LTE Layer 1/2/3

MAC : Media Access Control

RLC: Radio link control
PDCP: Packet Data Convergence Protocol
RRC: Radio Resource Control
LTE Physical layer
 Physical Layer (PHY) functions:

 Coding/decoding

 Multiple access

 Modulation/demodulation

 Multi-antenna mapping/demapping

 Other typical physical layer functions

 Downlink Air Interface

 Transmits hundreds or even thousands of separately

modulated radio signals using orthogonal subcarriers spread
across a wideband channel
Subcarrier types
 OFDMA Symbol
 OFDMA Symbol is the Time period occupied by the
modulation symbols on all subcarriers. Represents all the data
being transferred in parallel at a point in time.

 OFDMA symbol duration including CP is a prox. 71.4 μs

 Symbol length without considering CP: 66.67μs (1/15kHz)

 Normal (7)CP=4.7/5.2 μsec (1.4 Km), extended CP (6)=

16.7μsec (5 Km)
Frame Structure (FDD)
Frame Structure (TDD)
Frame Structure (TDD)
 Capacity allocation is based on Resource Blocks or
PRB.
 Resource Element (RE)
 72 or 84 Resource Elements per Resource Block

 Each RE can accommodate 1 modulation symbol, e.g. 2 bits for

QPSK, 4 bits for 16QAM and 6 bits for 64 QAM

 Modulation symbol rate per Resource Block is 144 ksps

(extended CP) or 168 ksps (normal CP)

 The normal schedule elements is two RB (i.e. one subframe =

1ms)
Modulation and coding scheme (MCS)
 UE reports one of 14 CQI (Channel Quality Indicator)

 CQI values are mapped to 29 MCS (Modulation and Coding

Scheme) indexes

 The radio link data rate is controlled by adjusting the

modulation scheme and/or the channel coding rate.

 Scheduler decides which form to use depending on carrier

quality feedback information from the UE.
 LTE UE Categories
 2x2 MIMO mandatory in other classes except Class 1
Layer two & three
E-UTRAN User Plane
Control Plane Stack
LTE Layer 2 Structure (DL)
 Protocol Layers

 Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP)

 IP header compression for data (ROHC), Adds 4 or 6 bytes

instead of 20/40 RTP/UDP/IP4 or IPv6 address bytes.

 Ciphering and integrity (control) protection of transmitted data.

 Sequencing and duplicate detection (data)

Radio Link Control (RLC)
Adds 1 or 2 bytes, In-sequence delivery to higher layers
Segmentation/concatenation, Retransmission handling
 RLC support three delivery services to higher layers

 Transparent mode (broadcast and paging – connectionless

service)

 Unacknowledged mode (connectionless service, like TM,

but segmentation, concatenation, and sequencing)

 Acknowledged mode (offer ARQ, retransmission can be

used)
 Medium Access Control (MAC)

 Adds 5 bytes & handles hybrid-ARQ retransmissions

 Uplink and downlink scheduling at the eNodeB

 Multiplexing (different bearers into same transport block TB)

 Channel mapping and multiplexing

 Layer 3: RRC

 Some functions:

 RRC Connection Management (creating, modifying and

deleting Radio Bearers)

 Mobility Management (measurement control and reporting)

 System Information Broadcasting (SIBs)

 Network Access stratum (NAS)

 Bearer management

 Security control

 Paging origination