OMA000001

GSM Fundamentals
ISSUE 4.0

Huawei Confidential. All Rights Reserved

Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you will be

able to:
€ Grasp basic idea of GSM system such as
frequency spectrum, frequency reuse etc.
€ Grasp the structure of the GSM system and
the protocol used.
€ Grasp certain numbers that refer to BSS
€ Grasp the 4 kinds of channel combination
and understand the idea of multi-frame.
€ Know some radio techniques
€ Get the idea of EDGE

2 Internal Use
References

‰ BSS Feature Description

‰ BSS Signaling Analysis Manual
‰ BSC Technical Manual

3 Internal Use
 Chapter 1 GSM System Overview

Chapter 2 GSM Network Structure

Chapter 3 Service Area and Number Planning

Chapter 4 Channels on the Wireless Interface

Chapter 5 Radio Techniques

Chapter 6 GPRS & EDGE Introduction

4 Internal Use
GSM system overview

‰ The GSM system is a frequency- and time-division cellular system,

each physical channel is characterized by a carrier frequency and
a time slot number
‰ Cellular systems are designed to operate with groups of low-
power radios spread out over the geographical service area. Each
group of radios serve MSs presently located near them. The area
served by each group of radios is called a CELL
‰ Uplink and downlink signals for one user are assigned different
frequencies, this kind of technique is called Frequency Division
Duplex (FDD)
‰ Data for different users is conveyed in time intervals called slots ,
several slots make up a frame. This kind of technique is called
Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)

5 Internal Use
GSM Development

1989 Standard Protocol for GSM take effect

1991 GSM system began to provide service in Europe(2G)

1992 System was named as Global System for

Mobile Communication

1994 Provide services for the whole world

1996 Micro Cell Technique is used in GSM system

6 Internal Use
Cell Technique

Macro Cell and Micro Cell

‰ A certain radio coverage area formed by a set of transceivers that

connected to a set of antennas is called a CELL.
‰ Macro Cell
 In the beginning , High-Power BTSs are adopted to provide services.
The BTS covers a wider area , but its frequency utilization is not efficient.
So , it can only provide a few channels for subscribers.

‰ Micro Cell
 Later the Low-Power BTS joins the system for getting a better service
area with high capacity . At the same time it adopts the frequency reuse
technique to improve the efficiency of the frequency utilization and also
the whole capacity of the network.

7 Internal Use
Multiple Access Technique

‰ Multiple Access Technique allows many

subscribers to use the same communication
medium.
‰ There are three kinds of basic Multiple Access
Technique : FDMA , TDMA and CDMA.
‰ GSM system adopt FDD-TDMA (FDMA and
TDMA together).

8 Internal Use
FDMA

‰ FDMA uses different frequency

channels to accomplish
Frequency
communication.
‰ The whole frequency spectrum
available is divided into many
individual channels (for transmitting
and receiving)，every channel can
support the traffic for one subscriber
Time or some control information.

9 Internal Use
 TDMA

‰ TDMA accomplishes the

communication in different
Frequency timeslot.
‰A carrier is divided into channels
based on time. Different signals
occupy different timeslots in
certain sequence , that is , many
signals are transmitted on the
Time same frequency in different time.

10 Internal Use
 CDMA

‰ CDMA accomplishes the

Frequency
communication in different code
sequences.
‰ Special coding is adopted before
transmission, then different
information will lose nothing after
being mixed and transmitted
together on the same frequency
Time and at the same time.

11 Internal Use
 The Frequency Spectrum

GSM 900

Uplink Downlink

890 915 935 960MHz

Duplex Separation: 45MHz

Channel Bandwidth: 200KHz

12 Internal Use
 The Frequency Spectrum

DCS 1800

Base Station Receive Base Station Transmit

1710 1785 1805 1880MHz

Duplex Separation: 95MHz

Channel Bandwidth: 200KHz

13 Internal Use
 The Frequency Spectrum

Frequency
Frequency Downlink
Range (MHz) Uplink Frequency Point
Spectrum Frequency
Available
450.4~457.6
GSM 450 Fu(n)=450.6+0.2(n-259) 259<=n<=293 Fd(n)=Fu(n)+10
460.4~467.6
478.8~486
GSM 480 Fu(n)=479+0.2(n-306) 306<=n<=340 Fd(n)=Fu(n)+10
488.8~496
824~849
GSM 850 Fu(n)=824.2+0.2(n-128) 128<=n<=251 Fd(n)=Fu(n)+45
869~894
880~915 Fu(n)=890+0.2n 0<=n<=124
E-GSM 900 Fd(n)=Fu(n)+45
925~960 Fu(n)=890+0.2(n-1024) 975<=n<=1023
876~915 Fu(n)=890+0.2n 0<=n<=124
R-GSM 900 Fd(n)=Fu(n)+45
921~960 Fu(n)=890+0.2(n-1024) 955<=n<=1023

