WCDMA

Introduction to Basics
Plano – 07 September 2006
sween.ambat@ericsson.com
Introduction

 WCDMA Fundamentals
 Spreading codes (Channelization and Scrambling)
 Power Control
 Soft/Softer Handover
 Capacity limitation and Cell breathing
 Rake receiver

Ericsson Confidential2 Sween J Ambat 2006-09-07

WCDMA Fundamentals
 Separate users through different codes
 Large bandwidth
 Continuous transmission and reception
 Code planning - Frequency reuse is 1
 No frequency planning
 Scrambling code planning
code
CDMA
 5 MHz carrier separation

e
tim
 Fast Power Control
 Soft/Softer Handover Code-Division
Multiple Access

 Admission Control
frequency
 Congestion Control

3GPP : 3rd Generation Partnership Project http://www.3gpp.org

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Common UMTS Terms
Node B
RNC RAB
IRAT
UE
SC
Ec/No
Iub BLER
RSCP
UTRAN
Eb/No

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UTRAN Architecture
(Universal Terrestrial Radio Access)

OSS

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RN Interfaces
 Iu
– Iu PS
 Connection to the packet switched core network domain
- SGSN/GGSN
– Iu CS
 Connection to the circuit switched core network domain
- MSC
– Protocol RANAP
 Iur
– RNC interconnection
[eg: for SHO support ]
– Protocol RNSAP
 Iub
Core Network
– Connection for the RBS to the RNC
– Protocol NBAP
 Uu Iu
– Air Interface to the UE
– Protocol RRC, RLC, MAC
RNC
Iur
RNC

Iub
RBS

Uu
RBS RBS UE

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Agenda

 WCDMA Fundamentals
 Spreading codes (Channelization and Scrambling)
 Power Control
 Soft/Softer Handover
 Capacity limitation and Cell breathing
 Rake receiver

Ericsson Confidential7 Sween J Ambat 2006-09-07

Spreading principle
Direct Sequence Spreading - Code Division Multiple Access (DS-CDMA)
• Separates users through different codes
• Codes are used for two purposes:
• Differentiate channels/users
• Spreading the data over the entire bandwidth

t
MS 1
MS 2
Code MS 3
• WCDMA (5 MHz)
• IS-95 (1.25 MHz)
f • CDMA2000 (1.25, 3.75 MHz)
5 MHz

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Spreading principle
Spreading code = Scrambling code + Channelization code

 Scrambling codes (Repeat period 10 ms=38400 chips)

– Separates different mobiles (in uplink)
– Separates different cells (in downlink)

 Channelization codes
– Separates different channels that are transmitted on the same
scrambling code
– Orthogonal Variable Spreading Factor (OVSF) codes
– Period depends on data rate

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Spreading principle
 User information bits are spread into a number of chips by multiplying them
with a spreading code
The chip rate for the system is 3.84 Mchip/s and the signal is spread in 5 MHz
The Spreading Factor (SF) is the ratio between the chip rate and the symbol rate
The same code is used for de/spreading the information after it is sent over the
air interface

Information signal

Spreading signal

Transmission signal

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Spreading principle
Case 1
+1
0
Spreading -1

11 001100
+1
0 1 0
+1 User -1
0 data
-1 +1
0

g
Despreadin
-1
11 001100
+1 Spreading
0 code Case 2
-1
+1
0
-1
+1 Chip
0 sequence 101 01010
-1 +1
0
-1

+1
0
-1
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Spread Spectrum gain

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Benefits of spreading
NBI
1 2 3 4 5
MOD WBI DEM F DET
384 kbps
3.84 Mcps Spreading code P
P NBI 3

Spreading factor WBI f

1 Processing gain
f P
Rchip
G= 4
P Rbit

2
f
MOD - modulation
DEM - demodulation P
f F - filtering
5
DET - detection
NBI - narrow-band interference
WBI - wide-band interference f

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Channelization Codes
 Channelization Codes have different length depending on the bit rate
 In the Downlink, Channelization Codes are used to distinguish between data
(and control) channels coming from the same RBS

CC3, CC4
CC1, CC2

CC5, CC6, CC7

 In the Uplink, Channelization Codes are used to distinguish between data (and
control) channels from the same UE

CC1, CC2
CC1 , CC2, CC3

CC1, CC2, CC3, CC4

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Scrambling Codes
 After the Channelization Codes, the data stream is multiplied by a special
code to distinguish between different transmitters.

