GPRS Air Interface

Objectives
At the end of the module, the participant will be able to:
Explain the functions of the air interface in the physical,
MAC and RLC layers
Differentiate between physical and logical GPRS channels
List and describe the GPRS air interface logical channels
and their functions
Explain the GPRS TDMA frame, multiframe and superframe
structure
Explain the GPRS Protocols

What is the air interface?

Interface between the MS and BSS
Major bottleneck in GPRS performance

Uplink Direction
Downlink Direction
MS

Um

GSM/GPRS Network

Layers of the GPRS air interface

Physical layer
MAC (Medium Access Control)
layer

RLC (Radio Link Layer) layer

What is a channel?
In GSM, 25 MHz spectrum is frequency divided into 124 * 200 kHz
Each 200 kHz band is time-divided into 8 timeslots (TS)
Each TS is equivalent to a physical channel in GSM
Physical channel vs. Logical channel
It is possible to share a TS among many sources
Logical channel implies partial use of TS by many sources
Each physical channel contains a number of logical channels
Traffic channel vs. Control channel
Data and voice are carried in traffic channels (TCH)
Control signal are sent in common control channels (CCCH)

Channels in a GSM cell

Each cell has one or more RF carrier frequencies (200 kHz BW)
Each frequency has 8 TS
Each cell has 8, 16 , 24 TS
Each of the TS can be used for voice, data, or control signalling:
First TS of RF carrier in cell is reserved for signalling (CCCH)
Remaining TS are used for traffic channels (TCH)
Unused TCH can be used for GPRS

Types of GPRS logical channels

Broadcast channels
GSM
FCCH Frequency Correction Channel
SCH
Synchronisation Channel
BCCH Broadcast Control Channel

GPRS
PBCCH Packet Broadcast Control Channel
Broadcasts packet data specific System Information messages
MS continuously monitors this
GSM BCCH can also be used

Common Control channels

GSM

GPRS

PCH (Paging Channel)

RACH

(Random Access Channel)

AGCH
(Access Grant Channel)

PPCH (Packet Paging Channel)

Can be used for paging both CS & PS services
GSM PCH can also be used
PRACH (Packet Random Access Channel)
Used for uplink channel reservation & to obtain
TA
GSM RACH can also be used
PAGCH (Packet Access Grant Channel)
Used for resource assignment during packet
transfer establishment phase
GSM AGCH can also be used
PNCH (Packet Notification Channel)
Downlink only channel used for PTM-M
notifications to a group of MS before PTM-M
packet transfer
Only in GPRS Phase 2

Dedicated channels
GSM

GPRS

SDCCH

PACCH (Packet Associated Control Channel)

Bi-directional dedicated channel for transferring

(Standalone Dedicated
Control Channel)
SACCH
(Slow Associated
Control Channel)
FACCH
(Fast Associated
Control Channel)
TCH (EFR/FR/HR
Traffic Channel)

ack./power control or resource assignment/reassignment messages

PDTCH (Packet Data Traffic Channel)
Bi-directional
Corresponds to the resource allocated to a single
MS on one physical channel for user data
transmission
PTCCH (Packet Timing advance Control Ch.)
Uplink dedicated (for transmission of random
access bursts)
Downlink common (for transmission of timing
advance information to several MSs).

Radio resource management