LTE

Long Term Evolution

By: Mohamed Ibrahim

Session # 2
LTE Air interface
Topics
1. Air Interface Protocol Stack
 Control Plane protocol stack
 User plane protocol stack
2. RRC Layer
 RRC functions
 RRC States
 Signaling radio bearer
3. PDCP Layer
4. RLC Layer
 RLC function and TX modes
 ARQ
 Concatenation and segmentation
5. MAC Layer
 MAC layer functions
 Scheduling
6. PHY Layer
Topic#1: LTE Air Interface Protocol Stack

• According to the definition, we can divide

N/W into two parts:
• Signaling processing part (MME+HSS)
• Data processing part (S-GW+P-GW)
• As eNB connected to S-GW(signaling), also
connected to MME(Data). And as Uu is the
interface between UE and eNB; so we can
say that in Uu we can transfer signaling and • Note:
Data.
• Control plan is two types:
• So we can divide Uu interface into two • NAS  carries signaling
protocol stacks: between UE and Core (MME).
• RRC  carries signaling
• Control plane  signaling
between UE and eNB.
• User plane  Data
Topic#1: LTE Air Interface Protocol Stack
• Control plane protocol stack
• control plane definitions carries several layers.
• As we know control plan transfers signaling, but
what kind of signaling?
• We can say that signaling could be divided into two
parts:
• One is to MME  Top layer NAS - NAS
• Second is to eNB RRC signaling between UE and eNB
• Why do we need many layers in air interface?
• NAS user plan is based on IP
• PDCP has two main functions:
• Encryption
• IP head compression (only in User Plane)
• as signal quality is not stable so Uu is not reliable
transmission medium, so we need to make it • Notes:
reliable. This is the Job of RLC. • NAS is for non access stratum, the name is like that as
• As Uu is shared channel, so it will needs eNB does not process signaling.
scheduling. This is the main job of MAC. • RRC: Radio Resource Control
• To transfer RF signal to UE, we need someone • PDCP: Packet Data Convergence protocol
who do that job. YES its PHY layer . This will • RLC: Radio Link Control
done through OFDMA & SC-FDMA. • MAC: Medium Access Control
Topic#1: LTE Air Interface Protocol Stack
• User Plan plane protocol stack
• as we see user plane is so similar to control
plane.
• What is the difference between user plane
and control plane?
• Data transfer for sure , as we see the top layer is
application. But application is determining by
some software in UE, eNB SGW PGW are not
aware of application data, they treat all
application to be IP packets.
• P-GW converts user data to be some IP
packets. • Note:
• We know Uu resources are limited, so we
• eNB, SGW, and PGW are not aware of
don’t want to waste any resource. That’s
application data. They treat all applications as
why we need PDCP 
IP packets.
• PDCP functions difference between user &
control plane,  IP header compression (this is • Date scheduling has low priority than signaling
done only in user plane) scheduling.
Topic#1: LTE Air Interface Protocol Stack

• UL data processing of user plane • What is the difference between

DL/UL data processing of user
plane?
• Mainly the difference is in PHY Layer,
as modulation order is different (most
of UEs support 64 QAM in DL but not
in UL). Also DL support MIMO but not
UL.
• DL data processing of user plane
Topic#1: LTE Air Interface Protocol Stack
• UL signaling processing of user plane • What is the difference between user
plane and control plane ?
• In data flow, there is one receiver in the
entire flow (which is S-GW)
• In signaling flow, the receiver is
depends on signaling type, we have
NAS [MME] and RRC [eNB].

