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UMTS Radio Access Network

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Basic UMTS Architecture

UE UTRAN CN

Uu Iu

UE User Equipment RAN Radio Access Network

UTRAN UMTS Terrestrial RAN CN Core Network
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User Equipment (UE)

USIM
The 3G Network terminal is called UE
and it contains two separate parts,
Mobile Equipment (ME) and UMTS
Cu
Service Identity Module (USIM).
The Interface between USIM and UE
is called Cu interface.
ME

UE
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UMTS Radio Access Network (UTRAN)

The subsystem controlling the

Node B wideband radio access has
RNC
different names, depending on
Node B Iub the type of radio technology
RNS
used. The general term is Radio
Iur Access Network (RAN).
If especially talking about UMTS
Node B
with WCDMA radio access, the
RNC
name UTRAN or UTRA is used
Node B Iub
RNS
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UMTS Radio Access Network (UTRAN)

The UTRAN is divided into Radio

Node B Network Subsystem (RNS). One
RNC RNS consist of set of radio
Node B Iub elements and their corresponding
RNS controlling element. In UTRAN
Iur the radio element is Node B or
Base Station (BS), and the
controlling element is Radio
Node B
RNC
Network Controller (RNC).
The RNSs are connected to each other
Node B Iub
RNS over access network-internal interface
Iur
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UMTS Base Station

It logically corresponds to GSM BTS.

It is also known as Node B.
It is located between the Uu and Iub interface.
Main task is to establish the physical implementation of Uu
interface towards UE and Iub interface towards the network.
Convert the data flow between the Iub and Uu interface.
Participate in radio resources management.
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Radio Network Controller (RNC)
It is the switching and controlling element of the UTRAN.
It is located between the Iub and Iu interface.
It also has the third interface called Iur for inter-RNS connection.
It interfaces the core network.
It terminates the Radio Resource Control (RRC).
It logically corresponds to the GSM BSC.
It controls the mobility and handover within the RAN.
It supports Radio Access Bearer (RAB) services with CS and
PS data.
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Radio Network Controller (RNC)

Logical Roles of the RNC.

1. Controlling RNC (CRNC)

2. Serving RNC (SRNC)
3. Drift RNC (DRNC)

One Physical RNC normally contains all the CRNC , SRNC and
DRNC functionality.
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Radio Network Controller (RNC)

Controlling RNC (CRNC)

The RNC controlling one Node B (i.e terminating the Iub

interface towards the Node B) is indicated as the controlling
RNC of the Node B. The CRNC is responsible for the load
and congestion control of its own cells and also executes the
admission control and code allocation for new radio link to be
established in those cell.
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Radio Network Controller (RNC)

In case one mobile UTRAN connection uses resources

from more than one RNS , the RNCs involved have two
separate roles with respect to this mobile UTRAN
connection
Serving RNC (SRNC)

Drift RNC (DRNC)

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Radio Network Controller (RNC)

Serving RNC (SRNC)

The serving RNC for one mobile is the RNC that terminates
both the Iu link for the transport of user data and the
corresponding RAN application part signalling to / from the
CN (this connection is referred to as the RANAP connection)
The SRNC also terminates the signaling protocol between
the UE and UTRAN.
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Radio Network Controller (RNC)
Serving RNC (SRNC)
It performs the L2 processing of the data to / from the radio
interface.
Basic RRM operations such as the mapping of radio access
bearer (RAB) parameters into air interface transport channel
parameter, the handover decision and the outer loop power
control are executed in the SRNC.
The SRNC may also (but not always) be the CRNC of some
Node B used by the mobile connection with UTRAN.
One UE connected to UTRAN has one and only one SRNC
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Radio Network Controller (RNC)
Drift RNC (DRNC)

The DRNC is any RNC , other than the SRNC , that

controls cells used by the mobile.
The DRNC does not perform L2 processing of the
user plane data but routes the data transparently
between Iub and Iur interfaces.
One UE may have zero , one or more DRNCs
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UMTS Channels Organization

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What is Channel ?

WCDMA radio access allocates bandwidth for users , the

allocated bandwidth and its controlling functions are handled
with the term Channel
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Channel Organization

The Channel organization of the WCDMA is in three layers

Logical Channel
Transport Channel
Physical Channel
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Channel Types and their location in UTRAN

U Node-B RNC
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Logical Channels

Transport Channels

Physical Channels
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Channel Organization

Logical channels define what type of data is transferred.

Transport channels define how and with which type of

characteristics the data is transferred by the physical layer.

