WIDEBAND CODE DIVISION MULTIPLE ACCESS

ABSTRACT
The paper introduces the concept of Wideband CDMA Radio Access Network, discussing the evolution of WCDMA from existing GSM technology and how the advantages of CDMA technology are unleashed in WCDMA !ne of the "ey #enefits of the technology is efficient, flexi#le support for radio #earers, in which networ" capacity can #e freely allocated #etween voice and data within the same carrier $or optimal operation of a complete wireless system i e from handset to radio access networ" %&A'( several functions are needed to control the radio networ" and the many handsets using it All functions are descri#ed in this presentation WCDMA has gained #road acceptance within the wireless communication industry, and is rapidly emerging as the leading glo#al third) generation standard Some other distinguishing features include*

WCDMA can support mo#ile,porta#le voice, images, data, and video communications at up to - M#ps %local area access( or ./0 1#ps %wide area access(

The input signals are digiti2ed and transmitted in coded, spread)spectrum mode over a #road range of fre3uencies A 4 M52)wide carrier is used, compared with -66 152)wide carrier for narrow#and CDMA E!WORDS"

GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, 7ower control, Softer handover, &adio Access 'etwor"

INDE#

$%INTRODUCTION &%WCDMA A DEVELOPMENT 'ROM (SM AND CDMA )%RADIO NETWOR 'UNCTIONALIT!

*%BASIC ARC+ITECTURE CONCEPTS

INTRODUCTION
There has #een a tremendous growth in wireless communication technology over the past decade The significant increase in su#scri#ers and traffic, new #andwidth consuming applications such as gaming, music down loading and video streaming will place new demands on capacity The answer to the capacity demand is the provision of new spectrum and the development of a new technology 8 Wide#and CDMA WCDMA %Wide#and Code Division Multiple Access( is #y far the most widely adopted .G air)interface technology in the new 9MT) -666 fre3uency #ands Standardi2ed #y .G77 and 9T:, WCDMA has gained #road acceptance within the wireless communication industry WCDMA was designed to provide cost)efficient capacity for #oth modern mo#ile multimedia applications and traditional mo#ile voice services !ne of the "ey #enefits of the technology is efficient, flexi#le support for radio #earers, in which networ" capacity can #e freely allocated #etween voice and data within the same carrier WCDMA also supports #oth multiple simultaneous services and multimedia services comprising multiple components with different service 3uality re3uirements in terms of throughput, transfer delay, and #it error rate 9n WCDMA, user data is spread over a #andwidth of circa 4 M52 The wide #andwidth supports high user data rates and also provides performance #enefits due to fre3uency diversity The wide#and carrier is also cost)effective as more users can #e served #y means of a single transceiver WCDMA a development from GSM and CDMA'aturally there are a lot of differences #etween WCDMA and GSM systems, #ut there are many similarities as well The GSM ;ase Station Su#system %;SS( and the WCDMA &adio Access 'etwor" %&A'( are #oth connected to the GSM core networ" for providing a radio connection to the handset 5ence, the technologies can share the same core networ" $urthermore, #oth GSM ;SS and WCDMA &A' systems are #ased on the principles of a cellular radio system The GSM ;ase Station Controller %;SC( corresponds to the WCDMA &adio 'etwor" Controller %&'C( The GSM &adio ;ase Station %&;S( corresponds to the WCDMA &;S, and the A)interface of GSM was the #asis of the development of the 9u)

interface of WCDMA, which mainly differs in the inclusion of the new services offered #y WCDMA

The significant differences, apart from the lac" of interface #etween the GSM ;SCs and an insufficiently specified GSM A#is)interface to provide multi)vendor opera#ility, are more of a systemic matter The GSM system uses TDMA %Time Division Multiple Access( technology with a lot of radio functionality #ased on managing the timeslots The WCDMA system on the other hand uses CDMA, as descri#ed #elow, which means that #oth the hardware and the control functions are different <xamples of WCDMA)specific functions are fast power control and soft handover