• DL signaling processing of user plane

• Is the reverse process.
Topic#2: RRC Layer (Main functions of RRC)

• First, what is UE modes:

• IDLE (when UE has no service)
• Connected (when UE has a service)
• eNB needs to control UE in IDLE &
Connected mode
• How eNB controls UEs?
• In IDLE:
• Sys info broadcast
• Paging info broadcast
• In Connected:
• Ask UE how to establish a connection to NW • Note:
 RRC connection management • As we said RRC signaling is between UE &
• This kind of connection is called Radio eNB, and we said UE modes are IDLE &
Bearer  Radio Bearer Control Connected. So we have two types of RRC:
• Mobility management • RRC_IDLE
• MRs RRC States
• NAS Transport between UE & MME • RRC_CONNECTED
Topic#2: RRC Layer (RRC States)

RRC Conn. Setup

• RRC IDLE • RRC Connected

RRC Conn. Release

• UE behavior (UE has no dedicated • UE behavior (UE has RRC

resource): Connection):
• No connection between UE & eNB • Handover
• Paging • Transmit/Receive Data
• Cell reselection mobility
• Listen to broadcast of system
information.
Topic#2: RRC Layer (RRC signaling radio bearer-SRB)

• SRBs used to transmit different kind of

information. We have 3 types of SRBs
 0,1,2
• What kind of information transmitted
by these SRBs?
• Be note that these SRBs has different
priorities.
• SRB0: established in IDLE mode,
transport RRC setup signaling & RRC re-
establishment signaling (Default Bearer)
• SRB1: established when RRC connection
is established (Connected mode),
Transport most important part of RRC
signaling  HO
• SRB2: established after authentication
and encryption process, transport NAS
signaling.
Topic#3: PDCP Layer (PDCP functions)

• PDCP has main 3 functions:

• IP Head Compression (User Plane)
• Encryption for signaling and data of
high layer (Control/User plane)
• Integrity checking for signaling of
high layer (Control Plane)

• In PDCP we have two transmission

algorithms  EEA1/EEA2. For more
details:
• http://www.netmanias.com/en/post/techd
ocs/5903/lte-security/lte-security-ii-nas-an
d-as-security
• http://www.netmanias.com/en/post/techd
ocs/5902/lte-security/lte-security-i-concep
t-and-authentication
Topic#3: PDCP Layer (IP Head Compression)
• The application can be converted to
one TCP or UDP according to the
service. (i.e. downloading file using FTP
that is one TCP service, steaming video
this is a UDP service)
• So for each IP packet the format is as
shown
• The typical size of IP head & TCP/UDP
header = 40 Bytes
• PDCP can compress this 40 Bytes to small
size, but WHY??  to improve
transmission efficiency of Uu.
• How PDCP compress?  using algorithm
called ROCH (Robust head compression) • After ROHC the 40 Bytes may be compressed
• ROHC could be configured on eNB or not. to 3 ~ 4 Bytes.
• Remember: • PDCP only compress header not payload. So
• In UMTS we have PDCP in user plane only what if payload is very large size??
Topic#4: RLC Layer (RLC Functions)

• RLC function is to make radio

interface reliable. To assure this,
RLC needs to select a suitable
transmission mode (AM, UM, TM)
for different kind of data.
• Sometimes because of very bad
channel conditions the transmission
may fails, RLC needs to figure it out,
HOW?? Using ARQ(AM mode
only)
• ARQ  Automatic Repeat Request.
• Also to assure reliability, RLC needs • RLC will retransmit the data based on
to choose a suitable size to be feedback from UE.
transmitted, so sometime RLC needs
to make data segmentation and
concatenation (in AM & UM modes)
Topic#4: RLC Layer (RLC Transmission modes)
• RLC provides 3 TX modes based on QoS
(Data type)
• AM (Acknowledge Mode):
• The transmitted data packets needs to be
confirmed from the receiver if received
correctly or not.
• Have RLC header are added
• Very good reliable transmission
• Be noted that all TCP service use AM mod.
• AM uses ARQ to confirm the receiving of data.
• UM (unacknowledged mode):
• No acknowledge info needed from the
receiver
• Have RLC header are added
• Not offer a very good reliable transmission
• VoIP used UM
• Be note that Um is faster than AM mode
• TM (Transparent mode):
• No RLC header are added
• No process for high layer information
• Broadcast and paging uses TM mode.
-------------------------------------------------------
------
• Note:
• What is SDU (Service Data unit)?
• The packets received by a layer is called
SDUs
• What is PDU (Protocol Data unit)?
• The packets output by a layer is called
PDUs.
• So Data flow:
Topic#4: RLC Layer (ARQ of AM)

• Based on Packet size, RLC can

guarantee transmission reliability
• What if the packet size is very large
in size???

