Wireless networks - Lecture 18: GPRS: General packet radio service (Part 2)

Wireless networks - Lecture 18: GPRS: General packet radio service (Part 2). The main topics covered in this chapter include: GPRS protocol architecture; GPRS air interface; data routing and mobility; uplink data transfer; downlink data transfer; QoS in GPRS;...

Wireless Networks

Lecture 18 GPRS: General Packet Radio Service (Part II)

Dr Ghalib A Shah

Logical Channels

Control Channels

► When allocated in a cell, GPRS related mobiles

camp on it

► Divded into

• Random Access (PRACH): MS initiate packet transfer or respond to paging messages

• Paging (PPCH): to page an MS prior to packet transfer

• Access Grant (PAGCH): send resource assignment to MS prior to packet transfer

• Packet Notification (PNCH): used to send a PTM-Multicast notification to group of MS

Control Channels

• Slow Associated Control Channel (SACCH)

– Radio measurements, power control and data – SMS transfer during calls

• Fast Associated Control Channel (FACCH)

– For one Traffic Channel (TCH) – Carry Ack

• Stand-alone Dedicated Control Channel (SDCCH)

– is used in the GSM system to provide a reliable connection for signalling and Short Message Service.

Control Channels

► Frequency correction channels

• Allows the MS to synchronize their Local Oscillator (LO) to the Base Station LO, using frequency offset estimation and correction

► Synchronization channel (MS freq vs BS)

► Broadcast control channel for general information on

the base station

GPRS Architecture

BTS

BTS MS

BSC Gb

SGSN Gf

D EIR

MSC/VLR

HLR Gc

Gn

Other GPRS PLMN

Protocol Architecture

 Trans mis s ion Plane

► The protocols provide transmission of user data and

its associated signaling  

 Signaling Plane

► Comprises protocols for the control and support of

functions of the transmission plane

Transmission Plane

 GPRS Backbone:SGSN GGSN

► GTP tunnels the user packets and related signaling information

between the GPRS support nodes.

► PLL:channel coding,detection of errors, forward error correction,

interleaving, detection of physical link congestion

► RFL:modulation and demodulation

PLL RFL

RLC MAC

LLC SNDCP Network Layer

Application

PLL              PHY  RFL       Layer

MAC        Network        Service

Relay RLC      BSSGP

Radio Link Control

 Can provide reliability for MAC transmissions

Media Access Control (MAC)

channel access attempts

► Temporary Flow Identity (TFI) is unique among

concurrent TBFs in the same direction

MAC: Channel Access & Resource Allocation

► Used in PRACH

• MSs send packets in uplink direction at the beginning of a slot

• Collision: Back off -> timer (arbitrary) -> re-transmit

► Predefined slots allocated by BSS

► Contention-free channel access

Network       Data Link  Service      Service   BSSGP       IP      

       LLC      TCP/UDP

Relay SNDCP      GTP      

Phy layer

Data Link  Layer

IP TCP/UDP

Network Layer (IP or X.25) GTP

F 1 F 2 F 3

Time Slot Number

  Carrier

Frequency

GPRS Air Interface

• One PDCH acts as Master

• Master holds all PCCCH channels

• The rest of channels act as Slaves

Uplink Data Transfer

PRACH or RACH

PAGCH or AGCH

Random Access Transmission

Acknowledgement

Packet paging request

PPCH or PCH

the GSM network However, some procedures share the network elements with current GSM functions.

 Data is transmitted between a mobile station and the

GPRS network only when the mobile station is in the active state.

 In the active state, the SGSN knows the cell location of

the mobile station.

 In the standby state, the location of the station is known

only as to which routing area it is in.

 In the idle state, the mobile station does not have a

logical GPRS context activated or any Packet-Switched Public Data Network (PSPDZ) addresses allocated,

The MS can receive only those multicast messages

that can be received by any GPRS mobile station.

QoS Support

 Assumes that IP multimedia applications are able to

► Define their requirements

► Negotiate their capabilities

► Identify and select available media components

 GPRS specifies signaling that enable support for

various traffic streams

► Constant/variable bit rate

► Connection oriented/connection less

► Etc

QoS Profile for GPRS Bearers

(PDP) context

(activation, modification and deactivation)

between s peech and data s ervices

allocation