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Adaptive Multi-Rate (AMR)

Adaptive Multi-Rate (also called AMR or AMR-NB). It is an audio data compression scheme optimized for speech coding.
Link adaptation is used for selecting one of eight different bit rates based on link conditions. This codec uses different
techniques like ACELP (Algebraic Code Excited Linear Prediction), DTX (Discontinuous Transmission), VAD (Voice Activity
Detection) and CNG (Comfort Noise Generation).

AMR-Narrowband:The narrowband AMR speech codec is actually a combination of eight speech codecs with bit rates of 12.2, 10.2, 7.95,
7.4, 6.7, 5.9, 5.15 and 4.75 kbps. The speech codec modes perform also error correction and bad-frame detection. This is
done by a combination of convolutional coding for the error correction and a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) for the
detection of bad frames.

AMR-Wideband:AMR-Wideband has nine different codec rates, ranging from 6.60 to 23.85 kbps. The codec rates from 6.60 to 19.85 kbps
can be supported by GSM as well. AMR-Wideband uses the same algorithm as AMR-Narrowband.

Choosing the right mode:the network dynamically chooses the AMR speech codec mode and the full rate or half rate channel mode for each call.
The choice is based on measurement of the received quality by the mobile station and the base station and on the
network load. At high traffic loads the network uses AMR Half Rate extensively. When the network is less busy, it assigns
AMR Full Rate coding to as many calls as possible, starting with those experiencing the poorest radio conditions.
The network also chooses the best error correction level within AMR Full Rate and AMR Half Rate to achieve the best
call quality. This process, known as codec mode adaptation, results in improved voice quality throughout the cell and
increases overall coverage.
AMR also contains voice activity detection and discontinuous transmission (VAD/DTX). These are used to switch off the
encoding and transmission during periods of silence, thereby reducing radio interference and extending the battery
lifetime.

How Adaptive Multi-Rate Codec (AMR)

Work In GSM?
AMR adapts its error protection level (select its optimum
channel mode and codec mode) to the local radio channel
and traffic load conditions to deliver the best possible
combination of speech quality and system capacity
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. The basic AMR codec
mode sets for MS and BTS are provided by BSC via layer 3 signaling.

Prepared By. Farukh Munir

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GSM Codecs:
In GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) three speech coding algorithms are part of this standard. The
purpose of these coders is to compress the speech signal before its transmission, reducing the number of bits needed
in its digital representation, while keeping an acceptable quality of the decoded output.

Half Rate: - (also called HR, GSM-HR or GSM 06.20). It is a speech coding system developed for GSM. The codec
operates at 5.6 kbps (meaning that it uses only the half bandwidth of the Full Rate codec); the network capacity used for
voice transmission is doubled (however, it results in reduced audio quality); the sample rate is 8 kHz with 13 bit; frame
length 160 samples (20 ms) and sub-frame length 40 samples (5 ms).

Full Rate: - The FR coder was standardized in 1987. This coder belongs to the class of Regular Pulse Excitation - Long
Term Prediction -linear predictive (RPE-LTP) coders. In the encoder part, a frame of 160 speech samples is encoded as a
block of 260 bits, leading to a bit rate of 13 kbps. The decoder maps the encoded blocks of 260 bits to output blocks of
160 reconstructed speech samples. The GSM full rate channel supports 22.8 kbps. Thus, the remaining 9.8 kbps are used
for error protection.

Enhanced Full Rate: - (also called EFR, GSM-EFR or GSM 06.60). It is the enhanced development of GSM-Full Rate as
it produces higher speech quality. Despite the high speech and call quality this codec needs about 5% more energy. It is
based on Algebraic Code Excited Linear Prediction Coder (ACELP) algorithm.

Summary for GSM codecs

Audio compression
format

Algorithm

Sample
Rate

Bit rate

Bits per
sample

Latency

CBR

VBR

Stereo

Multi channel

GSM-HR

Lossy

8 kHz

5.6 kbps

13

25ms

Yes

No

No

No

GSM-FR

Lossy

8 kHz

13 kbps

13

2030ms

Yes

No

No

No

GSM-EFR

ACELP,
Lossy

8 kHz

12.2
kbps

13

2030ms

Yes

No

No

No

Prepared By. Farukh Munir