WCDMA Fundamentals

MODULE 1

1 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Module 1 – WCDMA Fundamentals

Objectives

After this module the participant shall be able to:-

• Understand the main cellular standards and allocated

frequency bands

• Understand the main properties of WCDMA air interface

• Recognize the main Nokia RRM functions and their main

tasks

2 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Module Contents

• Standardisation and frequency bands

• Main properties of UMTS Air Interface

• Overview of Nokia Radio Resource Management (RRM)

3 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Module Contents

• Standardisation and frequency bands

• Standardisation of 3G cellular networks
• IMT-2000 frequency allocations
• UMTS – FDD Frequency band evolution

• Main properties of UMTS Air Interface

• Overview of Nokia Radio Resource Management (RRM)

4 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Standardisation of 3G cellular networks

• ITU (Global guidelines and recommendations)

• IMT-2000: Global standard for third generation (3G) wireless communications
• 3GPP is a co-operation between standardisation bodies
ETSI (Europe), ARIB/TTC (Japan), CCSA (China), ATIS (North America) and TTA (South Korea)
• GSM
• EDGE
• UMTS
• WCDMA - FDD
• WCDMA - TDD
• TD-SCDMA
• 3GPP2 is a co-operation between standardisation bodies
ARIB/TTC (Japan), CCSA (China), TIA (North America) and TTA (South Korea)
• CDMA2000
• CDMA2000 1x
• CDMA2000 1xEV-DO

5 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

IMT-2000 frequency allocations
1850 1900 1950 2000 2050 2100 2150 2200 MHz

Satellite
Mobile

Satellite
Mobile
IMT-2000 ITU IMT-2000

UMTS (TDD)
UMTS (TDD)

Satellite
Satellite

Mobile
UMTS
DECT

Mobile
GSM UMTS
1800 (FDD) Europe (FDD)

(TDD)
UMTS (TDD)
Satellite

Satellite
Mobile

Mobile
PHS

IMT-2000 Japan IMT-2000

IMT-2000
unlicensed

Satellite
Mobile
Satellite

USA
Mobile
PCS

PCS PCS

6 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

UMTS – FDD Frequency band evolution

• Release 99
• I 1920 – 1980 MHz 2110 –2170 MHz UMTS only in Europe, Japan
• II 1850 –1910 MHz 1930 –1990 MHz US PCS, GSM1900
• New in Release 5
• III 1710-1785 MHz 1805-1880 MHz GSM1800
• New in Release 6
• IV 1710-1755 MHz 2110-2155 MHz US 2.1 GHz band
• V 824-849MHz 869-894MHz US cellular, GSM850
• VI 830-840 MHz 875-885 MHz Japan
• New in Release 7
• VII 2500-2570 MHz 2620-2690 MHz
• VIII 880-915 MHz 925-960 MHz GSM900
• IX 1749.9-1784.9 MHz 1844.9-1879.9 MHz Japan

7 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Module Contents

• Standardisation and frequency bands

• Main properties of UMTS Air Interface

• UMTS Air interface technologies
• WCDMA – FDD
• WCDMA vs. GSM
• CDMA principle
• Processing gain
• WCDMA codes and bit rates

• Overview of Nokia Radio Resource Management (RRM)

8 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

UMTS Air Interface technologies

• UMTS Air interface is built based on two technological solutions

• WCDMA – FDD
• WCDMA – TDD
• WCDMA – FDD is the more widely used solution
• FDD: Separate UL and DL frequency band
• WCDMA – TDD technology is currently used in limited number of networks
• TDD: UL and DL separated by time, utilizing same frequency

• Both technologies have own dedicated frequency bands

• This course concentrates on design principles of WCDMA – FDD solution, basic

planning principles apply to both technologies

9 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

WCDMA – FDD technology

• Multiple access technology is wideband CDMA (WCDMA)

• All cells at same carrier frequency
• Spreading codes used to separate cells and users
• Signal bandwidth 3.84 MHz

