Why RACH ?

http://www.sharetechnote.com/html/RACH_LTE.html

Main purpose
Achieve UP link synchronization between UE and eNB
Obtain the resource for Message 3 (e.g, RRC Connection Request)

UL sync meet following criteria

should happen only when there is immediate necessity
should be dedicated to only a specific UE

When RACH Process occurs ?

In LTE, RACH process happens in following situation (3GPP specification, 10.1.5 Random Access Proc
edure of 36.300 )

Initial access from RRC_IDLE

RRC Connection Re-establishment procedure
Handover (Contention Based or Non Contetion Based)
DL data arrival during RRC_CONNECTED requiring random access procedure
E.g. when UL synchronization status is non-synchronized
UL data arrival during RRC_CONNECTED requiring random access procedure
E.g. when UL synchronisation status is "non-synchronised" or there are no PUCCH res
ources for SR available.
For positioning purpose during RRC_CONNECTED requiring random access procedur
e;
E.g. when timing advance is needed for UE positioning

Two types of RACH process :

Contention Based RACH procedure

step1. UE --> NW : RACH Preamble (RA-RNTI, indication for L2/L3 message size)
step2. UE <-- NW : Random Access Response (Timing Advance, T_C-RNTI, UL grant for L2/L3 message)
step3. UE --> NW : L2/L3 message
step4. Message for early contention resolution
In this case, the UE with the successful L2/L3 decoding on NW side will get the HARQ ACK from Network. This HARQ
ACK process for step 3 message is called "contention resolution" process.

Contention Free RACH procedure

step1. UE <-- NW : RACH Preamble (PRACH) Assignment
step2. UE --> NW : RACH Preamble (RA-RNTI, indication for L2/L3 message size)
step3. UE <-- NW : Random Access Response (Timing Advance, C-RNTI, UL grant for L2/L3 message)

64 PRACH Preamble Sequences are divided into three group

1. Number of Contention Based Preambles, Group A = size-OfRA-PreamblesGroupA
2. Number of Contention Based Preambles, Group B = (64 numberOfRA-Preambles) - sizeOfRA-PreamblesGroupA
Preamble Group B is used when msg3 size is large with low propagation loss.
3. Number of Contention Free Preambles = 64 numberOfRA-Preambles

How the information is encoded into PRACH (RACH Preamble) ?

Information in PRACH Preamble is represented by purely physical properties.

1. PRACH Preamble transmission Timing (t_id)
2. Location of PRACH transmission in frequency domain (f_id)
3. Sequence of the whole I/Q data of PRACH signal (one example shown below)

Exactly when and Where a UE transmit RACH ?

3GPP specification TS36.211 - Table 5.7.1-2. prach-ConfigIndex

One Slot

One System Frame = 10 ms

F_offset is specified by prach-FreqOffset in SIB2

F_width is fixed to 6 RBs (1.08MHz)
R_slot is specified by prach-ConfigIndex in SIB2
R_length is specified by preamble format

Preamble structure

How to Generate 64 PRACH Preamble Sequences ?

rootSequenceindex
Highspeedflag
zeroCorrelationZoneConfig

22
FALSE
5

base of Zadoff-Chu Sequence

1
Decided by rootSequenceIndex
cyclic shift of sequence
Decided by zeroCorrelationZoneConfig
26
and HighSpeedFlag
Higher value, More repetition in 64 sequences
- zeroCorrelationZoneConfig
- base of Zadoff-Chu Sequence
- cyclic shift of sequence
Higher speed flag, More repetition in 64 sequences

Index of
PRACH Sequence
PRACH Sequence
0
22
1
48
30
802
31
828
32
22
33
48
62
802
63
828

typical RACH configuration

max RACH Capacity

http://lteuniversity.com/get_trained/expert_opinion1/b/lauroortigoza/archive/2012/03/21/rach-capacity-part-1-of-2.aspx

Max RACH capacity is dominated by number of UEs per frame.

For example, if eNodeB can handle 4 UE per subframe, max RACH capacity is 40 UE/second.
Max RACH capacity is limited by numberOfRA-Preambles)
numberOfRA-Preambles, number of contention based RA preambles.

min RACH Capacity

http://lteuniversity.com/get_trained/expert_opinion1/b/lauroortigoza/archive/2012/03/21/rach-capacity-part-1-of-2.aspx

min RACH capacity is dominated by T300 timer.