1850~1910
PCS 1900 Fu(n)=1850.2+0.2(n-512) 512<=n<=810 Fd(n)=Fu(n)+80
1930~1990

14 Internal Use
 Frequency Reuse

‰ The frequency resource of mobile system is very

limited.
‰ The different Subscribers can use the same
frequency in different places.
‰ The quality of communication must be ensured.

15 Internal Use
 Frequency Reuse

7(Site)X 1(Cell) reuse 2

7 23

6 4

16 Internal Use
 Frequency Reuse

5 7
1 3
9 11

6 8
2 4
10 12

4 site X 3 cells reuse

17 Internal Use
 Cell Types

Omni
Omni-directional
Omni-directional Cell
Cell
1

1
120
120
120 Degree
Degree Cell
Cell degree 2
3

18 Internal Use
 Chapter 1 GSM System Overview

Chapter 2 GSM Network Structure

Chapter 3 Service Area and Number Planning

Chapter 4 Channels on the Wireless Interface

Chapter 5 Radio Techniques

Chapter 6 GPRS & EDGE Introduction

19 Internal Use
 GSM-GPRS Network Component

PSTN
MSC/VLR GMSC ISDN
GSM /GPRS BSS

BSC
MS HLR/AUC
BTS

PCU
SS7
BSC SMS system
MS
BTS
GPRS Backbone Internet,
SGSN Intranet
GGSN

OMC CG BG

Other PLMN

20 Internal Use
 Interface Between Different Entities

PSTN
MSC/VLR GMSC ISDN
GSM /GPRS BSS
A
Abis BSC
MS HLR/AUC
BTS C/D/Gs

PCU
SS7
BSC Gb SMS system
MS Um Gr/Gs/Gd/Ge Gc
BTS
GPRS backbone Internet,
SGSN Gi Intranet
Ga GGSN

OMC CG BG
Gp Other PLMN

21 Internal Use
 Mobile Station—MS

MS=ME+SIM
International Mobile Equipment
Identity (IMEI)
– Mobile Equipment

International Mobile Subscriber

Identity (IMSI)
– Subscriber Identity Module

22 Internal Use
 Subscriber Identity Module – SIM

‰ International Mobile Subscriber

Identity (IMSI)
‰
SIM
Temporary Mobile Subscriber
Identity (TMSI)
‰ Location Area Identity (LAI)
‰ Subscriber Authentication Key
(Ki)

23 Internal Use
 Base Station Subsystem – BSS

MSC
‰ The Base Station
Controller – BSC
BSS
‰ The Base Transceiver
Station – BTS TC/SM
TC/SM
‰ The Trans-coder – TC
and Sub multiplexer BSC
BSC
(SM)
BTS
BTS

24 Internal Use
 Packet Control Unit-----PCU

MSC
‰ Packet data
switching
‰ Bridge between
SGSN and BSC BSS
‰ Provide Pb and TC/SM
TC/SM GPRS
Gb interface Backbone
BSC
BSC PCU
PCU SGSN
SGSN

BTS
BTS

25 Internal Use
 The Network Switching System

NSS AUC
AUC
HLR
HLR
OMC EIR
EIR
EC
EC PSTN

MSC/VLR
MSC/VLR

Mobile-service Switching Center – MSC

Home Location Register – HLR
Visitor Location Register – VLR
Equipment Identity Register – EIR
Authentication Center – AUC
BSS
Echo Cancellor – EC

26 Internal Use
 Mobile-service Switching Center – MSC

‰ Call Processing
‰ Operations and Maintenance
Support
‰ Interface management
‰ Inter-network & Inter-working
‰ Billing

27 Internal Use
 Home Location Register – HLR

‰ Subscriber ID (IMSI and MSISDN)

‰ Current subscriber VLR (current location)
‰ Supplementary service information
‰ Subscriber status (registered/deregistered)
‰ Authentication key and AuC functionality

28 Internal Use
 Visitor Location Register – VLR

‰ Mobile Status (IMSI attached / detached /

busy / idle etc.)
‰ Location Area Identity(LAI)
‰ Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity(TMSI)
‰ Allocating the Roaming Number

29 Internal Use
 Equipment Identity Register – EIR

•White List
•Black List IMEI is Checked In White List
•Grey List

If NOT found

EIR focus on the

IMEI is Checked in Black/Grey List
equipment , not the
subscriber!!