• Multiple carriers can be used to increase capacity

• Inter-Frequency functionality to support mobility between frequencies

• Compatibility with GSM technology

• Inter-System functionality to support mobility between GSM and UMTS

10 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

WCDMA Technology
WCDMA Users share same time and frequency

Frequency
Carrier
3.84 MHz

5 MHz
Time
5+5 MHz in FDD mode Direct Sequence (DS) CDMA
5 MHz in TDD mode

WCDMA TDMA (GSM)

5 MHz, 1 carrier 5 MHz, 25 carriers

11 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

UMTS & GSM Network Planning

GSM900/1800: 3G (WCDMA):

12 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Differences between WCDMA & GSM
High bit rates
WCDMA GSM
Carrier spacing 5 MHz 200 kHz
Frequency reuse factor 1 1–18
Power control 1500 Hz 2 Hz or lower
frequency
Quality control Radio resource Network planning
management algorithms (frequency planning)
Frequency diversity 5 MHz bandwidth gives Frequency hopping
multipath diversity with
Rake receiver
Packet data Load-based packet Timeslot based
scheduling scheduling with GPRS
Services
with Downlink transmit Supported for Not supported by the
diversity improving downlink standard, but can be
Different capacity applied
quality
requirement
s
Efficient
packet data
13 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date
Multiple WCDMA carriers – Layered network
1 - 10 km

F3
F2
F2 F1
F3
200 - 500 m
50 - 100 m Macro BTS
Micro BTS

F3
Pico BTSs

14 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

 CDMA principle - Chips & Bits & Symbols
Bits (In this drawing, 1 bit = 8 Chips  SF=8)

+1
Baseband Data
-1
Chip Chip
+1
Spreading Code
-1
+1
Spread Signal
-1

Air Interface
+1

-1
+1
Data
-1

15 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Energy Box
Energy per bit = Eb = const
Originating Bit Received Bit

Duration
(t = 1/Rb)

Higher spreading factor  Wider frequency band  Lower power spectral density
BUT
Same Energy per Bit

16 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Spreading & Processing Gain
User bit
rate
Power density (Watts/Hz)

Unspread narrowband signal Spread wideband signal

Frequency
Bandwidth W (3.84 Mchip/sec)

W  const  3.84 Mchip

sec

G p dB 
W
Processing gain:
R

17 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Processing Gain Examples
Voice user (R=12,2 kbit/s)
R
Power density (W/Hz)

Gp=W/R=24.98
dB

• Spreading sequences
have a different length
Frequency (Hz)
• Processing gain
Packet data user (R=384 kbit/s) depends on the user
R data rate
Power density (W/Hz)

Gp=W/R=10 dB

Frequency (Hz)
18 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date
Transmission Power

Power density
High bit rate user
Frequency

5MHz

Low bit rate user

Time

19 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

WCDMA Codes

• In WCDMA two separate codes are used in the spreading operation

• Channelisation code
• Scrambling code

• Channelisation code
• DL: separates physical channels of different users and common channels, defines
physical channel bit rate
• UL: separates physical channels of one user, defines physical channel bit rate
• Scrambling code
• DL: separates cells in same carrier frequency
• UL: separates users

20 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

DL Spreading and Multiplexing in WCDMA
CHANNELISATION codes: Radio frame = 15 time slots

CODE 1 Pilot

P-CPICH BCCH
Pilot X User 1
CODE 2 User 2

P-CCPCH User 3
BCCH X
SUM
CODE 3

DPCH1 Time
User 1 X
CODE 4
+
3.84 MHz
DPCH2 SCRAMBLING RF carrier
User 2 X CODE
CODE 5

X RF
DPCH3
User 3 X

3.84 MHz bandwidth

21 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date
DL & UL Channelisation Codes
• Walsh-Hadamard codes: orthogonal variable spreading factor codes (OVSF codes)
• SF for the DL transmission in FDD mode = {4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512}
• SF for the UL transmission in FDD mode = {4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256}
• Good orthogonality properties: cross correlation value for each code pair in the code set
equals 0
• In theoretical environment users of one cell do not interfere each other in DL
• In practical multipath environment orthogonality is partly lost  Interference between users of
same cell
• Orthogonal codes are suited for channel separation, where synchronisation between
different channels can be guaranteed
• Downlink channels under one cell
• Uplink channels from a single user
• Orthogonal codes have bad auto correlation properties and thus not suited in an
asynchronous environment
• Scrambling code required to separate signals between cells in DL and users in UL