 Scrambling codes are not orthogonal so they do not need to be synchronized

 The separation of scrambling codes is proportional to the code length –

longer codes, better separation (but not 100%)

 Scrambling codes are 38400 chips long

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Scrambling Codes
 In the Downlink, the Scrambling Codes are used to distinguish each cell
(assigned by operator – SC planning)

 In the Uplink, the Scrambling Codes are used to distinguish each UE

(assigned by network)

Cell “1” transmits using SC1

SC1 SC1

SC3 SC4

Cell “2” transmits using SC2

SC2 SC2

SC5 SC6

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Agenda

 WCDMA Fundamentals
 Spreading codes (Channelization and Scrambling)
 Power Control
 Soft/Softer Handover
 Capacity limitation and Cell breathing
 Rake receiver

Ericsson Confidential17 Sween J Ambat 2006-09-07

Power Control
 Concept : Power is a common resource in WCDMA

 Goal : Ensure sufficient received energy per information bit for all
communication links

 Strategy :
Power control on COMMON CHANNELS ensures there is sufficient coverage
to establish connections and transfer date on common transport channels
Power control on DEDICATED CHANNELS (DCH) ensures sufficient
connection quality while minimizing impact on other connections.

 Power Control or Rate Control

– Power control strategy (R99): adjust transmitted power while keeping

the data rate constant
– Rate control strategy (HSDPA): adjust the data rate while keeping the
transmitted power constant

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 Power Control
Without power control  Open loop power Control With power control

– Initial power setting

PTX PTX
 Outer Loop (RNC)
– Adjust quality target
dependent on
performance
t  Inner Loop (fast power t
fading fading
channel control-RBS) channel
– compensates for fading
PRX channels PRX

– needs dedicated control

channel for power control
commands

t t

Ericsson Confidential19 Sween J Ambat 2006-09-07

Agenda

 WCDMA Fundamentals
 Spreading codes (Channelization and Scrambling)
 Power Control
 Soft/Softer Handover
 Capacity limitation and Cell breathing
 Rake receiver

Ericsson Confidential21 Sween J Ambat 2006-09-07

 Soft/Softer Handover
 Soft/softer handover is important for efficient power control. Without soft/softer
handover there would be near-far scenarios of a UE penetrating from one cell
deeply into an adjacent cell without being power controlled by the latter.

 Soft Handover: UE connected to two or more RBSs at the same time

 Softer Handover: UE connected to two or more sector of the same RBS

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 Soft/Softer Handover
 Uplink Power is based on information (TPC bits) from both RBSs to which the UE is
connected. The UE will decrease its output power in all cases except when both RBSs send
increase power commands.

 Downlink Power control for both RBSs is based on one signal (TPC bits) from the UE (it does
not distinguish between RBSs and the decision is base on the combined output from the
RAKE receiver

UL Power control DL Power control

Ericsson Confidential23 Sween J Ambat 2006-09-07

Agenda

 WCDMA Fundamentals
 Spreading codes (Channelization and Scrambling)
 Power Control
 Soft/Softer Handover
 Capacity limitation and Cell breathing
 Rake receiver

Ericsson Confidential24 Sween J Ambat 2006-09-07

 UL/DL capacity limitation
 Scenario 1: Capacity limitation due to UL interference
– The cell can’t serve UE1 because the increase in UL interference by adding the
new user would be too high, resulting in a high risk of drops
 Scenario 2: Capacity limitation due to DL power
– The cell can’t serve UE2 because it’s using all its available power to maintain the
connections to the other UEs

Scenario 1 Scenario 2

UE1

UE2
Ericsson Confidential25 Sween J Ambat 2006-09-07
 Cell breathing
 The more traffic, the more interference and the shorter the distance must be
between the RBS and the UE
 The traffic load changes in the system causes the cells to grow and shrink with time

RBS 1 RBS 2

Fully loaded system

Unloaded system

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