External description of Enhanced Speech Codecs

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Library:

Nokia BSC S10.5 ED, Vers. 2, Product Documentation

Identifier: efrebxxsxx_ns11-7-en

External description of Enhanced Speech Codecs

Currently enhanced full rate (EFR) and adaptive multirate (AMR) codecs are supported by the BSC. EFR and AMR are speech coding algorithms giving better speech quality than full rate (FR) coding. Tests indicate that quality better or comparable to ADPCM can be offered with these codecs. Furthermore AMR is capable of adapting its operation optimally according to the prevailing channel conditions. This is possible because AMR consists of a family of codecs (source and channel codecs with different trade-off bit-rates) operating in the GSM FR and HR channels. Codec mode adaptation for AMR is based on received channel quality estimation in both MS and BTS, followed by a decision on the most appropriate speech and channel codec mode to apply at a given time. In high-error conditions more bits are used for error correction to obtain error robust coding, while in good transmission conditions only a small number of bits is needed for sufficient error protection and more bits can therefore be allocated for source coding. Below are the AMR FR and the AMR HR performance figures.

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External description of Enhanced Speech Codecs

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Figure: The AMR FR and the AMR HR performance (ETSI GSM Specification 06.75 version 7.2-0) The basic AMR codec mode sets for MS and BTS are provided by BSC via layer 3 signalling. MS shall support all speech codec modes of AMR, although only a set of up to 4 speech codec modes is used during a call. BSC supports all speech codec modes, except 7.95 kbit/s on HR channel, and it has per BTS one default set for each channel mode. The default codec sets include also a default set of thresholds and hysteresis for the above mentioned codec mode adaptation. EFR and AMR can utilise the state-of-the-art FR traffic channel, which means the source codec rate EFR is 12.2 kbit/s and AMR is up to 12.2 kbit/s. AMR can also utilise HR traffic channel used by the basic HR feature offering then an increase of capacity in terms of TCHs at the BTS. To achieve this AMR HR requires HR or DR channel configuration on the radio interface. The support for EFR or AMR in a network does not require nor imply support for the basic HR and vice versa. Submultiplexing on highway PCM (Ater interface) for AMR FR and AMR HR is 16 kbit/s (for AMR HR the other half of 16 kbit/s is unused). Therefore no savings in terrestrial transmission can be achieved with EFR or AMR when compared to FR.

BTS
The Base Transceiver Station (BTS) can be SW upgraded to support EFR and AMR speech coding with the exception that 2nd generation BTS and Nokia InSite shall not support AMR. There is no need for HW upgrades in any generation. The SW upgraded BTSs are capable of supporting Enhanced full rate and adaptive multirate codings dynamically. Each Radio Timeslot (RTSL) configured to support a FR channel rate can be activated either as an EFR or as an AMR FR Traffic Channel (TCH) on a call. Respectively each RTSL configured to support a DR channel rate can be activated either as an EFR, as an AMR FR or as two AMR HR TCHs. A RTSL configured to support a HR channel rate can be activated only as an AMR HR TCH. An inband signalling channel is defined for AMR which enables the MS and the BTS to exchange messages on applied or requested speech and channel codec modes. This operation is called an AMR Link Adaptation (LA). The BTS commands the MS to apply a particular speech codec mode in the uplink, but the MS can only request the BTS to apply a particular speech codec mode in the downlink because the BTS has an option to override the MS's request.

BSC
EFR and AMR can be used even if HR is not in use in the network in question. Only a SW update is needed in any existing BSC. Handovers between all speech coding algorithms are possible, when needed. The BSS has plenty of parameters which have a direct or indirect impact on the speech quality, and the optimisation and fine tuning of these can be carried out for the network to improve the speech quality. For example it is possible to prohibit handovers between speech coding algorithms, if required. The channel rate is the primary requirement in assignment and in external handover if alternatives (for example channel rate or speech coding) are given. Additional requirements are also taken into account in all handovers from TCH to TCH. Such a requirement can be the prohibition of rate changes after first channel allocation. If channel rate or speech codec changes are allowed and a change is needed because of channel configuration in the BTS, then speech codecs are primarily changed inside the channel rate and secondarily between channel rates. The BSC also supports the use of pools, if needed. With pools the BSC makes checkings to ensure that the requirements upon the TCH in question coincide with the properties of the pool before an assignment may continue. The BSC is also able to handle BTSs supporting and not supporting EFR or AMR. This functionality requires no input from the operator; the BTS's capability for EFR and AMR is automatically checked by the BSC when the BTS is being reset. This is important if not all the BTSs have been updated to support EFR and AMR. Note

No configuration at the Abis interface is needed for EFR or AMR. For example, any TCH configured to support FR at the Abis interface can be activated with EFR and AMR FR depending solely on the properties of the BTS.

EFR, AMR FR, and AMR HR are optional features in the BSC.

TC

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Transcoder and Submultiplexers (TCSMs) can be retained in the network to handle calls made on full rate while the TCSM2s can be SW upgraded or added to handle extensions and addition of EFR or AMR capability. TCSM2 equipment was originally introduced for HR speech coding purposes. In GSM systems having the Nokia BSS the MSC supports circuit pools as specified by ETSI for the A interface (GSM TS 08.02 and 08.08), if TCSM equipment is meant to be utilised after support for EFR or AMR is introduced. The same applies to HR. The pool concept allows the utilisation of remote transcoders with different speech coding capabilities. If pools are not supported and a speech coding algorithm other than FR is also supported, then all the existing TCSMs must be replaced with TCSM2s. TCSM2 equipment allows dynamic switching between different speech coding algorithms, when configured to support more than one channel rate or speech coding algorithm. AMR requires pool switching, because the supported pool for AMR is only pool 23, which is why dynamic switching between different speech coding algorithms is not possible. For example the speech coding for one circuit carrying one TCH may vary between FR, EFR and HR (as a result of handovers for MS) at the Ater interface during one speech call.

MSC
The support for EFR and AMR in the MSC mainly requires the capability to select appropriate resources based on the information received from the MS and relaying that information to the BSS. Since remote transcoders are in use in the Nokia BSS the pool concept is supported.

Transmission lines
From the transmission point of view an EFR or AMR TCH is like any FR TCH. In the Nokia GSM system, the BSS provides flexible transmission solutions and effectively utilises the capacity of PCM lines (2Mbit/s) available. The optimisation of the use of 2 Mbit PCM lines can be realised on both the A interface (BSC-MSC) and the Abis interface (BSC-BTS), thus utilising the network resources efficiently.

Nokia NetAct
EFR as a speech coding algorithm causes no special requirements for the OMC. The needs of EFR can be handled with existing procedures. However the changes in interpretation/explanation due to EFR in some existing parameters are reflected in the user interface in Nokia NetAct. On the other hand AMR introduces some new parameters for handover control and power control and also new AMR coding sets for FR and HR.

MS
New generation mobile stations (MSs) capable of supporting EFR and/or AMR as defined in the specification are needed in order to utilise the enhanced speech coding features. Description of the Enhanced Speech Codecs feature Effect on interfaces with the Enhanced Speech Codecs feature User interface with Enhanced Speech Codecs

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