UNIT 5

MULTI-USER RADIO
COMMUNICATION

Generations of Cellular Mobile Radiophones

1G

Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS): 1980s, Frequency

Modulation (FM), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA),
handover between cells, limited roaming between networks

2G

Global System for Mobile communications (GSM): 1990s, digitalcoding of voice, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA),
Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), data communications

3G

3G Partnership Project (3GPP), Universal Mobile

Telecommunications System (UMTS): 1998-, Wideband Code
Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), use of GSM network model,
global roaming; 2 Mbps data

4G

All-IP-based, 100 Mbps data

Generations of Cellular Systems

Generations of cellular systems include:

AMPS
GSM
W-CDMA

1st generation
2nd generation
3rd generation

Cellular systems operate based on various

protocols, and use RF (radio frequency)

waves that propagate through the air for
transmission of information. These systems
typically use the 800-900 MHz or 1800-1900
MHz frequency band of the radio spectrum.

But what is the radio spectrum?

The Radio Spectrum

Source:http://howstuffworks.lycoszone.com/radio-spectrum1.htm

The Radio spectrum is composed of many frequency

bands
Communication systems have the liberty to transmit
signals at various frequencies, and the FCC (Federal
Communications Commission) regulates which
frequencies to use

Radio Spectrum Bands

Low Frequency

High Frequency
~400-2400 MHz frequency range

MF
AM Radio
Maritime

HF
Maritime
Amateur Radio

VHF
Television
FM radio
Aviation

UHF/SHF
Satellite
Television
Cell Phones
Microwave

FM radio stations between: 88-108 MHz

EHF
Astronomy

Advanced Mobile Phone

Service

AMPS Components
Mobile Units

contains a modem that can switch between many

frequencies
3 identification numbers: electronic serial number,
system ID number, mobile ID number

Base Transceiver

full-duplex communication with the mobile

Mobile Switching Center

AMPS
Spectral allocation in North America

Two 25-MHz bands are allocated to AMPS: 869-894

MHz from the base station to the mobile unit, 824-849 MHz
from the mobile unit to the base station
The bandwidth has been split into two 12.5 MHz in each
direction for two operators to compete each other.
A 12.5 MHz channel allows 416 channels.

Spatial allocation

10-50 frequencies are assigned to each cell

Original cells are 6.5-13km in size. 1.5-km is the practical
minimum size. Too small size will have more frequency
change.
Transferring from one base transceiver to another is called
handoff.
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AMPS FREQUENCY SPECTRUM

AMPS Control channels

Used for exchanging control information
between mobile units and base stations.
21 control channels in A and 21 control
channels in B
Used for call orgination,call termination
and to obtain system information.

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A Seven-Cell Cluster

Frequency Reuse

Channel Assignment Strategies

Channel assignment strategy
fixed channel assignment
dynamic channel assignment
Fixed channel assignment
each cell is allocated a predetermined set of voice channel
any new call attempt can only be served by the unused channels
the call will be blocked if all channels in that cell are occupied
Dynamic channel assignment
channels are not allocated to cells permanently.
allocate channels based on request.
reduce the likelihood of blocking, increase capacity.

Frequency Reuse
Each cellular base station is allocated a group of radio
channels within a small geographic area called a cell.
Neighboring cells are assigned different channel groups.
By limiting the coverage area to within the boundary of the
cell, the channel groups may be reused to cover different
cells.
Keep interference levels within tolerable limits.
Frequency reuse or frequency planning
seven groups of channel from A to G
footprint of a cell - actual radio
coverage
omni-directional antenna v.s.
directional antenna

Handoff Strategies
When a mobile moves into a different cell while a
conversation is in progress, the MSC automatically transfers
the call to a new channel belonging to the new base station.
Handoff operation
identifying a new base station
re-allocating the voice and control channels with the new
base station.
Handoff Threshold Pr,handoff Pr,minimum usable
Minimum usable signal for acceptable voice quality (90dBm to -100dBm)
Handoff margin cannot be too large or too small

Global System
for Mobile Communication
Developed to provide common 2nd-generation

technology for Europe

GSM transmission is encrypted, using stream cipher A5
for transmissions from subscriber to transceiver. A3 is
used for authentication.
It uses subscriber identity module (SIM) in the form of
smart card.
Supports both data and image services based on ISDN
model, with rates up to 9.6 kbps
Spectral allocation: 25 MHz for base transmission
(935960 MHz), 25 MHz for mobile transmission (890
915 MHz)
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GSM Layout
HLR, VLR, AuC, EIR