22 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Channelisation Code Tree
SF= SF= SF= SF= SF=1 ... SF=25 SF=51
1 2 4 8 6
C16(0)=[.........
6 2
C8(0)=[11111111]
...]
C16(1)=[.........
C4(0)=[1111] ...]
C16(2)=[.........
C8(1)=[1111-1-1-1-1] ...]
C2(0)=[11] C16(3)=[.........
...]
C16(4)=[.........
C8(2)=[11-1-111-1-1] ...]
C16(5)=[.........
C4(1)=[11-1-1] ...]
C16(6)=[.........
C8(3)=[11-1-1-1-111] ...]
C16(7)=[.........
C0(0)=[1
...]
] C16(8)=[.........
C8(0)=[1-11-11-11-1] ...]
C16(9)=[.........
C4(2)=[1-11-1] ...]
C16(10)=[.........
C8(5)=[1-11-1-11-11] ..]
C2(1)=[1-1] C16(11)=[...........
]
C16(12)=[.......
C8(6)=[1-1-111-1-11] ....]
C16(13=[........
C4(3)=[1-1-11] ...]
C16(14)=[.......
C8(7)=[1-1-11-111-1] ....]
C16(15)=[.......
....]
23 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date
Physical Layer Bit Rates (DL)
Spreading Channel Channel bit DPDCH Maximum user
factor symbol rate channel bit data rate with ½-
rate (kbps) rate range rate coding
(ksps) (kbps) (approx.)
512 7.5 15 3–6 1–3 kbps
256 15 30 12–24 6–12 kbps Half rate speech
128 30 60 42–51 20–24 kbps Full rate speech
64 60 120 90 45 kbps
32 120 240 210 105 kbps
16 240 480 432 215 kbps 128 kbps
8 480 960 912 456 kbps 384 kbps
4 960 1920 1872 936 kbps
4, with 3 2880 5760 5616 2.3 Mbps 2 Mbps
parallel
codes

W
RSymbol  Rb _ phy  2  RSymbol
SF
(QPSK modulation)
24 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date
Physical Layer Bit Rates (DL) - HSDPA

• 3GPP Release 5 standards introduced enhanced DL bit rates with High Speed
Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) technology
• Shared high bit rate channel between users – High peak bit rates
• Simultaneous usage of up to 15 DL channelisation codes (In HSDPA SF=16)
• Higher order modulation scheme (16-QAM)  Higher bit rate in same band
• 16-QAM provides 4 bits per symbol  960 kbit/s / code physical channel peak rate

HSDPA
Coding rate Coding rate 5 codes 10 codes 15 codes

1/4 600 kbps 1.2 Mbps 1.8 Mbps

QPSK 2/4 1.2 Mbps 2.4 Mbps 3.6 Mbps

3/4 1.8 Mbps 3.6 Mbps 5.4 Mbps

2/4 2.4 Mbps 4.8 Mbps 7.2 Mbps

16QAM 3/4 3.6 Mbps 7.2 Mbps 10.7 Mbps

4/4 4.8 Mbps 9.6 Mbps 14.4 Mbps

25 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date
Physical Layer Bit Rates (UL) - HSUPA

• 3GPP Release 6 standards introduced enhanced UL bit rates with High Speed
Downlink Packet Access (HSUPA) technology
• Fast allocation of available UL capacity for users – High peak bit rates
• Simultaneous usage of up to 2+2 UL channelisation codes (In HSUPA SF=2 – 4)
• Initial expected capability 1.46 Mbps

2 x SF2 +
Coding rate 1 x SF4 2 x SF4 2 x SF2
2 x SF4
1/2 480 kbps 960 kbps 1.92 Mbps 2.88 Mbps

3/4 720 kbps 1.46 Mbps 2.88 Mbps 4.32 Mbps

4/4 960 kbps 1.92 Mbps 3.84 Mbps 5.76 Mbps

26 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

DL & UL Scrambling Codes

DL Scrambling Codes
• Pseudo noise codes used for cell separation
• 512 Primary Scrambling Codes