&%$ Un,eas-in. t-e ad/anta.es o0 CDMA in WCDMA

9n contrast to the fre3uency planning re3uirements of GSM, CDMA networ"s employ universal fre3uency re)use This means that all su#scri#ers using a :MTS networ" transmit simultaneously within the same wide#and radio channel This removes the restriction that each cell employs only a limited num#er of channels, although it creates the potential for significant co)channel interference =spread spectrum> 9n CDMA networ"s com#ine the techni3ues

transmission from an individual user with a much faster signal This process distri#utes the user>s

signal over the whole of the availa#le wide#and radio channel 9ndividual transmissions are identified #y means of a uni3ue spreading code allocated #y the radio networ" controller <ach

transmission is ultimately reassem#led using an identical code to that used in the spreading process This spread spectrum solution offered #y CDMA has no impact on other transmissions on the same networ", each of which is allocated its own uni3ue spreading code As far as other users are concerned, such signals simply appear as low)level noise So while there is the potential for increased co)channel interference, the spread spectrum techni3ue actually ma"es the CDMA air interface more ro#ust than other air interfaces WCDMA is a step further in the CDMA technology 9t uses a 4 M52 wide radio signal and a chip rate of . /0 Mcps, which is a#out three times higher than the chip rate of CDMA-666 %+ -- Mcps( The main #enefits of a wide#and carrier with a higher chip rate are* Support for higher #it rates 5igher spectrum efficiency %i e a #etter statistical averaging( 5igher ?uality of Service %?oS(

&%& Introd1ction to S2read S2ectr13 Co331nications

WCDMA is a form of Direct Se3uence Spread Spectrum communications 9n general, Spread Spectrum communications is distinguished #y three "ey elements* The signal occupies a #andwidth much greater than that which is necessary to send the information This results in many #enefits, such as immunity to interference and @amming and multi)user access The #andwidth is spread #y means of a code which is independent of the data The independence of the code distinguishes this from standard modulation schemes in which the data modulation will always spread the spectrum somewhat The receiver synchroni2es to the code to recover the data The use of an independent code and synchronous reception allows multiple users to access the same fre3uency #and at the same time 9n order to protect the signal, the code used is pseudo)random 9t appears random, #ut is actually deterministic, so that the receiver can reconstruct the code for synchronous detection This pseudo)random code is also called pseudo)noise %7'(

&%) Direct Se41ence S2read S2ectr13

WCDMA is a Direct Se3uence Spread Spectrum system The WCDMA system wor"s directly on -M#ps digital signals These signals can #e digiti2ed voice, gaming, music down loading and video streaming etc $igure shows a simplified Direct Se3uence Spread Spectrum system $or clarity, the figure shows one channel operating in one direction only

&%)%$ Si.na, trans3ission consists o0 t-e 0o,,owin. ste2s"

A pseudo)random code is generated, different for each channel and each successive connection The 9nformation data modulates the pseudo)random code %the 9nformation data is AspreadB( The resulting signal modulates a carrier The modulated carrier is amplified and #roadcast

&%)%& Si.na, rece2tion consists o0 t-e 0o,,owin. ste2s"

+ . 0 4 The carrier is received and amplified The received signal is mixed with a local carrier to recover the spread digital signal A pseudo)random code is generated, matching the anticipated signal The receiver ac3uires the received code and phase loc"s its own code to it The received signal is correlated with the generated code, extracting the 9nformation data

) Radio network 01nctiona,it5

$or optimal operation of a complete wireless system i e from handset to radio access networ" %&A'( several functions are needed to control the radio networ" and the many handsets using it

)%$ Power contro,

The power control regulates the transmit power of the terminal and #ase station, which results in less interference and allows more users on the same carrier transmit power regulation thus provides more capacity in the networ" With a fre3uency re)use, it is very important to have efficient power control in order to "eep the interference at a minimum $or each su#scri#er service the aim is that the #ase station

shall receive the same power level from all handsets in the cell regardless of distance from the #ase station 9f the power level from one handset is higher than needed, the 3uality will #e excessive, ta"ing a disproportionate share of

the resources and generating unnecessary interference with the other su#scri#ers in the networ" !n the other hand, if power levels are too low this will result in poor 3uality 9n order to "eep the received power at a suita#le level, WCDMA has a fast power control that updates power levels +466 times every second ;y doing that the rapid change in the radio channel is handled To ensure good performance, power control is implemented in #oth the up)lin" and the down)lin", which means that #oth the output powers of the handset and the #ase station are fre3uently updated 7ower control also gives rise to a phenomenon called Acell #reathingB This is the trade) off #etween coverage and capacity, which means that the si2e of the cell varies depending on the traffic load When the num#er of su#scri#ers in the cell is low %low load(, good 3uality can #e achieved even at a long distance from the #ase station !n the other hand, when the num#er of users in the cell is high, the large num#er of su#scri#ers generates a high interference level and su#scri#ers have to get closer to the #ase station to achieve good 3uality

