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Random Access procedure [Under UMTS] Phy procedures (FDD) - 25.

.214 Phy channels and their mapping on transport channels (FDD) - 25.211 Spreading and Modulation (FDD) - 25.213 Let us come back to our initial flow of discussion started in UE power on article: UE power on scanning/synchronisation/PLMN search - PLMN/cell selection - NAS request for RRC connection - RRC connection establishment. RRC connection establishment start with RRC Connection Request message; this is to be sent over RACH/PRACH. At this point, UE presence is not known to network and so UE has to perform random access procedure over (collision prone) shared uplink channel (known as PRACH). There are two physical channels which are of concern here: AICH (Acquisition Indicator CHannel) in DL and PRACH (Physical Random Access CHannel) in UL. Both channels are divided in slots, with AICH in sync with PCCPCH and PRACH ahead of AICH by a known time interval (7,680 chips) as shown below.

PRACH access slots are organised in 12 sets, called RACH sub-channels. The organisation has been specified in 3GPP TS 25.214. Network further allocates RACH sub-channels to 8 Access Service Classes (ASC). Simply speaking, ASC denote the priority of the service for RACH request is being made; 0 is highest priority and 7 lowest. In addition to RACH subchannels for each ASC, UE extract information required random access like preamble scrambling code, set of available signatures etc. Here is roughly how random access works (an example is shown in above diagram): 1) UE chooses one of the available signatures from system information (signature work like a reference when later network reply back we will see in later step).

2) It scrambles chosen signature with preamble scrambling code and sends it on one of the access slots. Access slot should belong to sub-channel of appropriate ASC. UE also has to estimate initial power with which it is to send preamble. 3) UE then wait on AICH. Network sends back received signature on AICH. This acts as an acknowledgement for UE. 4) Due to less power or due to collision with preamble sent by other UE, preamble might not be received by network. If UE does not receive ack over AICH, UE try re-transmission with 1 db higher power. 5) Once AICH ack is detected, UE transmits RACH message over PRACH. There is one-to-one mapping [3GPP TS 25.213] between preamble scrambling code and scrambling code that is to be used for RACH message. So UE knows which code to use for RACH message. Also, as scrambling code used for RACH message is different than that used for preamble, even though other UEs send preamble at the same time as RACH message, node B can still retrieve RACH message. In effect, what we have done above is: we used common code to get access and then once acknowledged, we used different but known code to send actual message. Needless to mention, retries are made certain number of times (as indicated by network in system information) and then access is aborted.

In last article, we looked at cell search procedure performed during UE power on. Next step would be network registration. NAS/MM entity is responsible for network registration procedures. Note that registration is to be done for both CS and PS domains. Registration can be done separately for CS and PS or can be combined (in which case interface between MSC and SGSN is to be present). CS domain registration is nothing but location update procedure and for PS domain, it is done with GPRS attach procedure. For doing combined CS and PS attach, GPRS attach procedure will be performed - the difference being: "Attach type" in Attach Request would be "Combined GPRS/IMSI attach" rather than "GPRS Attach" or "GPRS attach while IMSI attached". These NAS procedures are similar to what is done for GSM and GPRS (briefed in GSM and GPRS articles). For NAS procedures, RR connection is needed. RR connection is requested from RRC. To establish a connection, RRC need to send "RRC Connection Request" over CCCH. During UE power on, transport channel that would be used is RACH. The physical channel would be PRACH. PHY has to perform "random access procedure" at this point in time. Before we look at this procedure, we need to look at RRC states. As overall control of AS is with RRC, RRC states determine channel mapping and various other procedures. To complete our understanding, we will also look at System information. Note that RRC had already used partial system information during cell search for determining PLMN, cell selection etc. System information comes in System Information Blocks (SIB) (which itself is part of RRC SYSTEM INFORMATION message). SIBs can be segmented or segments can be packed in one message. One SIB cater to

particular type of information like SIB type 4 will have Cell identity, Cell selection and re-selection information etc. There are 18 types of SIBs ( 1 till 7 and 11 till 18 - 8/9/10 are not applicable to R5). SIBs are broadcast regularly, but with different repetition rate. System information is actually organised as tree with Master Information Black (MIB) as root. MIB contain references to SIB and (1 or 2) Scheduling blocks (SB). Scheduling blocks contain references to other SIBs as shown below:

Why do we need Scheduling blocks ? Once UE has camped on a network and read all required system information, it may not be needed to read this information again and again. In fact, for registered UEs, any change in system information is indicated by network in paging message or RRC SYSTEM INFORMATION CHANGE INDICATION message sent on S-CCPCH/FACH channel (depending on RRC state). This way, UE power is saved. In addition, by having tree structure and scheduling blocks for system information, UE need not listen to P-CCPCH, but can (sleep and) listen to (changed or required) SIB at scheduled time. This way, further power saving is achieved. As MIB is the root, MIB is scheduled at fixed intervals. During cell search, UE must first look for MIB and then proceed accordingly.

