Time-division multiple access

Time-division multiple access(TDMA) is a channel access methodfor shared-medium networks. It allows several users to share the
same frequency channel by dividing the signal into different time slots.[1] The users transmit in rapid succession, one after the other,
each using its own time slot. This allows multiple stations to share the same transmission medium (e.g. radio frequency channel)
while using only a part of its channel capacity. TDMA is used in the digital 2G cellular systems such as Global System for Mobile
Communications (GSM), IS-136, Personal Digital Cellular (PDC) and iDEN, and in the Digital Enhanced Cordless
Telecommunications (DECT) standard for portable phones. TDMA was first used in satellite communication systems by Western
Union in its Westar 3 communications satellite in 1979. It is now used extensively in satellite communications,[2][3][4][5] combat-net
radio systems, and passive optical network(PON) networks for upstream traffic from premises to the operator. For usage of Dynamic
TDMA packet mode communication, see below
.

TDMA is a type of time-division multiplexing(TDM), with

the special point that instead of having one transmitter
connected to one receiver, there are multiple transmitters.
In the case of the uplink from a mobile phone to a base
station this becomes particularly difficult because the
mobile phone can move around and vary the timing
advance required to make its transmission match the gap in
transmission from its peers.

Contents
TDMA characteristics TDMA frame structure showing a data stream divided into
TDMA in mobile phone systems frames and those frames divided into time slots
2G systems
3G systems
TDMA in wired networks
Comparison with other multiple-access
schemes
Dynamic TDMA
See also
References

TDMA characteristics
Shares single carrier frequency with multiple users
Non-continuous transmission makes handoff simpler
Slots can be assigned on demand in dynamic TDMA
Less stringent power control thanCDMA due to reduced intra cell interference
Higher synchronization overhead than CDMA
Advanced equalization may be necessary for high data rates if the channel is "frequency selective" and creates
Intersymbol interference
Cell breathing (borrowing resources from adjacent cells) is more complicated than in CDMA
Frequency/slot allocation complexity
Pulsating power envelope:interference with other devices
TDMA in mobile phone systems

2G systems
Most 2G cellular systems, with the notable exception of IS-95, are based on TDMA. GSM, D-AMPS, PDC, iDEN, and PHS are
examples of TDMA cellular systems. GSM combines TDMA with Frequency Hopping and wideband transmission to minimize
common types of interference.

In the GSM system, the synchronization of the mobile phones is achieved by sending timing advance commands from the base
station which instructs the mobile phone to transmit earlier and by how much. This compensates for the propagation delay resulting
from the light speed velocity of radio waves. The mobile phone is not allowed to transmit for its entire time slot, but there is a guard
interval at the end of each time slot. As the transmission moves into the guard period, the mobile network adjusts the timing advance
to synchronize the transmission.

Initial synchronization of a phone requires even more care. Before a mobile transmits there is no way to actually know the offset
required. For this reason, an entire time slot has to be dedicated to mobiles attempting to contact the network; this is known as the
random-access channel (RACH) in GSM. The mobile attempts to broadcast at the beginning of the time slot, as received from the
network. If the mobile is located next to the base station, there will be no time delay and this will succeed. If, however, the mobile
phone is at just less than 35 km from the base station, the time delay will mean the mobile's broadcast arrives at the very end of the
time slot. In that case, the mobile will be instructed to broadcast its messages starting nearly a whole time slot earlier than would be
expected otherwise. Finally, if the mobile is beyond the 35 km cell range in GSM, then the RACH will arrive in a neighbouring time
slot and be ignored. It is this feature, rather than limitations of power, that limits the range of a GSM cell to 35 km when no special
extension techniques are used. By changing the synchronization between the uplink and downlink at the base station, however, this
limitation can be overcome.

3G systems
Although most major 3G systems are primarily based upon CDMA, time-division duplexing (TDD), packet scheduling (dynamic
TDMA) and packet oriented multiple access schemes are available in 3G form, combined with CDMA to take advantage of the
benefits of both technologies.

While the most popular form of the UMTS 3G system uses CDMA and frequency division duplexing (FDD) instead of TDMA,
TDMA is combined with CDMA and time-division duplexing in two standard UMTS UTRA.