)%& So0t and so0ter -ando/er

With soft handover functionality the handset can communicate simultaneously with two or more cells in two or more #ase stations This flexi#ility in "eeping the connection open to more than one #ase station results in fewer lost calls, which is very important to the operator To achieve good system performance with a fre3uency re)use and power control, soft and softer handover is re3uired Soft and softer handover ena#les the handset to maintain the continuity and 3uality of the connection while moving from one cell to another During soft or softer handover, the handset will momentarily ad@ust its power to the

#ase station that re3uires the smallest change very rapidly

amount of transmit power and the preferred cell may

The difference #etween soft and softer handover is that during soft handover, the handset is connected to

multiple cells at different #ase stations, while during softer handover, the handset is connected to multiple cells at the same #ase station A draw#ac" with soft handover is that it re3uires additional hardware resources on the networ" side, as the handset has multiple connections 9n a well)designed radio networ", .6806 C of the users will #e in soft or softer handover

)%) +ando/er to (SM 6inter7s5ste3 -ando/er8 When WCDMA was standardi2ed a "ey aspect was to ensure that existing investments could #e re)used as much as possi#le !ne example is handover #etween the new %WCDMA( networ" and the existing %GSM( networ", which can #e triggered #y coverage, capacity or service re3uirements 5andover from WCDMA to GSM, for coverage reasons, is expected to #e very important since operators are expected to deploy WCDMA gradually within their existing GSM networ" When a su#scri#er moves out of the WCDMA coverage area, a handover to GSM has to #e conducted in order to "eep the connection 5andover #etween GSM and WCDMA can also have a positive effect on capacity through the possi#ility of load sharing 9f for example the num#ers of su#scri#ers in the GSM networ" is close to the capacity limit in one area, handover of some su#scri#ers to the WCDMA networ" can #e performed

Another function that is related to inter)system handover is the compressed mode When performing handover to GSM, measurements have to #e made in order to identify the GSM cell to which the handover will #e made The compressed mode is used to create the measurement periods for the handset to ma"e the re3uired measurements This is typically achieved #y

transmitting all the information during the first 4 milliseconds of the frame with the remaining 4 milliseconds #eing used for measurements on the other systems

)%* Inter70re41enc5 -ando/er 6intra7s5ste3 -ando/er8

The need for inter)fre3uency handover occurs in high capacity areas where multiple 4 M52 WCDMA carriers are deployed 9nter)fre3uency handover, which is handover #etween WCDMA carriers on different fre3uencies, has many similarities with GSM handover, for example the compressed mode functionality

)%9 C-anne, t52e switc-in.

9n WCDMA there are different types of channels that can #e used to carry data in order to maximi2e the total traffic throughput The two most #asic ones are common channels and dedicated channels Channel type switching functionality is used to move su#scri#ers #etween the common and the dedicated channel, depending on how much information the su#scri#er needs to transmit The dedicated channel is used when there is much information to transmit, such as a voice conversation or downloading a we# page 9t utili2es the radio resources efficiently as it supports #oth power control and soft handover The common channel, on the other hand, is less spectrum efficient !ne #enefit is that the common channel reduces delays as many su#scri#ers can share the same resource 5ence it is the preferred channel for the transfer of very limited information

)%: Ad3ission contro,

As there is a very clear trade)off #etween coverage and capacity in WCDMA systems, the admission control functionality is used to avoid system overload and to provide the planned coverage When a new su#scri#er see"s access to the networ", admission control estimates the

networ" load and #ased on the new expected load, the su#scri#er is either admitted or #loc"ed out ;y this the operator can maximi2e the networ" usage within a set of networ" 3uality levels, i e levels depending on what "ind of service, information the su#scri#er wants to use

)%; Con.estion contro,

<ven though an efficient admission control is used, overload may still occur, which is mainly caused #y su#scri#ers moving from one area to another area 9f overload occurs, four different actions can #e ta"en + . 0 Congestion control is activated and reduces the #it rate of non real)time applications, to resolve the overload 9f the reduced #it rate activity is not sufficient, the congestion control triggers the inter) or intra)fre3uency handover, which moves some su#)scri#ers to less loaded fre3uencies 5andover of some su#scri#ers to GSM and Action is to discontinue connections, and thus protect the 3uality of the remaining connections

)%< S5nc-roni=ation
!ne of the #asic re3uirements when WCDMA was standardi2ed was to avoid dependence on external systems for accurate synchroni2ation of #ase stations This can #e achieved #y a mechanism, where the handset, when needed, measures the synchroni2ation offset #etween the cells and reports this to the networ" 9n addition, there is also an option to use an external source, such as G7S, for synchroni2ing the nodes, i e to always provide the #est solution #oth asynchronous and synchronous nodes are supported

