Introduction

WiMAX Basics
WiMAX MAC
QoS in WiMAX

Core
Edge
Access/
LAN

Metro

(Wi-MAX,
DSL, Cable)
Digital Subscriber Line

 Ubiquitous IEEE 802.11 (WiFi) is not

suitable for outdoor deployment
Taking 802.11 to long range is not
easy
Requires changes to the protocol
Requires specialized Antenna
Does not have inherent support for
voice or video

 Covering a large area by wireless is

easier than laying cable
More suitable in area where there is
no fiber/copper laid
Rural areas

Cellular Wireless has limitations

Cost
Data communication not well
supported
Spectrum issues

 Standard for Broadband Wireless

Access in Local Area and Wide Area
network
High Bandwidth and long range
deployment
Native support for Quality of Service
for voice, video and data
Air interface (PHY) and MAC
specification defined by IEEE 802.16

 10-66 GHz licensed bands

short wavelength, LOS is required
Multipath is negligible
Channel bandwidth of 25 MHz
Raw data rate of 120 Mbps
Known as WirelessMAN-SC (Single
Carrier) air interface
Well suited for PMP mode

 Frequencies below 11 GHz (License

Exempt)
Long wavelength, LOS is NOT required
Typically 5-6 GHz
Could use single carrier or multi
carrier (e.g. OFDM) PHY

Source: Nokia

 Fixed BS (one), distributed SSs (many)

Time-slotted operation
Time adjusted such that receptions at BS arrive
in sync.

Initial ranging for each SS

Multiple access to share radio medium
Bandwidth requests SSs BS in UL(UpLink)
BS computes non-conflicting schedule
Based on nature of requests, # of SSs, channel
state

Grants BS SSs in DL (Down Link)

At appointed time, SSs transmit to BS

SS1

SS2

BS

SS3

SS4

1
SS1

SS2

BS

SS3

4
SS4

Requests

BS computes nonconflicting schedule

2
SS1

SS2

Grants
BS

UL Control

SS3

UL Data Part Start

SS4

DL

UL
1

Frame

 Point to MultiPoint (PMP)

Star topology
All Communications through BS
Downlink communication on PMP
basis

Mesh
Communication between SS-BS and
SS-SS possible

Source: IEEE 802.16 standard

 Accepting protocol data units (PDUs) from the

higher layer
Transport upper layer protocols transparently
over 802.16 link
Hide payload details from 802.16 MAC
Multiple CSs can share same MAC
Performing classification of higher-layer PDUs
Processing (if required) the higher-layer PDUs
based on the classification
Delivering CS PDUs to the appropriate MAC SAP
Receiving CS PDUs from the peer entity

 Three CSs defined by the standard

ATM CS
Accepts cells from ATM layer, performs
classification on them and delivers them
to MAC SAP

IP and Ethernet CS
classifies packets into different
connections
delivery of CS PDUs to the MAC SAP
receipt of CS PDU from MAC SAP

Data PDU arrives

(payload protocol)

Deliver payload protocol

PDU to higher layer

2
Map PDU to
Svc. Flow
3

Compress redundant
hdrs., add PDU hdr.
4

Deliver processed
pkt. to MAC SAP

Restore compressed
protocol headers

Receive MSDU
(MacServiceDataUnit)

 Supports multiple MAC CSs

Performs core MAC
functions, independent of CS
Oblivious to internals of
MAC CS PDU
Transforms MSDUs from CS
into MPDUs
Responsible for media
access, connection mgt, QoS

 Functions
Protocol for accessing medium
Radio resource and radio-link control
Security

Connection Oriented
MAC instance identified by unique 48bit address
SS can have multiple MAC addresses

 16-bit CID(Connection Identifier): identifies

all information exchanged between BS &
SS
Assigned by BS to all admitted/active flows
Enables b/w reservations
Traffic demarcation classifier & QoS
scheduler use CID to
Identify and differentiate flows
Maintain fairness between flows

 Channel access:
UL-MAP
Defines uplink channel access
Defines uplink data burst profiles

DL-MAP
Defines downlink data burst profiles

UL-MAP and DL-MAP are both

transmitted in the beginning of each
downlink subframe (FDD and TDD).

