LTE Training

Protocol Stacks

TCP/IP Model of OSI Layers

Up to this point, we have been examining the LTE Network Architecture, Interfaces
and the major part of the Air Interface structure.

Now it is time to look at the LTE interface from a wider perspective and understand
the role of the different protocol layers in the protocol structure.
The TCP/IP Model has five protocol stack layers;
Application Layer
Transport Layer
Network Layer (or Internet Protocol Layer)
Data Link Layer and
Physical Layer.

LTE further divides the Data Link Layer into

four Sub-Layers of

Radio Resource Control or the RRC Layer

Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) Layer
Radio Link Control (RLC) Layer and
Medium Access Control (MAC) Layer

TCP/IP Model of OSI Layers

Their main function are;

Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol [DL/UL-SCH] is the management of uplink
and downlink transport resources for the terminals connected to the eNodeB.
The Radio Link Control (RLC) protocol [DTCH, DCCH] performs segmentation and
reassembly of PDCP packets into smaller blocks that can be handled by the MAC
layer. The RLC layer also offers ARQ retransmission - if this is required - in
addition to the lower-layer HARQ retransmission.
The Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) is to compress and decompress
IP packet headers using the Robust Header Compression (RoHC) protocol defined
in RFC 4995.

The Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol stack layer allows signalling between

User Plane
The user plane protocol stack provides support for the transfer of application data
The radio access network uses:
PDCP
RLC (unacknowledged or acknowledged mode)
MAC
Layer 1
Application

Application

TCP/UDP

TCP/UDP

IP

Relay

IP
Relay

PDCP

PDCP

GTP-U

GTP-U

GTP-U

GTP-U

RLC

UDP

UDP

UDP

UDP

MAC

IP

IP

IP

L1

L1

L1/L2

L1/L2

L1/L2

UE

eNode B

RLC
MAC

AirInterface

S1

IP

IP

Relay

Serving Gateway

S5/S8

IP

L1/L2

SGi

L1/L2

L1/L2
PDN Gateway

Server

PDCP Layer (I)

The PDCP layer is responsible for:
transfer of user plane and control plane data
header compression for user plane data using ROHC
integrity protection for control plane data
ciphering
in-sequence delivery
Robust Header
Compression (ROHC) is
specified by the IETF

RLC Layer
The RLC layer can be configured to operate in 1 of 3 modes:
Transparent (control plane)
Unacknowledged (user plane)
Acknowledged (user plane or control plane)

Control Plane

User Plane

Transparent mode

Unacknowledged mode

Acknowledged mode

Acknowledged mode

Transparent Mode
Transparent mode is applicable to
BCCH, CCCH and PCCH
There is no segmentation nor
concatenation
Transparent mode does not add
any header information

Transparent mode is used by:

System Information
Paging
RRC Connection Re-establishment Request
RRC Connection Re-establishment
Transfers a single higher
SRB0 RRC Connection Re-establishment Reject
layer packet
RRC Connection Request
RRC Connection Setup
Transparent Mode
RRC Connection Reject

Unacknowledged Mode (I)

Unacknowledged mode is
applicable to DTCH, MCCH and
MTCH
Segmentation and concatenation
can be applied
A minimum of 1 byte of header
information is included
Unacknowledged mode includes a
sequence number to allow:
re-ordering and in-sequence
delivery to the higher layers
detection of missing packets

Sequence number can be 5 or 10

bits
Length indicators can also be
included to mark the start/end of
higher layer packets

Acknowledged Mode (I)

Acknowledged mode includes a
sequence number to allow re-ordering
and in-sequence delivery to the
higher layers
Acknowledged mode also provides
support for polling and status
reporting to acknowledge successfully
received data

Re-transmissions can be sent using

an ARQ protocol
Sequence number is 10 bits
Length indicators can also be
included to mark the start/end of
higher layer packets

MAC Layer
Functions provided by the MAC layer are shown in the table below

The MAC layer also supports:

Random Access
Maintenance of Uplink Time Alignment
DRX

MAC Control Elements

3GPP TS 36.321 specifies the following MAC Control Elements:
Buffer Status Report MAC Control Elements
C-RNTI MAC Control Element
DRX Command MAC Control Element
UE Contention Resolution Identity MAC Control Element
Timing Advance Command MAC Control Element
Power Headroom MAC Control Element
Extended Power Headroom MAC Control Element
MCH Scheduling Information MAC Control Element
Activation/Deactivation MAC Control Element

