GSM/GPRS Logical Channels

and Call Processing

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 Physical and Logical Channels
Physical channels:
• a time slot in a TDMA Frame
• medium over which the information is carried
• The combination of an ARFCN and a time slot defines a
physical channel.
Logical channels:
• A physical channel may carry different messages, depending
on the information that is to be sent.
• These messages are called Logical Channel
• These are channels specified by GSM which are mapped on
physical channels.
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 Physical and Logical Channel

Physical Channel = information container

Logical Channel = specification of the information global content
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 Logical channels
Logical
channels

Control channels Traffic channels

Half Full
rate rate
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 TYPES OF LOGICAL CHANNELS

• Traffic channels (TCH)

• Broadcast channels (BCH)
• Common control channels (CCCH)
• Dedicated control channels (DCCH)

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 Logical Channels

Logical
Channels

Control Traffic
Channels Channels

Full-Rate
Common Dedicated Half-Rate
Broadcast Control
Control
Channels Channels
Channels

FCCH RACH SDCCH

SCH PCH SACCH
BCCH AGCH FACCH
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Types of Logical Channel in GSM

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 GSM Radio Interface - CYCLES
Hyperframe = 2048 Superframes
3 Hours 28 Minutes 53 Seconds and 760 milliseconds
0 2047

Superframe = 26× 51
multiframes
0 6.12 Seconds 50

0 25

26 Multiframe 51 Multiframe
120 mS Approx 235 mS
0 1 2 24 25 0 1 48 49 50

TDMA frame
4.615 mS
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

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Hierarchy of Frames

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Types of Logical Channel in GSM

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 TRAFFIC CHANNELS
•The traffic channels are used to send speech or data services
TCH/F (TRAFFIC CHANNEL FULL RATE)
• The TCH/F carries information at a gross bit rate of 22.8 kbit/s (after channel coding).
• The net (or effective) bit rate at the TCH/F is for speech 13 kbit/s and for data 12, 6 or 3.6
kbit/s (before channel coding).
• The transmission rates of the data services allow services which are compatible to the
existing, respectively, 9.6, 4.8 and 2.4 kbit/s PSTN and ISDN services.
TCH/H (TRAFFIC CHANNEL HALF RATE)
• The TCH/H carries information at a gross bit rate of 11.4 kbit/s.
• The net bit rate at the TCH/H is for speech 5.6 kbit/s and for data 6 or 3.6 kbit/s.
TCH/EFR (ENHANCED FULL RATE)
• The EFR provides a voice coding algorithm offering improved speech quality. The algorithm is
fully compatible with a GSM speech quality.
• The algorithm is fully compatible with a GSM 13 Kbps speech channel.
• The main benefit will be improved voice quality which offers prospects to compete with
PSTN networks.
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 BROADCAST CHANNELS
• The broadcast channels are point-to-multipoint
channels which are only defined for the downlink
direction (BTS to the mobile station).
• Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH)
• Frequency Correction Channel (FCCH)
• Synchronization Channel (SCH)
• Cell Broadcast Channel (CBCH)

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 BCCH (BROADCAST CONTROL CHANNEL)
• BCCH is transmitted by BTS at all times at constant power.
• Via BCCH MS is informed about the system configuration
parameters needed to identify the network and gain access.
- Location Area Identity (LAI)
- List of the frequencies of neighboring cells, which should
be monitored by the MS .
- List of frequencies used by the cell
- Cell Global Identity (CGI)
- Power control indicator( Max allowed power in Cell).
- Access parameters ( Emergency call, call baring etc

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FCCH (FREQUENCY CORRECTION CHANNEL)
• To communicate with the BTS the mobile station must tune to the
BTS.
• The FCCH transmits a constant frequency shift of the radio frequency
carrier that can be used by the mobile station for frequency
correction.
SCH (SYNCHRONIZATION CHANNEL)
•The SCH is used to time synchronize the mobile stations.
•The data on this channel carries the TDMA frame number and the BSIC
(Base Station Identity Code).
CBCH (CELL BROADCAST CHANNEL)
•The CBCH is used for the transmission of generally accessible
information (Short Message Service messages) in a cell, which can be
polled by the mobile station.
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COMMON CONTROL CHANNELS
• Common control channels are specified as point-to-
multipoint channels
• Only operate in one direction of transmission, either in
the uplink or downlink direction.
• Used for signaling between the BTS and the MS and to
request and grant access to the network.

