Adjusting uplink noise level (PrxNoise)

Uplink noise (also known as system noise) is the sum of all stationary noise, not just thermal noise. It is very
important that the uplink noise is estimated accurately, as it has a direct effect on the capacity of the cell in
question. Uplink noise can either be set to a fixed value at the radio network planning stage, or allowed to
fluctuate according to the current conditions, with the help of an autotuning algorithm. The autotuning
algorithm of Uplink noise level (PrxNoise) can be switched on or off on a cell-by-cell basis using the
management parameter PrxNoise autotuning allowed (prxnoiseautotuning).
Naturally, the uplink noise level can only be measured when the cell is unloaded, or under a very low load.
Therefore, the updating of uplink noise is dependent onPrxUnloaded measurements. When the cell is
unloaded, PrxTotal is the same as PrxUnloaded. The cell is considered to be unloaded when the following
conditions controlled with a PRFILE parameter are met:

if Bit9 of the 007:0283 PRFILE parameter is set to 1:

LRT 0.02 AND
LNRT 0.01 AND NoEDCHUsersInCell

Variable

Description

LRT

uplink load factor for own cell RT-users (admission control estimates)

LNRT

uplink load factor for own cell NRT-users (packet scheduler estimates)

Table 49:

Description of Own cell variables

if Bit9 of the 007:0283 PRFILE parameter is set to 0:

no calls of the CELL_DCH state in the cell

When the conditions of the PrxNoise adjustment have been triggered, the BTS-specific load control delays the
initiation of the function. The length of the delay is equal to:

the value of the RRIndPeriod management parameter in the NB/RSxxx cell - applies only to IPA-RNC
and mcRNC products

the value of the PrxTotalReportPeriod management parameter in the WBTS cell

When adjusting the PrxNoise, the BTS-specific load control ensures that the own cell and the other cells of the
BTS that have the same UL frequencies as the own cell are unloaded.
When Uplink noise level (PrxNoise) is updated based on the autotuning algorithm, the target threshold
parameter (Target for received power (PrxTarget) and overload threshold parameters (Target for
received power (PrxTarget)+Offset for received power (PrxOffset)) are NOT changed, because they
are fixed with respect to Uplink noise level (PrxNoise) (that is, a certain number of dBs over Uplink
noise level (PrxNoise)).
When HSUPA is in use in the cell, the RNC does not update the result of the PrxNoise autotuning algorithm more
than once per 10 seconds. 10 seconds is the fixed minimum interval and it cannot be controlled with any
configuration parameter. In this case PrxNoise is also updated to the BTS and the limitation is set to restrict the
frequency of the NBAP update procedures.
Uplink noise level (PrxNoise) autotuning algorithm
PrxNoiseRNP (-105 dBm) is an original noise threshold (PrxNoise) set by the operator and it is unaffected by
the autotuning algorithm. This threshold is used by the radio resource management algorithms (admission
control, load control, and the packet scheduler) in cases where adjusting the value of PrxNoise (by means
of autotuning) is not allowed.
PrxNoiseAdj is the threshold adjusted by the autotuning algorithm. This threshold is used by the radio resource
management algorithms in cases where adjustingPrxNoise is allowed.
Step 1
Provided that the adjustment of PrxNoise is allowed in the unloaded cell and that a new PrxUnloaded is
measured, the algorithm starts from STEP 1. If the adjustment ofPrxNoise is no longer allowed, PrxRef(n-1) is
set to be the same as PrxNoiseAdj (<=>PrxRef(0) = PrxNoiseAdj and n= 1). In STEP 1, forgetting factor of the
mean filter with forgetting factor is selected. There are separate forgetting factors for uplink and downlink
adjustments.
Step 2
In STEP2, PrxRef(n) is calculated.
Step 3

In STEP3, adjustment UP is performed if PrxRef(n) exceeds PrxNoise by the amount defined by Threshold for
upward adjustment of system noise (PrxNoiseOffsetUp), and adjustment DOWN is performed
if PrxRef(n) is less than PrxNoise by the amount defined by Threshold for downward adjustment of system
noise (PrxNoiseOffsetDown).
The algorithm presented below uses the following values:
Parameter

Value

PrxNoiseRNP (PrxNoise)

Range and step: -130...-50

dBm, step 0.1 dBm
-105 dBm

RT load threshold for system noise measurements

(UnloadedRT)

0.02

NRT load threshold for system noise measurements

(UnloadedNRT)

