UMTS Channels

This tutorial on UMTS covers UMTS logical channels, transport channels and
physical channels.

Logical,transport,physical channels

As shown in the figure, there are three types of UMTS channels viz. logical
channels(RLC layer), transportchannels(MAC layer)
and physical channels(PHY layer). As they tranverse between layers they
map to other layer frames. For example logical channels are mapped to
transport channels and transport channels are mapped tp physical channels.
UMTS logical channels
As shown in the figure, UMTS/WCDMA logical channels are divided into
control channels and traffic channels(DTCH,CTCH). As the name suggests
traffic channels carry information(voice) annd control channels carry signalling
information useful to establish and maintain connection between UE and
network(NodeB).Following are the functions of each of these logical channels.
Pls. note that DL stands for Downlink from network to UE and UL stands for
Uplink from UE to Network.

UMTS/WCDMA
Logical Channel Function Direction Duplex Mode

Dedicated traffic carry user plane data Uplink(UL)/Downl

channel(DTCH) (speech/packet data) ink(DL) FDD/TDD

Dedicated control carry signalling messages

channel(DCCH) used for control operations Uplink/Downlink FDD/TDD

Shared control
channel(SHCCH) carry control messages Uplink/Downlink TDD

Common control It is used to carry control

channel(CCCH) messages Uplink/Downlink FDD/TDD

It is used to carry user

Common traffic traffic(e.g.cell broadcast
channel(CTCH) SMS) Downlink FDD/TDD

It is used to carry paging

Paging control messages directed towards
channel(PCCH) UE Downlink FDD/TDD

Broadcast It is used to carry

control broadcast messages
channel(BCCH) towards UE Downlink FDD/TDD

DTCH(DL and UL, point to point)- Dedicated Traffic channel,carry user

information.
CTCH(unidirectional point to multi-point)-Common traffic channel.
BCCH(DL broadcast)- Broadcast Control Channel, carry SYSTEM
INFORMATION
CCCH(Bidirectional)- Common Control Channel
DCCH(Dedicated Control Channel, point to point bidirectional)
PCCH(Paging Control Channel,DL)-carry paging information
SHCCH(Shared Channel Control Channel,Bidirectional)

UMTS Transport channels

Following are the transport type of UMTS channels.

BCH(DL broadcast) - SYSTEM/Cell related INFORMATION
FACH(DL/Forward Access Channel)- carry control information from network to
UE
PCH (DL)- Paging Channel
DCH (UL or DL) - Dedicated Channel
DSCH(DL) - Downlink Shared Channel
USCH(UL)- Uplink Shared Channel
RACH(UL)- Random Access Channel

UMTS/WCDMA Duplex
Transport Channel Function Direction Mode

Random access It is used for initial access of the

channel(RACH) network by UE Uplink FDD/TDD

Common packet It is used as contention channel for

channel(CPCH) bursty data Uplink FDD/

Forward access It is used to transfer user

channel(FACH) data/control signalling messages Downlink FDD/TDD

It is used as shared channel carrying

Downlink shared dedicated user data/control
channel(DSCH) messages in the downlink Downlink FDD/TDD
 It is used as shared channel carrying
Uplink shared dedicated user data/control
channel(USCH) messages in the uplink Uplink TDD

Broadcast Broadcast channel to all UEs in a

channel(BCH) cell Downlink FDD/TDD

Broadcast of paging & notification

messages,also allows UE to make
Paging channel(PCH) use of sleep Mode Downlink FDD/TDD

It is used as dedicated channel to

Dedicated transfer traffic/control messages in
Channel(DCH) both the direction Uplink/Downlink FDD/TDD

UMTS Physical channels

Following are physical type of UMTS channels for 3.84Mcps case.

P-CCPCH- Primary Common Control Physical Channel
SCH- Synchronization Channel
S-CCPCH- Secondary Common Control Physical Channel
PICH- Paging Indicator Channel
DPCH(DL)- Dedicated Physical Channel in the downlink
PDSCH-Physical Downlink Shared Channel
DPCH(UL)-Dedicated Physical Channel in the uplink
PUSCH- Physical Uplink Shared Channel
PRACH- Physical Random Access Channel
PNBSCH- Physical Node B Synchronization Channel
Mapping between channels