30 Internal Use
 OMC Functional Architecture

Event/Alarm Security
Management Management

MMI
OS DB
Fault Configuration
Management Management

Performance
Management

31 Internal Use
 Chapter 1 GSM System Overview

Chapter 2 GSM Network Structure

Chapter 3 Service Area and Number Planning

Chapter 4 Channels on the Wireless Interface

Chapter 5 Radio Techniques

Chapter 6 GPRS & EDGE Introduction

32 Internal Use
 Service Area

Service Area
PLMN
PLMN service
service area
area PLMN service area
MSC service area... MSC service area...

Location area... Location area...

......
cell cell

33 Internal Use
 LAI

MCC MNC LAC

Location Area Identification

The LAI is the international code for a location area.

MCC: Mobile Country Code，It consists of 3 digits .

For example: The MCC of China is "460"
MNC: Mobile Network Code，It consists of 2 digits .
For example: The MNC of China Mobile is "00"
LAC: Location Area Code，It is a two bytes hex code.
The value 0000 and FFFF is invalid.
For example: 460-00-0011

34 Internal Use
 CGI

CGI: Cell Global Identification

The CGI is a unique international identification for a cell

The format is LAI+CI
LAI: Location Area Identification
CI: Cell Identity. This code uses two bytes hex code to
identify the cells within an LAI.
For example : 460-00-0011-0001

35 Internal Use
 BSIC

BSIC（Base Station Identification Color Code)

NCC BCC

BSIC

NCC: PLMN network color code. It comprises 3 bit. It

allows various neighboring PLMNs to be
distinguished.
BCC: BTS color code. It comprises 3 bit, used to
distinguish different cells assigned the same
frequency!

36 Internal Use
 MSISDN

CC NDC SN
National (significant)
Mobile number
Mobile station international
ISDN number

CC: Country Code. For example: The CC of China is "86".

NDC: National Destination Code. For example: The NDC of
China Telecom is 139, 138, 137, 136, 135.
SN: Subscriber Number. Format:H0 H1 H2 H3 ABCD
Example: 86-139-0666-1234

37 Internal Use
 IMSI

Not more than 15 digits

3 digits 2 digits

MCC MNC MSIN

NMSI
IMSI

MCC: Mobile Country Code，It consists of 3 digits .

For example: The MCC of China is "460"。
MNC: Mobile Network Code，It consists of 2 digits .
For example: The MNC of China Telecom is "00"。
MSIN: Mobile Subscriber Identification Number. H1H2H3 S ABCDEF
For example: 666-9777001
NMSI: National Mobile Subscriber Identification，MNC and MSIN
form it together.
For Example of IMSI : 460-00-666-9777001

38 Internal Use
 TMSI

TMSI: Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identification)

‰ The TMSI is assigned only after successful subscriber

authentication.
‰ The VLR controls the allocation of new TMSI numbers and
notifies them to the HLR.
‰ TMSI is used to ensure that the identity of the mobile
subscriber on the air interface is kept secret.
‰ The TMSI consists of 4 bytes( 8 HEX numbers) and
determined by the operator.

39 Internal Use
 IMEI

IMEI: International Mobile Station Equipment Identification

TAC FAC SNR SP

IMEI

TAC:
TAC: Type
Type approval
approval code,
code, 66 bit,
bit, determined
determined by by the
the type
type approval
approval center
center
FAC:
FAC: Final
Final assembly
assembly code,
code, 22 bit,
bit, ItIt isis determined
determined byby the
the manufacturer.
manufacturer.
SNR:
SNR: Serial
Serial number,
number, 66 bits,
bits, ItIt isis issued
issued byby the
the manufacturer
manufacturer of of the
the MS.
MS.
SP:
SP: 11 bit
bit ,, Not
Not used.
used.
Check
Check the
the IMEI
IMEI in
in your
your MS
MS :: *#06#
*#06#