BASIC ARC+ITECTURE CONCEPTS>S!STEM OVERVIEW

9n this section some fundamental concepts of the WCDMA &adio Access 'etwor" are

presented This includes the WCDMA &A' architecture, the radio interface protocol architecture, the &adio Access ;earer concept and the role of the transport networ" in a WCDMA &A'

*%$ Radio Access Network 6RAN8 Arc-itect1re

The main purpose of the WCDMA &adio Access 'etwor" is to provide a connection #etween the handset and the core networ" and to isolate all the radio issues from the core networ" The advantage is one core networ" supporting multiple access technologies The WCDMA &adio Access 'etwor" consists of two types of nodes* Radio Base Station 6Node B8 The &adio ;ase Station handles the radio transmission and reception to,from the handset over the radio interface %:u( 9t is controlled from the &adio 'etwor" Controller via the 9u interface !ne &adio ;ase Station can handle one or more cells Radio Network Contro,,er 6RNC8 The &adio 'etwor" Controller is the node that controls all WCDMA &adio Access 'etwor" functions 9t connects the WCDMA &adio Access 'etwor" to the core networ" via the 9u interface There are two distinct roles for the &'C, to serve and to control The Serving &'C has overall control of the handset that is connected to WCDMA &adio Access 'etwor" 9t controls the connection on the 9u interface for the handset and it terminates several protocols in the contact #etween the handset and the WCDMA &adio Access 'etwor"

The Controlling &'C has the overall control of a particular set of cells, and their associated #ase stations When a handset must use resources in a cell not controlled #y its Serving &'C, the Serving &'C must as" the Controlling &'C for those resources This re3uest is made via the 9u interface, which connects the &'Cs With each other 9n this case, the Controlling &'C is also said to #e a Drift &'C for this particular handset This "ind of operation is primarily needed to #e a#le to provide soft handover throughout the networ" &adio Access ;earers

The main service offered #y WCDMA &A' is the &adio Access ;earer %&A;( To esta#lish a call connection #etween the handset and the #ase station a &A; is needed 9ts characteristics are different depending on what "ind of service,information to #e transported

The &A; carries the su#scri#er data #etween the handset and the core networ" 9t is composed of one or more &adio Access ;earers #etween the handset and the Serving &'C, and one 9u #earer #etween the Serving &'C and the core networ" .G77 has defined four different 3uality classes of &adio Access ;earers* + Con/ersationa, %used for e g voice telephony( 8 low delay, strict ordering Strea3in. %used for e g watching a video clip( 8 moderate delay, strict ordering

. 0

Interacti/e %used for e g we# surfing( 8 moderate delay Back.ro1nd %used for e g file transfer( 8 no delay re3uirement

;oth the Conversational and Streaming &A;s re3uire a certain reservation of resources in the networ", and are primarily meant for real)time services They differ mainly in that the Streaming &A; tolerates a higher delay, appropriate for one)way real)time services The 9nteractive and ;ac"ground &A;s are so called =#est effort>, i e no resources are reserved and the throughput depends on the load in the cell The only difference is that the 9nteractive &A; provides a priority mechanism

The &A; is characteri2ed #y certain ?uality of Service %?oS( parameters, such as #it rate and delay The core networ" will select a &A; with appropriate ?oS #ased on the service re3uest from the su#scri#er, and as" the &'C to provide such a &A;

*%& Trans2ort in WCDMA Radio Access Network

The WCDMA &adio Access 'etwor" nodes communicate with each other over a transport networ" The .G77 specification provides a very clear split #etween radio related %WCDMA( functionality and the transport technology, meaning that there is no particular #ias to any technology The transport networ" is initially #ased on ATM, #ut 97 will soon #e included as an option

Conc,1sion
WCDMA is a flexi#le standard that provides simultaneous support for a wide variety of services on a single carrier ;y gradually evolving from GSM to WCDMA, protecting investments #y re)using the GSM core networ", operators can expand their service offerings and meet growing demands for capacity in a cost)effective way 9mproved radio networ" algorithms for use in the current standard will increase capacity 9n several cases, the enhancements can #e introduced through remote software upgrades

RE'ERENCES + . Dochen 5 Schiller Mobile communications - %7earson <ducation Asia, 0th ed -66+( Eiter#i, A CDMA: Principles of Spread Spectrum Communication Addison )%Wesley Wireless Communications Series, +FF4( &o# Ean;runt