RRC Signalling
The RRC protocol stack layer allows signalling between the UE and eNode B
It also provides support for the transfer of Non-Access Stratum (NAS) messages
between the UE and eNode B

S1 Application Protocol (S1-AP) used to transfer NAS messages between

eNode B and MME
The RRC protocol is specified within 3GPP TS 36.331

RRC

RRC

PDCP

PDCP

RLC

RLC

MAC

AirInterface

MAC

L1

L1

UE

eNode B

RRC Messages
The complete set of messages belonging to the RRC signalling protocol
is presented below

These are transferred using SRB0, SRB1 and SRB2

CounterCheck
CounterCheckResponse
CSFBParametersRequestCDMA2000
CSFBParametersResponseCDMA2000
DLInformationTransfer
HandoverFromEUTRAPreparationRequest
InterFreqRSTDMeasurementIndication
LoggedMeasurementConfiguration
MasterInformationBlock
MBMSCountingRequest
MBMSCountingResponse
MBSFNAreaConfiguration
MeasurementReport
MobilityFromEUTRACommand
Paging
ProximityIndication
RNReconfiguration
RNReconfigurationComplete
RRCConnectionReconfiguration
RRCConnectionReconfigurationComplete

RRCConnectionReestablishment
RRCConnectionReestablishmentComplete
RRCConnectionReestablishmentReject
RRCConnectionReestablishmentRequest
RRCConnectionReject
RRCConnectionRelease
RRCConnectionRequest
RRCConnectionSetup
RRCConnectionSetupComplete
SecurityModeCommand
SecurityModeComplete
SecurityModeFailure
SystemInformation
SystemInformationBlockType1
UECapabilityEnquiry
UECapabilityInformation
UEInformationRequest
UEInformationResponse
ULHandoverPreparationTransfer
ULInformationTransfer

Signalling Radio Bearers (SRB)

LTE uses 3 SRB:
SRB0
RRC messages using the CCCH logical channel
SRB1
RRC messages (which may include a piggybacked NAS message)
NAS messages prior to the establishment of SRB2
transfers DCCH logical channel
SRB2
RRC messages (which include logged measurement information as
well as for NAS messages)
transfers DCCH logical channel

SRB2 has a lower-priority than SRB1 and is always configured by EUTRAN after security activation
Once security is activated, all RRC messages on SRB1 and SRB2 are
integrity protected and ciphered by PDCP

NAS Signalling
Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signalling allows the transfer of control plane
messages between the UE and the MME
NAS messages are specified within 3GPP TS 24.301

NAS

NAS
RRC

RRC

Relay

S1-AP

S1-AP

PDCP

PDCP

SCTP

SCTP

RLC

RLC

IP

IP

MAC

L2

L1

L1

L1

L1

UE

eNode B

eNode B

MME

MAC

AirInterface

S1

L2

NAS Messages
NAS messages within 3GPP TS 24.301 are categorised as Mobility
Management or Session Management
EPS Session Management messages
EPS Mobility Management messages

Attach accept

Attach complete

Attach reject

Attach request

Authentication failure

Authentication reject

Authentication request

Authentication response

CS service notification

Detach accept

Detach request
Downlink NAS Transport

EMM information
EMM status
Extended service request
GUTI reallocation command
GUTI reallocation complete
Identity request
Identity response

Security mode command

Security mode complete
Security mode reject
Security protected NAS message
Service reject
Service request
Tracking area update accept
Tracking area update complete
Tracking area update reject
Tracking area update request
Uplink NAS Transport
Downlink generic NAS transport
Uplink generic NAS transport

Activate dedicated EPS bearer context accept

Activate dedicated EPS bearer context reject
Activate dedicated EPS bearer context request
Activate default EPS bearer context accept
Activate default EPS bearer context reject
Activate default EPS bearer context request
Bearer resource allocation reject
Bearer resource allocation request
Bearer resource modification reject
Bearer resource modification request
Deactivate EPS bearer context accept
Deactivate EPS bearer context request
ESM information request
ESM information response
ESM status
Modify EPS bearer context accept
Modify EPS bearer context reject
Modify EPS bearer context request
PDN connectivity reject
PDN connectivity request
PDN disconnect reject
PDN disconnect request

X2 Signalling
The X2 Application Protocol (X2-AP) allows signalling between neighbouring
eNode B
The X2-AP is specified within 3GPP TS 36.423

