Basic GSM TCH Call Drop Analysis

Training goals
To master definitions of call drop indicators and

relevant counters To master causes of the three types of call drop and the corresponding solutions To know analysis of call drop and location of call drop problem with traffic statistics

Contents
Indicator definition

Handling of call drop problem

Call drop due to radio link fault Call drop due to handover failure Call drop due to LAPD link failure

Indicator definition
TCH call drop rate (excl. HO)
TCH call drop rate (excl. HO) = total of TCH call

drops/total of TCH occupancy times (excl. HO) 100%

TCH call drop rate (incl. HO)
TCH call drop rate (incl. HO)=total of TCH call

drops/total of TCH occupancy times (incl. HO)100%

Traffic call drop rate
Indicator definition: traffic volume/number of TCH

call drops*60

Contents
Indicator definition

Handling of call drop problem

Call drop due to radio link fault Call drop due to handover failure Call drop due to LAPD link failure

Flow of handling call drops

A cell suffers from high TCH call drop rate

Analysis of call drop types

Call drop of RF loss

Call drop of handover failure

Call drop of LAPD

If radio parameters set reasonably?

No

Adjust radio parameters

No

If radio parameters set reasonably?

Eliminate hardware fault

Yes

Any hardware fault at BSC?

If interference exists?

Yes

Check& eliminate interference

Yes

If interference exists?

Eliminate transmission fault

Yes

Any fault with BTS transmission?

Any coverage problem?

Yes

Improve coverage

Eliminate hardware fault

Yes

Any hardware fault at BTS?

Any equipment hardware fault?

Yes

Eliminate equipment fault

Yes

An equipment hardware fault?

Any antenna system fault?

Yes

Eliminate antenna fault

Complete

Locate & analyze call drop with traffic statistics

Analytical framework
1 Locate cell with high call drop rate
performance

2 Confirm call drop type

Performance

3 Confirm call drops on carrier

BTS

Analyze casue

Problem solved

report of BSC level

performance

report of cell level CS basic measurement statistics

measurement

Analysis Analysis Warning

Cell

Warning

radio measurement

of common problem of specific problem analysis

Analysis

of

Traffic statistics
Signaling

report of cell level

analysis
Other

network optimization methods

From

macro to micro view

Convenient

for problem location and analysis

Count

call drops on carrier

form common to specific

Execution

& problem solution

 Common causes for call drops

Unreasonable setting of handover parameters Equipment hardware fault

Locate & analyze call drop with traffic statistics

UL/DL unbalance

result in call drop

Unreasonable settings of Interference other parameters Coverage problem Common problem is analyzed

Contents
Indicator definition

Handling of call drop problem

Call drop due to radio link fault Call drop due to handover failure Call drop due to LAPD link failure Typical cases

Call drop due to radio link failure

UL failure

DL failure

Call drop due to radio link failure

MS
Measurement report(SACCH) Measurement report(SACCH)

BTS

BSC

MSC

Measurement report(SACCH) Radio link timeout

Connection Failure Indication Start T3109 Clear request Stop T3109

RF Channel Release RF Channel Release ACK

F1

Clear Command

Clear Complete

Call drop due to radio link failure Causes for call drop due to radio link failure & handling
procedures Main causes

Handling procedures

Weak coverage, poor radio signal; Interference; Unreasonable settings of radio parameter; Incomplete or wrong adjacent cell data ; Unreasonable settings of handover parameters; Congestion in adjacent cell; Equipment hardware fault; Antenna system fault; Subscribers fault.

Check radio parameters. Adjust unreasonable settings of radio parameters;

Check indicators like BER and level of

idle interference band, reduce or

eliminate radio interference ;

Check if coverage problem exists through DT; Check and eliminate equipment fault ; Check antenna system.

Contents
Indicator definitions

Handling of call drop problem

Call drop due to radio link fault Call drop due to handover failure Call drop due to LAPD link failure

Call drop due to handover failure

Classification of Handover control timer in BSC
T8 expires (inter-BSC handover) T3103 expires (inter-cell handover under one BSC) T3107 expires (intra-cell handover).

Call drop due to handover failure

Call drop due to intra-cell handover failure
MS BTS:TRX CHANNEL ACTIVATE CHANNEL ACTIVATE ACK BSC MSC

ASSIGNMENT COMMAND

SET T3107 T3107 Timeout

Clear Request G1

Call drop due to handover failure

Call drop due to intra-BSC handover failure
MS Old BTS: New BTS CHANNEL ACT CHANNEL ACT ACK HO_Command HO_Command BSC MSC

SET T3103 T3103 Timeout

Clear request H1

Call drop due to handover failure

Call drop due to inter-BSC handover failure

MS

Old BTS

Old BSC

MSC

New BSC

New BTS

HANDOVER REQUIRED CHL_ACT CHL_ACT_ACK HO_REQ_ACK HANDOVER COMMAND HANDOVER COMMAND HANDOVER COMMAND

SET T8 T8 Timeout

Clear request

I1

Call drop due to handover failure

Main causes for call drop due to handover failure & handling procedures

Main causes

Handling procedures

Interference; Hardware fault; Unreasonable settings of radio parameters ;

Check radio parameters, adjust the unreasonable settings, and add necessary neighbor relations;

Check indicators like BER and level

Inappropriate adjacent cell

relation or wrong adjacent cell data;

of idle interference band, reduce or

eliminate radio interference; Check equipment hardware, change panels with problems.

Unreasonable settings of

handover parameters ,which

results in Ping-Pong handover.

Contents
Indicator definitions

Handling of call drop problem

Call drop due to radio link fault Call drop due to handover failure Call drop due to LAPD link failure

Call drop due to LAPD link failure

Call drop due to LAPD link failure
Principle: When LAPD link breaks, calls on carriers will be interrupted. BSC counts

after it receives message showing that LAPD link is broken.

Main causes for call drop due to LAPD link failure & handling procedures

Main causes
BTS BTS

Handling procedures

hardware fault transmission

problem
BSC

hardware fault

Investigate & eliminate BTS hardware fault; Investigate & eliminate BTS transmission problem; Investigate & eliminate BSC hardware fault