TDMA in wired networks

The ITU-T G.hn standard, which provides high-speed local area networking over existing home wiring (power lines, phone lines and
coaxial cables) is based on a TDMA scheme. In G.hn, a "master" device allocates "Contention-Free Transmission Opportunities"
(CFTXOP) to other "slave" devices in the network. Only one device can use a CFTXOP at a time, thus avoiding collisions. FlexRay
protocol which is also a wired network used for safety-critical communication in modern cars, uses the TDMA method for data
transmission control.

Comparison with other multiple-access schemes

In radio systems, TDMA is usually used alongside frequency-division multiple access (FDMA) and frequency division duplex
(FDD); the combination is referred to as FDMA/TDMA/FDD. This is the case in both GSM and IS-136 for example. Exceptions to
this include the DECT and Personal Handy-phone System (PHS) micro-cellular systems, UMTS-TDD UMTS variant, and China's
TD-SCDMA, which use time-division duplexing, where different time slots are allocated for the base station and handsets on the
same frequency.
A major advantage of TDMA is that the radio part of the mobile only needs to listen and broadcast for its own time slot. For the rest
of the time, the mobile can carry out measurements on the network, detecting surrounding transmitters on different frequencies. This
allows safe inter frequency handovers, something which is difficult in CDMA systems, not supported at all in IS-95 and supported
through complex system additions in Universal Mobile Telecommunications System(UMTS). This in turn allows for co-existence of
microcell layers with macrocell layers.

CDMA, by comparison, supports "soft hand-off" which allows a mobile phone to be in communication with up to 6 base stations
simultaneously, a type of "same-frequency handover". The incoming packets are compared for quality, and the best one is selected.
CDMA's "cell breathing" characteristic, where a terminal on the boundary of two congested cells will be unable to receive a clear
signal, can often negate this advantage during peak periods.

A disadvantage of TDMA systems is that they create interference at a frequency which is directly connected to the time slot length.
This is the buzz which can sometimes be heard if a TDMA phone is left next to a radio or speakers.[6] Another disadvantage is that
the "dead time" between time slots limits the potential bandwidth of a TDMA channel. These are implemented in part because of the
difficulty in ensuring that different terminals transmit at exactly the times required. Handsets that are moving will need to constantly
adjust their timings to ensure their transmission is received at precisely the right time, because as they move further from the base
station, their signal will take longer to arrive. This also means that the major TDMA systems have hard limits on cell sizes in terms of
range, though in practice the power levels required to receive and transmit over distances greater than the supported range would be
mostly impractical anyway.

Dynamic TDMA
In dynamic time-division multiple access (dynamic TDMA), a scheduling algorithm dynamically reserves a variable number of
time slots in each frame to variable bit-rate data streams, based on the traffic demand of each data stream. Dynamic TDMA is used in

HIPERLAN/2 broadband radio access network.

IEEE 802.16a WiMax
Bluetooth
Military Radios / Tactical Data Link
TD-SCDMA
ITU-T G.hn
Simulation of TDMA / DTMA links

See also
Channel access methods(CAM)
Duplex (telecommunications)(FDD, TDD)
Link 16

References
1. Guowang Miao; Jens Zander; Ki Won Sung; Ben Slimane (2016). Fundamentals of Mobile Data Networks.
Cambridge University Press. ISBN 1107143217.
2. Maine, K.; Devieux, C.; Swan, P. (November 1995). Overview of IRIDIUM satellite network(https://www.researchgat
e.net/publication/3622510_Overview_of_IRIDIUM_satellite_network) . WESCON'95. IEEE. p. 483.
3. Mazzella, M.; Cohen, M.; Rouffet, D.; Louie, M.; Gilhousen, K. S. (April 1993).Multiple access techniques and
spectrum utilisation of the GLOBALSTAR mobile satellite system. Fourth IEE Conference on Telecommunications
1993. IET. pp. 306–311.
4. Sturza, M. A. (June 1995).Architecture of the TELEDESIC satellite system(https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio
n/4672931_Architecture_of_the_TELEDESIC_satellite_system) . International Mobile Satellite Conference.95.
p. 214.
 5. "ORBCOMM System Overview"(https://www.ctu.cz/sites/default/files/cs/download/oznamene_typy_rozhrani/orbcom
m-rozhrani_02_06_2010.pdf)(PDF).
6. "Minimize GSM buzz noise in mobile phones"(http://www.eetimes.com/design/microwave-rf-design/4019057/Minimiz
e-GSM-buzz-noise-in-mobile-phones). EETimes. July 20, 2009. Retrieved November 22, 2010.

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