X2-AP functions

X2-AP

X2-AP

SCTP

SCTP

IP

X2

IP

L1/L2

L1/L2

eNode B

eNode B

X2-AP Messages
Messages for Global Procedures

X2-AP messages are associated with:

mobility procedures
global procedures

Messages for Mobility Procedures

HANDOVER REQUEST
HANDOVER REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGE
HANDOVER PREPARATION FAILURE
SN STATUS TRANSFER
UE CONTEXT RELEASE
HANDOVER CANCEL

LOAD INFORMATION
ERROR INDICATION
X2 SETUP REQUEST
X2 SETUP RESPONSE
X2 SETUP FAILURE
RESET REQUEST
RESET RESPONSE
ENB CONFIGURATION UPDATE
ENB CONFIGURATION UPDATE ACKNOWLEDGE
ENB CONFIGURATION UPDATE FAILURE
RESOURCE STATUS REQUEST
RESOURCE STATUS RESPONSE
RESOURCE STATUS FAILURE
RESOURCE STATUS UPDATE
MOBILITY CHANGE REQUEST
MOBILITY CHANGE ACKNOWLEDGE
MOBILITY CHANGE FAILURE
RLF INDICATION
HANDOVER REPORT
CELL ACTIVATION REQUEST
CELL ACTIVATION RESPONSE
CELL ACTIVATION FAILURE

Class 2 procedures

S1 Signalling

Class 1
procedures

The S1 Application Protocol (S1-AP)

allows signalling between an eNode B
and the MME
The S1-AP is specified within 3GPP TS
36.413

Class 1 procedures have an associated

response
Class 2 procedures do not require a
response

S1-AP

S1-AP

SCTP

SCTP

IP

S1

IP

L1/L2

L1/L2

eNode B

MME

S1-AP Messages (I)

S1-AP messages are categorised as:
E-RAB Management
Context Management
Handover Signalling
Paging
NAS Transport
Management
S1 CDMA2000 Tunneling
UE Capability Information Indication
Trace
E-RAB Management

E-RAB SETUP REQUEST

E-RAB SETUP RESPONSE
E-RAB MODIFY REQUEST
E-RAB MODIFY RESPONSE
E-RAB RELEASE COMMAND
E-RAB RELEASE RESPONSE
E-RAB RELEASE INDICATION

Location Reporting
Warning Message Transmission
eNode B Direct Information Transfer
MME Direct Information Transfer
eNode B Configuration Transfer
MME Configuration Transfer
Cell Traffic Trace
LPPa Transport

Context Management

INITIAL CONTEXT SETUP REQUEST

INITIAL CONTEXT SETUP RESPONSE
INITIAL CONTEXT SETUP FAILURE
UE CONTEXT RELEASE REQUEST
UE CONTEXT RELEASE COMMAND
UE CONTEXT RELEASE COMPLETE
UE CONTEXT MODIFICATION REQUEST
UE CONTEXT MODIFICATION RESPONSE
UE CONTEXT MODIFICATION FAILURE

S1-AP Messages (II)

Handover Signalling

NAS Transport

HANDOVER REQUIRED
HANDOVER COMMAND
HANDOVER PREPARATION FAILURE
HANDOVER REQUEST
HANDOVER REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGE
HANDOVER FAILURE
HANDOVER NOTIFY
PATH SWITCH REQUEST
PATH SWITCH REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGE
PATH SWITCH REQUEST FAILURE
HANDOVER CANCEL
HANDOVER CANCEL ACKNOWLEDGE
eNB STATUS TRANSFER
MME STATUS TRANSFER

Paging

PAGING

INITIAL UE MESSAGE
DOWNLINK NAS TRANSPORT
UPLINK NAS TRANSPORT
NAS NON DELIVERY INDICATION

Management

RESET
RESET ACKNOWLEDGE
ERROR INDICATION
S1 SETUP REQUEST
S1 SETUP RESPONSE
S1 SETUP FAILURE
ENB CONFIGURATION UPDATE
ENB CONFIGURATION UPDATE ACKNOWLEDGE
ENB CONFIGURATION UPDATE FAILURE
MME CONFIGURATION UPDATE
MME CONFIGURATION UPDATE ACKNOWLEDGE
MME CONFIGURATION UPDATE FAILURE
OVERLOAD START
OVERLOAD STOP