40 Internal Use
 Chapter 1 GSM System Overview

Chapter 2 GSM Network Structure

Chapter 3 Service Area and Number Planning

Chapter 4 Channels on the Wireless Interface

Chapter 5 Radio Techniques

Chapter 6 GPRS & EDGE Introduction

41 Internal Use
 Physical Channel and Logical Channel

The physical channel is the medium over which

the information is carried: 200KHz and 0.577ms

The logical channel consists of the information

carried over the physical channels

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3
Timeslot The
Theinformation
informationcarried
carriedin
inone
onetime
time
slot
slotis
iscalled
calledaa“burst”
“burst”

TDMA FRAME TDMA FRAME

42 Internal Use
 Two types of Logical Channel

Traffic Channel (TCH) :

Transmits traffic information, include
data and speech.

Control Channel (CCH) :

Or Signaling Channel, transmits all
kinds of control information.

43 Internal Use
 Traffic Channel (TCH)

TCH
Traffic Channels

Speech Data

TCH/FS TCH/HS
TCH/9.6 TCH/2.4
TCH Traffic Channel
TCH/FS Full rate Speech Channel
TCH/HS Half rate Speech Channel
TCH/9.6 Data Channel 9.6kb/s
TCH/4.8 Data Channel 4.8kb/s TCH/4.8
TCH/2.4 Data Channel 2.4Kb/s

44 Internal Use
 Control Channel (CCH)

CCH (Control Channels)

DCCH BCH

SDCCH ACCH
BCCH Synch. CH.

FACCH SACCH CCCH

SCH FCCH

RACH CBCH
Broadcast Control Channel – BCCH
Common Control Channel – CCCH
Dedicated Control Channel – DCCH PCH/AGCH
Associated Control Channel – ACCH

45 Internal Use
 Broadcast Control Channel – BCCH

CCH
The information carried on the BCCH

is monitored by the MS
BCH
periodically when it is in idle mode

BCCH: Broadcast Control Channel

FCCH: Frequency Correction Channel Synch.

BCCH Channels
SCH: Synchronization Channel

SCH FCCH

46 Internal Use
 Common Control Channel – CCCH

The CCCH is responsible for

transferring control information CCH
between all mobiles and the
network.
RACH: Random Access Channel CCCH
PCH: Paging Channel
AGCH: Access Granted Channel
RACH CBCH
CBCH: Cell Broadcast Channel
uplink downlink

PCH/AGCH
downlink

47 Internal Use
 Dedicated Control Channel – DCCH

DCCH is assigned to a single

CCH
wireless connection for
measurement and handover
purpose.
SDCCH: Stand-alone Dedicated DCCH
Control Channel
ACCH: Associated Control Channel
SACCH: Slow Associated
Control Channel SDCCH ACCH
FACCH: Fast Associated Control
Channel

FACCH SACCH

48 Internal Use
 Uplink Logical channel

CCH
RACH CCCH

SDCCH
SACCH DCCH DCH
FACCH

TCH/F
TCH
TCH/H

49 Internal Use
 Downlink Logical channel

FCCH
BCCH SCH
CCH BCCH

PCH
CCCH
AGCH

SDCCH
DCCH SACCH
DCH FACCH

TCH/F
TCH
TCH/H

50 Internal Use
 How to use these channels?

Power-off
Search for frequency correction burst FCCH
Search for synchronous burst SCH
Extract system information BCCH
Idle mode

Monitor paging message

PCH
Send access burst
RACH
Allocate signaling channel
Dedicated mode
AGCH
Set up the call SDCCH
Allocate voice channel SDCCH
Conversation TCH
Release the call FACCH
Idle mode

51 Internal Use
 Packet logic channel

‰ Packet data channel (PDCH) TCH

€ Comprising packet service channel and packet control channel

‰ Packet service channel (PDTCH) TCH

€ Combined into the single-directional service channel

‰ Packet control channel

€ Broadcast control channel: PBCCH BCCH
€ Public control channel: PPCH, PRACH, PAGCH CCCH
€ Private control channel: PACCH, PTCCH SACCH

52 Internal Use
 GSM Logical Channel Combination

Main BCCH combination – FCCH + SCH + BCCH + CCCH

SDCCH combination – SDCCH/8 + SACCH/8
Combined BCCH – BCCH + CCCH +SDCCH/4 + SACCH/4
TCH/FR combination – TCH/F + FACCH/F + SACCH/F
TCH/HR combination – TCH/H + FACCH/H + SACCH/H