UL Scrambling Codes
• Two different types of UL scrambling codes are generated
• Long scrambling codes of length of 38 400 chips = 10 ms radio frame
• Short scrambling codes of length of 256 chips are periodically repeated to get the
scrambling code of the frame length
• Short codes enable advanced receiver structures in future

27 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Scrambling Codes & Multipath Propagation

Scramblin
g code C1

C1+2
Scramblin
g code C2

UE has simultaneous
connection to two cells (soft
handover)
28 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date
RAKE Receiver

Cell-1
Rx Finger
Cell-1
Rx Finger
Output
Cell-1
Rx Finger
Cell-2
Rx Finger
t
Delay 1

Delay 2

Delay 3
Code used
for the
connection

• Combination or multipath components and signal from different cells

29 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Channelisation and Scrambling Codes
Channelisation code
Usage Uplink: Separation of physical data
(DPDCH) and control channels
(DPCCH) from same terminal
Downlink: Separation of downlink
connections to different users within one
cell
Length 4–256 chips (1.0–66.7 s)
Downlink also 512 chips
Different bit rates by changing the length
of the code
Number of codes Number of codes under one scrambling
code = spreading factor
Code family Orthogonal Variable Spreading Factor
Spreading Yes, increases transmission bandwidth
30 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date
Scrambling code
Uplink: Separation of mobile
Downlink: Separation of sectors (cells)
Uplink: (1) 10 ms = 38400 chips or (2)
66.7 s = 256 chips
Option (2) can be used with advanced
base station receivers
Downlink: 10 ms = 38400 chips
Uplink: 16.8 million
Downlink: 512
Long 10 ms code: Gold code
Short code: Extended S(2) code family
No, does not affect transmission
bandwidth
Module Contents

• Standardisation and frequency bands

• Main properties of UMTS Air Interface

• Overview of Nokia Radio Resource Management (RRM)

• Load control
• Admission Control
• Packet Scheduler
• Resource Manager
• Power Control
• Handover Control

31 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Radio Resource Management

• RRM is responsible for optimal utilisation of the radio resources:

• Transmission power and interference
• Logical codes
• The trade-off between capacity, coverage and quality is done all the time
• Minimum required quality for each user (nothing less and nothing more)
 Maximum number of users
• The radio resources are continuously monitored and optimised by several RRM
functionalities
service quality

Optimization
and Tailoring

cell coverage cell capacity

32 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

RRM Functionalities

• LC Load Control

LC • AC Admission Control
PS
• PS Packet Scheduler
RM
AC • RM Resource Manager
For each cell • PC Power Control
• HC HO Control
PC
HC
For each connection/user

33 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Load Control (LC)
• LC performs the function of load control in association with AC & PS
• LC updates load status using measurements & estimations provided by AC and PS
• Continuously feeds cell load information to PS and AC;
• Interference levels (UL)
• BTS power level (DL)

Load change
info
AC
Load status
LC

NRT load PS

34 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Load Control – Load Status

• Load thresholds set by radio network planning parameters

Overload Overload
threshold x

Load Target Load Margin

threshold y

Normal load
Power

Time

Free capacity Measured load

35 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Admission Control (AC)
• Checks that admitting a new user will not sacrifice planned coverage or quality of
existing connections

• Admission control handles three main tasks

• Admission decision of new connections
• Take into account current load conditions (from LC) and load increase by the new
connection
• Real-time higher priority than non-real time
• In overload conditions no new connections admitted
• Connection QoS definition
• Bit rate, BER target etc.
• Connection specific power allocation (Initial, maximum and minimum power)

36 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Packet Scheduler (PS)

• PS allocates available capacity after real-time (RT) connections to non-real time

(NRT) connections
• Each cell separately
• In overload conditions bit rates of NRT connections decreased

• PS selects allocated channel type (common or dedicated)

• PS relies on up-to-date information from AC and LC

• Capacity allocated on a needs basis using ‘best effort’ approach

• RT higher priority

37 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Resource Manager (RM)

• Responsible for managing the logical radio resources of the RNC in co-operation
with AC and PS
• On request for resources, from either AC(RT) or PS(NRT), RM allocates:
• DL spreading code
• UL srambling code

