LTE: SYSTEM ACQUISITION

CELL SELECTION PROCEDURE

Glossary
• Frame = 10 x Subframes = 10ms
• Subframe = 2 x Slots = 1ms
• Slot = 7 OFDM symbols = 0.5ms
• Resource Block = 12 subcarriers x 7 OFDM = 180KHz x 0.5ms

Channel Bandwidth [MHz] 1.4 3 5 10 15 20

No of Occupied Subcarriers including DC 73 181 301 601 901 1201

FFT Size (N) 128 256 512 1024 1536 2048

N. of Resource Blocks (NRB) 6 15 25 50 75 100

• PSCH – Primary Synchronization Channel

• SSCH – Secondary Synchronization Channel
• PBCH – Physical Broadcast Channel
• PCFICH – Physical Control Format Indicator Channel
• PDCCH – Physical Downlink Control Channel
• PDSCH - Physical Downlink Shared Channel
• PHICH - Physical HARQ Indicator Channel
• RSRP – Reference Signal Received Power
• RSRQ - Reference Signal Received Quality
SYNCHRONIZATION PROCEDURES
Cell search is the procedure by which a UE acquires time and frequency
synchronization with a cell and detects the cell ID of that cell. The eNodeB
provides all the necessary signals and mechanisms through which the UE
synchronizes
E-UTRA cell search supports a scalable overall transmission bandwidth
corresponding to 6 resource blocks (i.e., 72 subcarriers).
E-UTRA cell search is based on various signals transmitted in the downlink such
as primary and secondary synchronization signals, and downlink reference
signals. The primary and secondary synchronization signals are transmitted over
the center 72 sub-carriers in the first and sixth subframe of each frame.
Neighbor-cell search is based on the same downlink signals as the initial cell
search.
SLOT AND FRAME SYNCHRONIZATION
The UE attempts to acquire the central 1.4MHz bandwidth in order to decode the
Primary sync signal (PSCH), Secondary sync signal (SSCH), and the system
information block (SIB).
The eNodeB transmits this information on the subcarriers within the 1.4MHz
bandwidth consisting of 72 subcarriers, or 6 radio blocks.
In order to perform slot synchronization, the UE attempts to acquire the Primary
sync signal which is generated from Zadoff-Chu sequences. There are three
possible 62-bit sequences helping the UE to identify the start and the finish of
slot transmissions.
Next, the UE attempts to perform frame synchronization so as to identify the
start and the finish of frame transmission. In order to achieve this, Primary sync
signals are used to acquire Secondary sync signals. The Secondary sync signal (a
62-bit sequence) is an interleaved concatenation of two length-31 binary
sequences scrambled with the Primary synchronization signal.
Once PSCH and SSCH are known, the physical layer cell identity is obtained.
There are 504 unique physical layer cell identities.
PSCH AND SSCH
• Created from Zadoff-Chu sequence (Zero
Autocorrelation codes)
• The primary synchronization signal is
transmitted on 72 active subcarriers, centered
around the DC subcarrier.
• Assists subframe timing determination
• Provides a unique Cell ID index (0, 1, or 2) within
a Cell ID group
• Secondary synchronization signal is
transmitted in and only in slots where the
primary synchronization signal is transmitted.
• Provides a unique Cell ID group number among
168 possible Cell ID groups
REFERENCE SIGNALS
Downlink reference signals are predefined signals occupying specific resource elements
within the downlink time–frequency grid. In every sixth subcarrier in the frequency domain a
reference symbol from the generated reference signal pattern is transmitted. In the time
domain, every fourth OFDM symbol transmits a reference symbol
There are 504 different reference-signal sequences defined for LTE, where each sequence
corresponds to one of 504 different physical-layer cell identities
The downlink reference signals help the terminal distinguish between the different
transmission antennas. Where one antenna is transmitting the reference pattern the other
antennas are transmitting nothing. These physical signals are also used to estimate the
quality of the radio channel.
RSSI
RSRP is the average of the power of all resource elements which carry cell-specific reference
signals over the entire bandwidth.
RSRQ is the ratio between the RSRP and the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI),
BROADCAST CHANNEL
PHYSICAL BROADCAST CHANNEL
• Carries the primary Broadcast Transport
Channel
• Carries the Master Information Block (MIB),
which includes:
• Overall DL transmission bandwidth
• PHICH configuration in the cell
• System Frame Number
• Number of transmit antennas (implicit)
Transmitted in
• Time: subframe 0 in every frame
• 4 OFDM symbols in the second slot of
corresponding subframe
• Frequency: middle 1.08 MHz (6 RBs)
TTI = 40 ms
• Transmitted in 4 bursts at a very low data
rate
• Same information is repeated in 4
subframes
• Every 10 ms burst is self-decodable
• CRC check uniquely determines the 40 ms
PBCH TTI boundary
• Last 2 bits of SFN is not transmitted
SYSTEM INFORMATION
• The MIB (scrambled with Cell-ID) reception provides
the UE with LTE downlink bandwidth (DL BW),
number of transmit antennas, System Frame Number
(SFN), PHICH duration, and its gap.
• After reading the MIB, the UE needs to get system
information blocks (SIBs) to know the other system-
related information broadcasted by the eNodeB.
• SIBs are carried in the PDSCH, whose information is
obtained from the PDCCH indicated by the Control
Format Indicator (CFI) field.
• In order to get CFI information, the UE attempts to
read the PCFICH which are broadcasted on the first
OFDM symbol of the subframe.
• Once bandwidth selection is successful, the UE
attempts to decode the DCI (DL control information)
to acquaint with SIB Type 1 and 2 to get PLMN id, cell
barring status, and various Rx thresholds required in
cell selection.
SYSTEM INFORMATION
RANDOM ACCESS PROCEDURE (RACH)
RAP is required for uplink synchronization, the two types of RACH procedure are:
1. Contention-Based Random Access Procedure:
I. The transmission of a random-access preamble, allowing the eNodeB to estimate the transmission
timing of the terminal.
II. The network transmits a timing advance command to adjust the terminal transmit timing, based
on the timing estimate obtained in the first
III. The transmission of the mobile-terminal identity to the network using the UL-SCH similar to
normal
IV. scheduled data.
V. The transmission of a contention-resolution message from the network to the terminal on the DL-
SCH.
PRACH resources found in SIB-2
RANDOM ACCESS PROCEDURE (RACH)
2. Non-Contention-Based Random Access Procedure:
The network initiates this procedure, when the UE is already in communication with the
eNodeB, by transmitting an allocated preamble to the UE. There are no collisions with
other UEs because the eNodeB controls the procedure and hence has the necessary
information to support a non-contention-based RAP
Contention-free random access can only be used for re-establishing uplink
synchronization upon downlink data arrival, handover, and positioning. Only the first two
steps of the previous procedure are used.
RANDOM ACCESS PROCEDURE (RACH)
The preamble format determines the length of the Cyclic Prefix and Sequence.
FDD has 4 preamble formats (for different cell sizes), 16 PRACH configurations
are possible.
Each configuration defines slot positions within a frame (for different
bandwidths). Each random access preamble occupies a bandwidth corresponding
to 6 consecutive RBs.
CELL SELECTION
S is the criterion defined to decide if the cell is still suitable . This criterion is
fulfilled
When the cell selection receive level is Srxlev > 0. Srxlev is computed based on
Equation
Srxlev = Qrxlevmeas – (Qrelevmin + Qrxlevminoffset) – Pcompensation [dB]
where Pcompensation = max(PEMAX – PUMAX,0) [dB]
• Qrxlevmeas is the measured receive level value for this cell. This measured value is the linear
average over the power of the resource elements that carry the cell-specific reference
signals over the considered measurement bandwidth. Consequently, it depends on the
configured signal bandwidth.
• Qrxlevmin is the minimum required receive level in this cell, given in dBm. This value is
signaled as Q-RxLevMin by higher layers as part of the System Information Block Type 1
(SIB Type 1). Qrxlevmin is calculated based on the value provided within the information
element (-70 and -22) multiplied with factor 2 in dBm.
• Qrxlevminoffset, is an offset to Qrxlevmin that is only taken into account as a result of a periodic
search for a higher priority PLMN while camped normally in a Visitor PLMN (VPLMN). This
offset is based on the information element provided within the SIB Type 1, taking integer
by a factor of 2 in dB. The offset is defined to avoid
ping-pong different PLMNs. If it is not available then Qrxlevminoffset is assumed to
be 0 dB.
CELL SELECTION
PCompensation is a maximum function. Whatever parameter is higher, PEMAX-PUMAX or 0, is the
value used for PCompensation.
PEMAX [dBm] is the maximum power a UE is allowed to use in this cell, whereas
PUMAX [dBm] is the maximum transmit power of an UE according to the power class the UE belongs too.