0.01

Threshold for upward adjustment of system noise

(PrxNoiseOffsetUp)

0.1 dB

Threshold for downward adjustment of system noise

(PrxNoiseOffsetDown)

-0.1 dB

Maximum adjustment step for upward adjustment of system

noise (PrxNoiseStepUp)

0.3 dB

Maximum adjustment step for downward adjustment of system

noise (PrxNoiseStepDown)

-0.3 dB

Forgetting factor for upward adjustment of system noise (_up)

0.05

Forgetting factor for downward adjustment of system noise

(_down)

0.05

Table 50:

Description of PrxNoise autotuning algorithm parameters and their values

The Absolute limit in uplink noise autotuning (PrxNoiseMaxTuneAbsolute 255dB) management

parameter sets the absolute limit for maximum autotuning compared to the initial value. For example, an
operator sets the PrxNoise initial value to -101.5 dBm, and the Absolute limit in uplink noise
autotuning (PrxNoiseMaxTuneAbsolute) parameter to the value 2 dB. This keeps the value
of PrxNoiseadj between -99.5 dBm and -103.5 dBm. Limitation is needed because environment noise can be
lower or higher (for example, a radar beam is occasionally directed towards a cell when measurement is
ongoing). This kind of sporadic electromagnetic interference usually lasts for a very short time and is enough to
seriously distort PrxNoise.

If the value of the management parameter(PrxNoiseMaxTuneAbsolute) is modified online, then the value of
the autotuned noise power NRref is set to the following value:
NRref := MIN[MAX(NRef, PrxNoise - PrxNoiseMaxTuneAbsolute), PrxNoise + PrxNoiseMaxTuneAbsolute]
The value of the management parameter PrxNoiseMaxTuneAbsolute is configured by the operator at the cell
level, and is read from the WAC object identified with the management parameter WACSetIdentifier.

#START
Prx_ref(0):=PrxNoiseRNP (-105 dBm)
Prx_NoiseAdj:=PrxNoiseRNP (-105 dBm)
n:=1
# RADIO RESOURCE INDICATION received.
IF (PrxNoise adjustment not allowed in the unloaded cell or PrxTotal < -110
dBm or PrxTotal > -50 dBm) THEN
Prx_ref(0):=PrxNoiseAdj
n:=1
ELSE
PrxUnloaded:=PrxTotal
#STEP_1
IF PrxUnloaded PrxNoiseAdj (-105 dBm (n=1),-104.7(n=2)) THEN
:=_UP
ELSE
:=_DOWN
ENDIF
#STEP_2
Prx_ref(n):=*PrxUnloaded+(1)*Prx_Ref(n-1)
Prx_ref(1):=0.05*PrxUnloaded+(10.05)*(-105dBm)=0.05*(-85)+0.95*(-105)=-104
Prx_ref(1):=0.05*PrxUnloaded+(10.05)*(-104.7dBm)=-103.715
Prx_ref(1):=0.05*PrxUnloaded+(10.05)*(-104.4dBm)=-103.43
#STEP_3
IF (Prx_ref(n)) PrxNoiseAdj + PrxNoiseOffsetUP THEN
AdjStepUp:=MIN(((Prx_ref(n)) PrxNoiseAdj), PrxNoiseStepUP)
PrxNoiseAdj:=PrxNoiseAdj + AdjStepUp (n=1:-105+0.3=-104.7 dBm, -104.4)
Prx_ref(0):=PrxNoiseAdj (-104.7 dBm, -104.4)
n:=1
ELSE IF Prx_ref(n)) PrxNoiseAdj + PrxNoiseOffsetDown THEN
AdjStepDown:=Max(((Prx_ref(n) - PrxNoiseAdj), PrxNoiseStepDown)
PrxNoiseAdj:=PrxNoiseAdj + AdjStepDown
Prx_ref(0):=PrxNoiseAdj
n:=1
ELSE
n:=n+1
ENDIF
ENDIF

Consider that the PrxNoise autotuning algorithm is activated with the parameter prxnoiseautotuning and
that NRref is the current value of the adjusted PrxNoise. If the adjustment of PrxNoise is not allowed because
the cell is in the traffic load, and the RTWP value measured and reported by the BTS (as described in Load
control filters out short-term spikes of measured received wideband interference power) is smaller than
the NRref value, the BTS-specific LC sets NRref to the new value:
NRref = MAX (RTWP, PrxNoise)
PrxNoise is the value of the PrxNoise management parameter.