• Paging Channel (PCH)

• Random Access Channel (RACH)
• Access Grant Channel (AGCH)

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• The PCH is used in the downlink direction for paging the
mobile stations.
RACH (RANDOM ACCESS CHANNEL)
The RACH is used in the uplink direction by the mobile
stations for requesting a channel for a connection. It is an
access channel that uses the slotted Aloha access scheme.

AGCH (ACCESS GRANT CHANNEL)

• The AGCH is used in the downlink direction.
• A logical channel for a connection is allocated via the AGCH if
the mobile station has requested such a channel via the
RACH.

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 DEDICATED CONTROL CHANNELS
• Dedicated control channels are full-duplex, point-
to-point channels.
• Used for signaling associated with calls and call-
setup between BTS and certain MS.

• Standalone Dedicated Control Channel (SDCCH)

• Fast Associated Control Channel (FACCH)
• Slow Associated Control Channel (SACCH)

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SACCH (SLOW ASSOCIATED CONTROL CHANNEL)
• The SACCH is a duplex channel which is always allocated to a TCH or SDCCH.
• The SACCH is used for transmission of signaling data, radio link supervision measurements, transmit
power control and timing advance data.
• Only used for non-urgent procedures.

FACCH (FAST ASSOCIATED CONTROL CHANNEL)

• Main signaling link for the transmission of signaling data (for example handover commands).
• Required for every call set-up and release.
• During the call the FACCH data is transmitted over the allocated TCH instead of traffic data; this is
marked by a flag called a stealing flag.
• The process of stealing a TCH for FACCH data is called pre-emption.

SDCCH (STAND-ALONE DEDICATED CONTROL CHANNEL)

•The SDCCH is a duplex, point-to-point channel which is used for signaling in higher layers.
•It carries all signaling between the BTS and the mobile station when no TCH is allocated.
•The SDCCHs are used for service requests (for example Short Message Service), location updates, subscriber
authentication, ciphering initiation, equipment validation and assignment to a TCH.
•The net SDCCH bit rate is about 0.8 Kbps.

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GPRS LOGICAL CHANNELS

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 GPRS LOGICAL CHANNELS
• The system does use the GSM control and
broadcast channels for initial set up, but all the
GPRS actions are carried out within the GPRS logical
channels carried within the PDCH.

• BROADCAST CHANNELS
• COMMON CONTROL CHANNELS
• DEDICATED CONTROL CHANNELS
• DEDICATED TRAFFIC CHANNEL

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GPRS Logical Channel

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 BROADCAST CHANNEL

Packet Broadcast Control Channel (PBCCH):

• Downlink only channel used to broadcast information to
mobiles and informs them of incoming calls etc.
• It is very similar in operation to the BCCH used for GSM.
• In fact the BCCH is still required in the initial to provide a time
slot number for the PBCCH.
• In operation the PBCCH broadcasts general information such
as power control parameters, access methods and
operational modes, network parameters, etc, required to set
up calls.

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 COMMON CONTROL CHANNELS
Packet Paging Channel (PPCH)
• A downlink only channel and is used to alert the mobile to an
incoming call and to alert it to be ready to receive data.
• It is used for control signalling prior to the call set up. Once
the call is in progress a dedicated channel referred to as the
PACCH takes over.

Packet Access Grant Channel (PAGCH)

• This is also a downlink channel and it sends information telling
the mobile which traffic channel has been assigned to it.

• It occurs after the PPCH has informed the mobile that there is an
incoming call.

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 COMMON CONTROL CHANNELS

Packet Paging Channel (PPCH)

• Downlink only channel that is used to alert mobiles that
there is broadcast traffic intended for a large number of
mobiles.
• It is typically used in what is termed point-to-point
multicasting.
Packet Access Grant Channel (PAGCH)
• Uplink channel that enables the mobile to initiate a burst of data in
the uplink.
• There are two types of PRACH burst, one is an 8 bit standard burst,
and a second one using an 11 bit burst has added data to allow for
priority setting.
• Both types of burst allow for timing advance setting.
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 DEDICATED CONTROL CHANNELS:

Packet Associated Control Channel (PACCH)

• Both uplink and downlink directions and used for control signaling while a
call is in progress.
•Takes over from the PPCH once the call is set up and it carries information
such as channel assignments, power control messages and
acknowledgements of received data.