At the moment only one power class is defined for LTE, which corresponds to Power Class 3
in WCDMA that specifies +23 dBm. PEMAX is defined by higher layers, PEMAX can take values
between -30 to +33 dBm. Only when PEMAX > +23 dBm PCompensation is it considered when
calculating Srxlev.
 SYSTEM ACQUISITION UE acquired most essential system
information.
UE can read PDCCH/PDSCH and
SUMMARY register in the system.

PBCH
PBCHisistime
timealigned
alignedwith
withthe
the
Sync
Syncchannels
channels
UE
UEcan
canread
readPBCH
PBCHchannel
channelnow
now

UE attempts to detect (SSS)

Tries to match 1 out of 168 possible
secondary Sync signals (Cell ID Groups)

UE determined:
-Exact carrier frequency
-Cell ID index within a Cell ID group -
Subframe timing -Cyclic Prefix Length UE knows:
(by trial and error method) -Frame timing
-Cell ID group (1 out 168)

UE
UElooks
looksfor
forthe
the(PSS)
(PSS)
UE is
Attempts
Attemptstotomatch
matchone
oneout
outof
ofthree
three
switched on possible
possibleprimary
primarySync
Syncsignals
signals(Cell
(CellID
ID
index
indexwithin
withinaaCell
CellID
IDGroup)
Group)

UE performed a rough frequency

UE searches for a strong cell in synchronization
the DL band (UE has found a good carrier candidate
with strong 72 (6x12) subcarriers which
might carry the Sync signals and PBCH)
SYSTEM ACQUISITION SUMMARY
DL Sync and Bandwidth
Detection

Acquire another cell SIB Type 1 Acquisition

No PLMN ID
Match
PLMN ID Acquired
Yes
Yes
Cell Barred

No
No Rx-Levmin
Threshold
Yes
SIB Type 2 Acquisition

Initial Access Procedure

TEST CRITERIA

• Primary Synchronization (Slot Timing, PHY Layer ID)

• Secondary Synchronization (Radio Frame Timing, Cell ID FDD\TDD
detection)
• Reference Signal Detection (Calculation of RSRP, RSRQ) – SISO, MIMO
• PBCH Detection (MIB and SIB reading)
• Cell Selection
• Random Access Procedure
• Open Loop Power Control
REFERENCES

1. LTE E-UTRAN and its Access Side Protocols (By: Suyash Tripathi,
Vinay Kulkarni and Alok Kuma)
2. 3GPP TS 36.213 V8.8.0 (2009-09)
3. 3GPP TS 36.211 V8.9.0 (2009-12)
THANK YOU