53 Internal Use
 Combination of packet logic channel

‰ Packet logic channels (PDCH) can be combined via the following three modes

€ Mode 1: PBCCH+PCCCH+PDTCH+PACCH+PTCCH;
€ Mode 2: PCCCH+PDTCH+PACCH+PTCCH;
€ Mode 3: PDTCH+PACCH+PTCCH

‰ In case of small GPRS traffic, GPRS and circuit services use the same BCCH
and CCCH in the cell. In this case, only combination mode 3 is needed in the
cell

‰ With the increase of traffic, the packet public channel should be configured in
the cell. Channel combination mode 1 and mode 2 should be adopted

54 Internal Use
 GSM Multi-frames

TDMA Frames

0 1
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

0 1 2 3 4 46 47 48 49 50

51 – Frame Multi-frames

CONTROL CHANNELS

55 Internal Use
 GSM Multi-frames

TDMA Frames

0 1
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

0 1 2 3 4 21 22 23 24 25

26 – Frame Multi-frames

TRAFFIC CHANNELS

56 Internal Use
 Chapter 1 GSM System Overview

Chapter 2 GSM Network Structure

Chapter 3 Service Area and Number Planning

Chapter 4 Channels on the Wireless Interface

Chapter 5 Radio Techniques

Chapter 6 GPRS & EDGE Introduction

57 Internal Use
 Power Control

Both Uplink and Downlink

power settings can be
5W
controlled independently
and individually.

0.8W
Saves battery power
Reduces co-channel and
adjacent channel interference

8W
BCCH -------
Does not attend Power control

58 Internal Use
 DTX and VAD

Discontinuous Transmission – DTX

Voice Activity Detection – VAD

Battery Saving
Interference reduction

59 Internal Use
 Timing Advance (TA)

The mobile phone should

send the signal in advance!

TA
Transmission delay t

Transmission delay t

60 Internal Use
 Multi-path Fading

‰ Diversity
‰ Frequency Hopping

Time Dispersion

61 Internal Use
 Diversity – What’s Diversity?

‰ Receive diversity provides an effective technique for both

overcoming the impact of fading across the radio channel and
increasing the received signal to interference ratio.

‰ The former is achieved by ensuring “uncorrelated” (i.e. low

enough correlated) fading between antenna branches i.e. not
all antennas experience fades at the same time.

62 Internal Use
 Kinds of Diversity

t
‰ Time diversity
Coding, interleaving

‰ Frequency diversity
Frequency hopping f

‰ Space diversity
Multiple antennas

‰ Polarization diversity
Dual-polarized antennas

‰ Multi-path diversity
Equalizer

63 Internal Use
 Frequency Hopping

Frequency

f0

f1

f2

f3

f4

Frame
Time

64 Internal Use
 Chapter 1 GSM System Overview

Chapter 2 GSM Network Structure

Chapter 3 Service Area and Number Planning

Chapter 4 Channels on the Wireless Interface

Chapter 5 Radio Techniques

Chapter 6 GPRS & EDGE Introduction

65 Internal Use
 GSM Development Evolution

3G
2Mbps
2.5G IMT-2000
384kbps

EDGE
115 kbps
2G
57.6 kbps GPRS

9.6 kbps HSCSD

GSM

66 Internal Use
 Data rate of EDGE and GPRS

Kbps 59.2
60.0
54.4

50.0 GPRS 44.8

EGPRS
40.0

29.6
30.0
21.4 22.4
20.0 17.6
15.6 14.8
13.4
11.2
9.0 8.8
10.0

0.0
CS-1 CS-2 CS-3 CS-4 MCS-1 MCS-2 MCS-3 MCS-4 MCS-5 MCS-6 MCS-7 MCS-8 MCS-9

GMSK 8PSK

67 Internal Use
 Huawei EDGE Test Result

Downlink, 4 TS, MCS-9：

68 Internal Use
 Summary

‰ The basic idea of GSM

Summary ‰ The frequency spectrum used in GSM
‰ The structure of GSM
‰ Certain service area and numbers
‰ Some radio techniques used in GSM
‰ Evolution of GSM

69 Internal Use
Huawei Confidential. All Rights Reserved