Mobile Service Switching Center (MSSC)

HLR: home location register database VLR: visitor location register

AuC: authentication center
EIR: equipment identity register database17

GSM Architecture

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BASE STATION SYSTEM (BSS)

MSC/VLR

BSC

BSC
BSC

BSS
n BTS

n BTS
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BTS & BSC

BTS houses the radiotransceivers of
the cell and handles the radio-link
protocols with the mobile
BSC manages radio resources
(channel setup, handover) for one or
more BTSs

MSC
MSC Mobile Switching Center
The central component of the network
Like a telephony switch plus everything
for a mobile subscriber: registration,
authentication, handovers, call routing,
connection to fixed networks.
Each switch handles dozens of cells

Continue..
HLR database of all users + current

location.
VLR database of users + roamers in
some geographic area. Caches the HLR
EIR database of valid equipment
AuC Database of users secret keys

More GSM
GSM comes in three flavors(frequency

bands): 900, 1800, 1900 MHz. 900 is

the Orange flavour in Israel.
Voice is digitized using Full-Rate coding.
20 ms sample => 260 bits . 13 Kbps
bitrate

Sharing
GSM uses TDMA and FDMA to let

everybody talk.
FDMA: 25MHz freq. is divided into 124
carrier frequencies. Each base station
gets few of those.
TDMA: Each carrier frequency is divided
into bursts [0.577 ms]. 8 bursts are a
frame.

Multiple Access
Four ways to divide the spectrum
among active users

frequency-division multiplexing (FDM)

time-division multiplexing (TDM)
code-division multiplexing (CDM)
space-division multiplexing (SDM)

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Choice of Access Methods

A random access scheme using FDM, TDM, SDM or CDM to
dynamically assign sub-channels to users is called random
access method, e.g. FDMA, TDMA, CDMA, SDMA.
FDM, used in 1st generation systems, wastes spectrum
Debate over TDMA vs CDMA for 2nd generation

TDMA advocates argue there is more successful experience with

TDMA.
CDMA proponents argue that CDMA offers additional features as
well, such as increased range.
TDMA systems have achieved an early lead in actual
implementations
CDMA seems to be the access method of choice for thirdgeneration systems
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Third Generation Systems

IMT-2000 defined the 3rd-generation capacities:

voice quality, 144kbps data rate for high speed mobile, 384 kbps data rate
for low speed mobile, 2.048 Mbps office use, packet/circuit switching,
Internet interface, more efficiency of spectrum use, more mobile equipment
support, flexible for new services and technologies.

Intended to provide high speed wireless communications for

multimedia, data, and video

Personal communications services (PCSs) and personal
communication networks (PCNs) are objectives for thirdgeneration wireless.
Planned technology is digital using TDMA or CDMA to provide
efficient spectrum use and high capacity
PCS handsets are designed to be low power, small and light
Future public land mobile telecommunications systems
(FPLMTS) includes both terrestrial and satellite-based services
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Geostationary Satellites
Circular orbit 35,838 km above the
earths surface
rotates in the equatorial plane of the
earth at exactly the same angular speed
as the earth
will remain above the same spot on the
equator as the earth rotates.
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Problems with
Geostationary Orbits
Signal can weaken after traveling > 35,000 km
Polar regions and the far northern and southern
hemispheres are poorly served
Even at speed of light, about 300,000 km/sec,
the delay in sending a signal from a point on the
equator beneath the satellite 35,838 km to the
satellite and 35,838 km back is substantial.

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LEO and MEO Orbits

Alternatives to geostationary orbits
LEO: Low earth orbiting (320-1100 Km)

Stronger signals
Propagation time is smaller
Coverage can be better localized
Needs more satellites (66 for Iridium system)

MEO: Medium earth orbiting (>10,000Km)

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Satellite Orbits

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Types of LEOs
Little LEOs: Intended to work at

communication frequencies below1 GHz

using no more than 5 MHz of bandwidth
and supporting data rates up to 10 kbps
Big LEOs: Work at frequencies above 1
GHz and supporting data rates up to a
few megabits per second
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rd
3

Iridium: A
Generation
Satellite System

66 small LEOs
Services: voice, paging, wireless phone
Proposed in 1987
Put in service 1999
Named for the element iridium because 77 electrons match the
number of satellites
Transmissions between satellites
$5 billion to implement
Motorola 9505 terminal for Iridium weighs about 13 oz. (370g)
2.4 hour talk time, 24 hours standby time
Using L band (1600-1700 MHz) for ground communications and
18-30 GHz between satellites

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