Physical data define the exact physical characteristics of the

radio channel.
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Channel Organization
In
Downlink direction
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Logical Channels

Logical channel types are classified into two groups:

Control channels for the transfer of control information

Traffic channels for the transfer of user information.

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Logical Channels ALT CENTRE

Common Downlink Logical Channels

BCCH (Broadcast Control Channel)

- Broadcasts cell and system information to all UE
PCCH (Paging Control Channel)
- Transmits paging information to a UE when the UEs
location is unknown
CCCH (Common Control Channel)
- Transmits control information to a UE when there is no
RRC Connection
CTCH (Common Traffic Channel)
- Traffic channel for sending traffic to a group of UEs.
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Logical Channels ALT CENTRE

Dedicated Downlink Logical Channels

DCCH (Dedicated Control Channel)

- Transmits control information to a UE when there is a RRC
Connection

DTCH (Dedicated Traffic Channel)

- Traffic channel dedicated to one UE
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Transport Channels

There are two types of Transport channels

Common channels

Dedicated channels.
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Transport Channels

Common Downlink Transport Channels

BCH (Broadcast Channel)

- Continuous transmission of system and cell information

PCH (Paging Channel)

- Carries control information to UE when location is unknown

FACH (Forward Access Channel)

- Used for transmission of idle-mode control information to a UE
- Control signaling during call set-up
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Transport Channels

Common Downlink Transport Channels

DSCH (Downlink Shared Channel)

- Used for dedicated control or traffic data (bursty traffic). Shared
by several users

DCH (Dedicated Channel)

- Carries dedicated traffic and control data to one UE
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Mapping of Channels (Downlink Direction)

Logical Channels

BCCH PCCH CTCH CCCH DCCH DTCH

BCH PCH FACH DCH DSCH

Transport Channels
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Physical Channels

The physical channel actually form the physical existence of the

Uu interface between the UE domain and access domain.

U Uu
Node-B
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Physical Channels
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Physical Channels

In GSM the physical channels and their structure is recognized by

the BSC but in WCDMA the physical channel really exist in the
Uu interface and the RNC is not necessarily aware of their
structure at all .Instead of physical channel the RNC sees transport
channels.

Transport Channel carry different information flows over the Uu

interface and the physical element mapping these information
flows to the physical channel is the Node-B.
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Physical Channels

Common Downlink Physical Channels

Primary Common Control Physical Channel (P-CCPCH)

- Broadcasts system information.

Synchronization Channel (SCH)

- Carries Primary and Secondary Synchronization Codes,
used for slot synchronization, frame synchronization and
the detection of the scrambling code group (one out of 64).
It is time multiplexed (only first 10%) with the P-CCPCH
(remaining 90% of timeslot).
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Physical Channels

Common Downlink Physical Channels

Secondary Common Control Physical Channel (S-CCPCH)

- Carries both the Paging Channel (PCH) and the Forward
Access Channel (FACH). Transmits idle-mode signaling
and control information to UE.
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Physical Channels

Dedicated Downlink Physical Channels

Dedicated Downlink Physical Data Channel (DPDCH)

- Used for sending dedicated user data .

Dedicated Downlink Physical Control Channel (DPCCH)

- Used for transmitting the control information during the
dedicated connection e.g power control information.
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Physical Channels

Shared Downlink Physical Channels

High-Speed Physical Downlink Shared Channel (HS-PDSCH)

- Used for sending users data (Shared mode).

HS-SCCH - High-Speed Shared Control Channel(s)

- physical downlink channel that carries control information
how to decode the information on HS-PDSCH and which UE
that shall decode it.
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Mapping of Channels (Downlink Direction)
BCCH PCCH CTCH CCCH DCCH DTCH
Logical
Channels

Transport
BCH PCH FACH DCH DSCH
Channels

P-CCPCH S-CCPCH DPDCH DPCCH PDSCH Physical

Channels
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Channel Organization
In
Uplink direction
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Logical Channels ALT CENTRE

In the Uplink direction the logical channel requirement is

smaller. There are only three logical channels
CCCH , DTCH and DCCH
These abbreviation have the same meaning as in the downlink
direction
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Transport Channels ALT CENTRE

Common Uplink Transport Channels

RACH Random Access Channel
- Carries access requests, control information
- Subject to random access collisions

Dedicated Uplink Transport Channels

DCH Dedicated Channel
- Carries dedicated traffic and control data from one UE
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Mapping of Channels (Uplink Direction)
CCCH DTCH DCCH
Logical Channels

RACH DCH Transport Channels

PRACH DPDCH DPCCH Physical Channels