Packet Timing Advance Common Control Channel (PTCCH)

• Both the uplink and downlink directions is used to adjust the timing advance.
• Required to ensure that messages arrive at the correct time at the base
station regardless of the distance of the mobile from the base station.
•As timing is critical in a TDMA system and signals take a small but finite time
to travel this aspect is very important if long guard bands are not to be left.

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 DEDICATED TRAFFIC CHANNEL:

Packet Data Traffic Channel (PDTCH)

This channel is used to send the traffic and it is present in
both the uplink and downlink directions. Up to eight PDTCHs
can be allocated to a mobile to provide high speed data.

By organising the data to be sent into different channels, the

data can be handled accordingly across the radio interface,
and also, knowing the type of channel, the system is able to
manipulate the data in the correct manner.

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 CALL MANAGEMENT IN GSM
• MOBILE ORIGINATED CALL
• MOBILE TERMINATED CALL
• MOBILE TO MOBILE CALL

For For
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Internalcirculation
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 MOBILE ORIGINATED CALL
(Mobile To Land Call Set-up Scenario)
Phases of Mobile To Land Call
( Mobile Originated Call- MO Call )

• SETUP PHASE
• RINGING PHASE
• CONVERSATION PHASE
• RELEASE PHASE

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 MOBILE TO LAND CALL - I
Request For Service

MSC/V
MS BSS LR

Channel Request
1
RACH

2 SDCCH Assignment

AGCH
CM Service Request
3
SDCCH

CM Service Accept
4

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 MOBILE TO LAND CALL - II
Call Setup
MSC/V
MS BSS LR

Call Setup Request

5
SDCCH
Call Proceeding
6
SDCCH
Assign Trunk and radio

Assign TCH
7
SDCCH

Radio Assignment Complete

SDCCH
Trunk and Radio Assignment Complete

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 MOBILE TO LAND CALL - III
Call Setup

MSC/V GMSC
MS BSS HLR PSTN
LR

Network Setup ( Dialed Digits )

8
Network Alerting

Alerting
9
FACCH Connect

Start Billing
10 Connect

FACCH
Connect Acknowledge
11
FACCH

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 MOBILE TO LAND CALL - IV
Call Release

MSC/V GMSC
MS BSS HLR PSTN
LR

Disconnect
12
Network Release

Release
13
FACCH
Release Complete
14
FACCH
Clear Command

15 Channel Release

FACCH Release Complete

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 MOBILE TERMINATED CALL

The different phases of a mobile terminated call

are
•Routing analysis
•Paging.
•Call setup.
•Call release.

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 Architecture For Mobile Terminated Call

VISITING PLMN

A- Interface
MSC-B
IAM ( ISUP )
GMSC- B BSS-B

Air Interface
VLR-B

MS

HLR-B

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 LAND TO MOBILE CALL - I
Routing Analysis

MSC/VLR HLR GMSC PSTN

1 Incoming Call

Get Route ( MSISDN )

2
Get Route ( MSISDN )
3
( IMSI )

4 Routing Information
( MSRN )
Routing Information

( MSRN )
Incoming Call
5

( MSRN )

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 LAND TO MOBILE CALL - II

Paging

MS BSS MSC

Perform Page

Page (TMSI)
6 PCH
Channel Request
7
( RACH )

8 Access Granted
( AGCH )

Paging Response

9 ( TMSI, LAI )
SDCCH Page Response

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 LAND TO MOBILE CALL - III
Call Set-up
MS BSS MSC

Call Set Up
10
SDCCH

Call Set Up Confirm

11
SDCCH

Assign Trunk &

Radio Channel
Assign Radio Channel
12
SDCCH

Radio Channel Assigned

SDCCH Trunk and Radio Channel
Assignment Complete

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 LAND TO MOBILE CALL - IV
Call Setup

MSC/V GMSC
MS BSS HLR PSTN
LR

Mobile Alerting
13
FACCH Network Alerting

Connect ( off-hook )
14
FACCH
Start Billing Connect

Connect Acknowledge
15

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 LAND TO MOBILE CALL - V
Call Release

MSC/V GMSC
MS BSS HLR PSTN
LR

Network Release

Disconnect
16 Stop Billing
FACCH
Release
17
Release Complete
FACCH

Release Complete
18
FACCH
Clear Command

19 Clear Channel

FACCH Clear Complete

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MOBILE TO MOBILE CALL

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Thank YOU
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