 Initial Maintenance opportunities

Ranging
To determine network delay and to
request power or profile changes.
Collisions may occur in this interval

Request opportunities
SSs request bandwith in response to
polling from BS.
Collisions may occur in this interval as
well.

Data grants period

SSs transmit data bursts in the intervals
granted by the BS.

 SSs may request bw in 3 ways:

Use the contention request
opportunities interval upon being
polled by the BS (multicast or
broadcast poll).
Send a standalone MAC message
called BW request in an already
granted slot.
Piggyback a BW request message
on a data packet.

 BS grants/allocates bandwidth in one of

two modes:
Grant Per Subscriber Station (GPSS)
Grant Per Connection (GPC)
Decision based on requested bw and
QoS requirements vs available
resources.
Grants are realized through the UL-MAP.

BS

SS

Poll(UL-MAP)
Request
Alloc(UL-MAP)
Data

1. Process by which BS
allocates slots to SS to
make BW requests
2. May be allocated to an
individual SS or to a group
of SSs.
3. BS allocates space for the
SS in the uplink subframe.
4. SS uses the allocated space
to send a bw request.
5. BS allocates the requested
space for the SS (if
available).
6. SS uses allocated space to
send data.

 Time Division Duplex (TDD)

Frequency Division Duplex (FDD)

 BS transmits TDM signal with individual

SSs allocated time slots serially
The ULMAP or DLMAP carries the
information as to which slot belongs to
which SS

Source: IEEE 802.16 standard

 Uplink and downlink use different

channels
Uplink and downlink can operate
simultaneously
Depends on the capability of the SS

 Applications: voice, video, data, multi-media, gaming

Widely varying QoS needs

Quality-of-Service

Prioritized QoS
Network treats traffic
based on relative priority
E.g. Diffserv approach

Parameterized QoS
Network guarantees a
set of QoS parameters
for traffic
e.g. ATM approach

 Bit level
Minimum BER

Packet level

Throughput
Delay
Jitter
Packet Loss

Requires Effective
Link level
Scheduling
Algorithms

Call level
Blocking probability
Dropping probability

Application level
End-to-End Throughput / response time

Low

Real Time Polling Service

(rtPS)
Non Real Time Polling Service
(nrtPS)
Best Effort
(BE)

o
de
i
V
g
in oIP
m V
ea TV,
r
S t IP
ng
si P
w T
ro d F
B e
eb pe
W hS
ig
H
l
ai
Em P
FT

Delay Tolerance

Unsolicited Grant Service

(UGS)

M
TD 1
/E
T1

High

Type
UGS

Unsolicited Grant Service

(UGS)

rt-PS

Real-Time Polling Service

(rtPS)

nrt-PS

Non Real-Time Polling Service

(nrtPS)
Best Effort
(BE)

BE

Service Flow Parameters

Max. sustainable traffic rate
Max. latency
Tolerated jitter
Request/transmission policy
Min. reserved traffic rate
Max. sustainable traffic rate
Max. latency
Request/transmission policy
Min. reserved rate
Max. sustainable rate
Priority
Request/transmission policy
Max. sustainable traffic rate
Priority
Request/transmission policy

Enterprise
Applications (100s)

Enterprise
Service Classes
(8-11)

Provider
Service Classes
(3-5)

IP QoS
PHBs
(5-8)

802.16 Traffic
Types
(4)

VoIP
VoD
OSPF, RIP, BGP,
SNMP, NFS
H.323, SIP

Voice
Video
Control

SAP, Oracle, BEA

Real-time
Control

EF
AF3, CS6,
CS3

Signaling
SNA

Critical
Bulk Data

nrt-PS
Bulk

AF1
BE

Email
Best Effort
FTP/HTTP
Data apps.,
Intranet Web
KaZaa, Quake,
recreational video

rt-PS

AF2, CS2

Critical Data
Messaging

UGS

Scavenger

BE

BE