Chapter 6

Power Control

Module Objectives
Explain the motivation for power control
Indicate the BSS parameters required for power control in general
(output power levels, fixed step sizes)
Describe the principle steps to be executed for power control
(averaging, triggering, power change step size estimation)
Discuss the algorithms used to estimate the power change step size,
when the power has to be increased / decreased due to signal level /
quality

Explain the motivation for power optimisation

Indicate the BSS parameters required for power optimisation
Discuss, how power control and traffic channel allocation are
modified by power optimisation

AMR Power Control is presented in chapter on AMR

Power Control Motivation

Reduced
interference on
DL/UL
Longer service time of battery
Realization of power class
Supported by default on UL
Activation of DL power control
powerCtrlEnabled (PENA)

Power control independent

for DL and UL
for each call

Y,N

Power Control Parameter

Output Power Limits
Maximum MS output power

Power
class
dependent
range
Power Values

msTxPwrMaxGSM
(PMAX1)
msTxPwrMaxGSM1x00
TCH (PMAX2)
msTxPwrMaxCCH
(TXP1)
msTxPwrMaxCCH1x00
(TXP2)

5..39 dBm GSM 900 TCH

0..36/32,33 dBm GSM 1800/1900
5..39 dBm GSM 900 CCH
0..30 dBm GSM 1800 CCH
0..32 dBm GSM 1900 CCH

Minimum MS output power

minMSTxPower (PMIN)

5..39 dBm GSM 900

0..36 dBm GSM 1800
0..32 dBm GSM 1900

Maximum BTS output power (by minimum attenuation)

Attenuations
30 dB
Range

bsTxPwrMax (PMAX1)
bsTxPwrMax1x00 (PMAX2)

Minimum MS output power (by maximum attenuation)

bsTxPowerMin

0..30 dB GSM 900

0..30 dB GSM 1800/1900

0..30 dB

Power Control Parameters

Power Change Step Sizes
Desired power level can be achieved in 1 or 2 commands

Yes

No

Fixed step size

Variable step size

Fixed increment step size

powerIncrStepSize (INC)

2,4,6 dB

Fixed decrement step size

powerDecrStepSize (RED)

2,4,6 dB

Power Control Strategy

Measurement Averaging

POWER CONTROL
UPLINK
UL Quality

<Av_RXQUAL_UL>

UL Level

<Av_RXLEV_UL>

DL Quality

<Av_RXQUAL_DL>

DL Level

<Av_RXLEV_DL>

THRESHOLD
COMPARISON

POWER CONTROL
DOWNLINK

Power control interval

powerCtrlInterval (INT)

0..31 s

Power Control Strategy

Triggering
Nx samples
Less than Px samples exceed threshold
No power change triggered
Actual average samples

threshold
Nx samples
Px samples are equal to or exceed threshold
Power change triggered

Signal level thresholds

pcUpperThresholdLevelDL/UL (UDR/UUR) -110..-47 dBm
pcLowerThresholdLevelDL/UL (LDR/LUR) -110..-47 dBm

Power change step size estimation

Signal quality thresholds

pcUpperThresholdQualDL/UL (UDR/UUR)
pcLowerThresholdQualDL/UL (LDR/LUR)

0..7
0..7

Number of average samples (for each threshold)

Nx
Px

1..32
1..32

Power Control Strategy

Scenarios

Exceeded threshold

Action

Reason

pcUpperThresholdLevelDL
pcLowerThresholdLevelDL
pcUpperThresholdLevelUL
pcLowerThresholdLevelUL

BTS power decrease

BTS power increase
MS power decrease
MS power increase

Signal level
Signal level
Signal level
Signal level

pcUpperThresholdQualDL
pcLowerThresholdQualDL
pcUpperThresholdQualUL
pcLowerThresholdQualUL

BTS power decrease

BTS power increase
MS power decrease
MS power increase

Signal quality
Signal quality
Signal quality
Signal quality

Power Increase Due to Signal Level

For MS & BTS

Actual receive level RXLEV_DL/UL

pcLowerThresholdsLevelDL/UL

Power control triggered

UL: Power increase of MS
DL: Power increase of BTS

RXLEV_DL/UL > pcLowerThresholdLevelDL/UL - 2 powerIncrStepSize

Yes

No

Fixed step size

Variable step size

PWR_INCR_STEP = powerIncrStepSize

PWR_INCR_STEP = pcLowerThresholdLevelDL/UL
RXLEV_UL/DL

Power Decrease Due to Signal Level

For BTS

pcUpperThresholdsLevelDL

Actual received level RXLEV_DL

Power control triggered
Power decrease

RXLEV_DL < pcUpperThresholdLevelDL + 2 powerDecrStepSize OR

variableDLStepUse (VDLS) = No

Yes

No

Fixed step size

Variable step size

PWR_DECR_STEP = powerDecrStepSize

PWR_DECR_STEP = Min (RXLEV_DL

pcUpperThresholdLevelDL, 10)

10

Power Decrease Due to Signal Level

For MS

pcUpperThresholdsLevelUL

Actual received level RXLEV_UL

Power control triggered
Power decrease

RXLEV_UL < pcUpperThresholdLevelUL + 2 powerDecrStepSize

Yes

11

No

Fixed step size

Variable step size

PWR_DECR_STEP = powerDecrStepSize

PWR_DECR_STEP = RXLEV_UL
pcUpperThresholdLevelUL

Power Increase Due to Signal Quality

For MS & BTS

Actual receive quality RXQUAL_DL/UL

pcLowerThresholdsQualDL/UL

Power control triggered

UL: Power increase of MS
DL: Power increase of BTS

Variable step size based on actual quality

PWR_INCR_STEP = (1 + Max (0,QUAL)) * powerIncrStepSize
QUAL = RXQUAL_DL/UL pcLowerThresholdQualDL/UL
Take largest step size

Step size based on actual level

Take algorithm for power increase due to signal level

12

Power Decrease Due to Signal Quality

For MS & BTS with No Power Optimization

pcUpperThresholdsQualDL/UL

Actual received quality RXQUAL_DL/UL

Power control triggered

Actual RXLEV_DL/UL pcLowerThresholdLevelDL/UL < 6 dB

Yes

13

No

No power decrease

Power decrease

Avoid ping pong effect

Take algorithm for power decrease due to signal level

(different for MS & BTS power decrease)

Power Decrease Due to Signal Quality

Ping Pong Effect
Lower Level

Upper Level

Upper Quality

Lower Quality

Power decrement due to quality

14

Power increment due to level

Power Control Summary

-110 dBm

Upper Level

Lower Level

Qual 0

Power increase
due to level

6 dB

Power decrease
due to quality

Power decrease
due to level
or quality

Upper Quality

Power increase
due to level

No action

Power decrease
due to level

Lower Quality
Power increase
due to level
or quality

Qual 7
15

Power increase
due to quality

Power increase
due to quality

-47 dBm