• TX sends data, if RX correctly

decoded it RX will send Ack, if
not it will send NACK, Then TX
will retransmit it again.
• For sure using ARQ, the
transmission reliability will be
improved.
Topic#4: RLC Layer (Concatenation and Segmentation)

• Concatenation • Segmentation
Topic#5: MAC Layer (MAC Functions)

• As we said resource is limited, so

we need a layer to control how
each user will be assigned a
certain amount of resources.
• MAC Layer functions:
• Scheduling
• Mapping between logical & • Note:
transport channel
• We have many data types, each type
• Error correction (Hybrid Automatic
will have a suitable transmission
Repeat Request  HARQ algorithm) algorithm, so the scheduling is different
for sure.
• So now what kind of scheduling is used
for one kind of data?
Topic#5: MAC Layer (Scheduling)
• What is meant by LTE Scheduling? • Remember:
• Means to dynamically allocate Freq/Time • HSDPA TTI ~ 2 ms.
resources of SCH to different user
• What is the input of scheduling?
• Note that, Transmission Time interval
(TTI) = 1 ms, that means resource
allocation done every 1 ms, so MAC
Layer scheduling allocated the needed
resources every 1 ms  resource usage is efficient
Topic#5: MAC Layer (Scheduling)

• Scheduling modes: • Scheduling strategies:

• Dynamic scheduling:
• TTI = 1 ms
• Service applications: All services.
• Semi persistence scheduling:
• Period = 20 ms
• Service applications: real time service,
VoIP
• Note:
• This mode reduce signaling for
sure 

• RR  Round Robin
• PF  proportional fair
• EPS  Enhanced proportional fair (Best &
commonly used)
Topic#5: MAC Layer (Scheduling)

• What is the exact data to be • HARQ  MAC use it to improve

scheduled by MAC Layer?? transmission efficiency.
• MAC will deliver 1 or 2 TB
(depending on MIMO working
mode) to PHY layer every 1 ms, the
size of TB is transmission format
• So every 1 ms, one subscriber can
have 1 or 2 TB
• Be noted that maximum size of TB is
75376 bits, TTI= 1ms  MAC max
throughput ~ 75 Mbps (1 TB) • Note:
MAC Max throughput ~ 150 Mbps (2 • To make scheduling, MAC layer want to know data
TB) type, and scheduling algorithm, so what defines
• How MAC layer make sure that them??
• Logical channel defines data type
transmission is successfully done? • Transport channel defines scheduling algorithm
• This means MAC needs to make mapping between
logical channel and transport channel.
Topic#5: MAC Layer (Mapping)

• Logical channel
• BCCH
• PCCH
• CCCH
• DCCH
• DTCH
• Transport
• BCH
• PCH
• SCH
Topic#6: PHY Layer (Function)

• PHY layer is the most important

part.
• The medium defined in PHY layer
is carrier or subcarrier, and
subcarrier is defined by OFMD.
• Main functions of PHY Layer:
• Provide freq/time resource for
data/signaling transmission.
• PHY layer want to make sure that
the transmission is reliable, so what • We have two types of PHY layer
is the algorithm used  FEC processing:
(Forward Error Correction) • DL PHY Layer processing
• Modulation/Demodulation • UL PHY Layer processing
• MIMO, Beam forming…
Topic#6: PHY Layer (DL PHY Layer Processing)

• CRC:

• Channel coding  1/3 turbo coding for DLSCH, ULSCH, PCH & Tail bit
convolutional coding for BCH
Topic#6: PHY Layer (DL PHY Layer Processing)

• Modulation • Example 
End