Code Type Uplink Downlink

Scrambling codes User separation Cell separation
Users within one cell
Spreading codesData & control channels from same UE

38 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Power control (PC) in WCDMA

• Fast, accurate power control is of utmost importance – particularly in UL;

• UEs transmit continuously on same frequency  Always interference between users
• Poor PC leads to increased interference  reduced capacity
• Every UE accessing network increase interference
• PC target to minimise the interference  Minimize transmit power of each link while
still maintaining the link quality (BER)
• Mitigates 'near far effect‘ in UL by providing minimum required power for each
connection
• Power control has to be fast enough to follow changes in propagation conditions
(fading)
• Step up/down 1500 times/second

39 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Uplink power control target

• Minimise required UL received power  Target:

minimised UL transmit power and interference
min(Prx1)
≈
min(Prx2)

About equal when

Rb1 = Rb2
Ptx1
Ptx1

UE1 UE2

40 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Power Control types

• Power control functionality can be divided to three main types

• Open loop power control

• Initial power calculation based on DL pilot level/pathloss measurement by UE
• Outer (closed) loop power control
• Connection quality measurement (BER, BLER) and comparison to QoS target
• RF quality target (SIR target) setting for fast closed loop PC based on connection
quality
• Fast closed loop power control
• Radio link RF quality (SIR) measurement and comparison to RF quality target (SIR
target)
• Power control command transmission based on RF quality evaluation
• Change of transmit power according to received power control command

41 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Power Control types

Open Loop Power Control (Initial Access)

MS

Closed Loop Power Control

BS UL Outer Loop RN
Power Control C
DL Outer Loop
Power Control
BLER target

42 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Power control in HSPA

• In HSDPA (DL) the transmit power from base station is kept constant and the
signal modulation and coding is adapted according to the channel conditions
• 2 ms interval  500 Hz

• In HSUPA (UL)
• The power control of HSUPA channels in UL utilise both
• Fast closed loop power control
• Outer loop power control
• Both work according to similar principles as the dedicated channel power control

43 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Handover Control (HC)

• HC is responsible for:
• Managing the mobility aspects of an RRC connection as UE moves around the
network coverage area
• Maintaining high capacity by ensuring UE is always served by strongest cell

• Soft handover
• MS handover between different base stations
• Softer handover
• MS handover within one base station but between different sectors
• Hard handover
• MS handover between different frequencies or between WCDMA and GSM

44 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Soft/softer handover

• UE is simultaneously connected to 2 to 3 cells during soft handover

• Soft handover is performed based on UE cell pilot power measurements and
handover thresholds set by radio network planning parameters
• Radio link performance is improved during soft handover
• Soft handover consumes base station and transmission resources

BS1
Soft handover
Received signal strength

Threshold BS1

BS2
BS2

BS3 BS3
Distance from BS1

45 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Hard handover

• Hard handovers are typically performed between WCDMA frequencies and

between WCDMA and GSM cells

GSM/GPRS GSM/GPRS

Inter-System handovers (ISHO)

f1 f1

Inter-Frequency handovers (IFHO)

f2 f2 f2 f2

46 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

HSPA mobility

• HSDPA
• Soft handover on associated DCH channels (signalling, UL data)
• Serving cell change for HSDPA data channel
• Connected only to one cell at a time

Notice that soft/softer handover

is not supported for HS-SCCH/HS-PDSCH
HS-SCCH
Serving HS-PDSCH DPCH
HS-DSCH cell
DPCH

• HSUPA
• Soft handover utilised for uplink channels as required due to near-far problem
• Only Serving Cell can allocate more UL capacity/power

47 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date

Module 1 – WCDMA Fundamentals
Summary

• Radio interface technology of UMTS is WCDMA with FDD

and TDD versions

• WCDMA networks can be built on European, US-based and

Asian/Japanese frequency bands

• WCDMA air interface utilises combination of two spreading

codes

• Radio Resource Management is responsible of efficient

utilisation of radio resources while offering required quality of
service to users

48 © Nokia Siemens Networks Presentation / Author / Date