RRC states [Under UMTS] RRC - 25.331 (esp. Annex B) UE idle mode procedures and cell re-selection procedures in connected mode - 25.304 During camping on a cell, UE is said to be in RRC "Idle mode". Once RRC connection is established, it goes in RRC "Connected mode". For simplicity, we will assume that UE does not support GSM radio access. Following diagram shows RRC states and their transitions. State transition scenarios shown in diagram are only to give an idea about the states; refer 3GPP TS 25.331 for details.

As seen above, RRC state determine the channel mapping and also mobility, measurement procedures.

Next step after PLMN and cell selection is network registration or attach. Registration procedure is NAS/MM responsibility, for which NAS requests RRC connection. RRC connection establishment require following signaling exchanges: UE NB

UE is in idle mode. NAS has requested signaling connection from AS/RRC.

CCCH/RACH RRC CONNECTION REQUEST Message contain (initial) UE identity (TMSI, P-TMSI, IMSI or IMEI), Establishment cause (Originating Conversation call, Registration etc.) etc. UE/PHY will perform Random access procedure (over PRACH) to send the message. CCCH/FACH/S-CCPCH RRC CONNECTION SETUP This message contain information about identity (U-RNTI, C-RNTI), RRC state indicator, Signaling radio bearers (i.e. radio bearers with identities 1 thru 4) and their mapping on transport channels. It may also contain physical frequency info, transport channel info (transport format set etc.), DCH/DPCH allocation (new state CELL_DCH) etc. DCCH/RACH or DCCH/DCH RRC CONNECTION SETUP COMPLETE UE configures its MAC and acknowledges successful establishment with this message. UE may indicate its radio access capability with this message. UE/RRC is in connected mode now. If you remember, CCCH use transparent RLC mode. So message "RRC Connection Request" is passed transparently to MAC. To send this message, MAC/PHY invokes "random access" procedure over PRACH. Before we look at this procedure, let us look at interface between MAC and PHY. For every transport channel, PHY need to know the characteristics of transport. This brings us to a important concept of "Transport Format (TF)" [3GPP TS 25.302]. Let us explore this in next article.

Let us come back to our initial flow of discussion started in UE power on article: UE power on scanning/synchronisation/PLMN search - PLMN/cell selection - NAS request for RRC connection - RRC connection establishment. RRC connection establishment start with RRC Connection Request message; this is to be sent over RACH/PRACH. At this point, UE presence is not known to network and so UE has to perform random access procedure over (collision prone) shared uplink channel (known as PRACH). There are two physical channels which are of concern here: AICH (Acquisition Indicator CHannel) in DL and PRACH (Physical Random Access CHannel) in UL. Both channels are divided in slots, with AICH in sync with PCCPCH and PRACH ahead of AICH by a known time interval (7,680 chips) as shown below.

PRACH access slots are organised in 12 sets, called RACH sub-channels. The organisation has been specified in 3GPP TS 25.214. Network further allocates RACH sub-channels to 8 Access Service Classes (ASC). Simply speaking, ASC denote the priority of the service for RACH request is being made; 0 is highest priority and 7 lowest. In addition to RACH subchannels for each ASC, UE extract information required random access like preamble scrambling code, set of available signatures etc. Here is roughly how random access works (an example is shown in above diagram): 1) UE chooses one of the available signatures from system information (signature work like a reference when later network reply back we will see in later step). 2) It scrambles chosen signature with preamble scrambling code and sends it on one of the access slots. Access slot should belong to sub-channel of appropriate ASC. UE also has to estimate initial power with which it is to send preamble.

3) UE then wait on AICH. Network sends back received signature on AICH. This acts as an acknowledgement for UE. 4) Due to less power or due to collision with preamble sent by other UE, preamble might not be received by network. If UE does not receive ack over AICH, UE try re-transmission with 1 db higher power. 5) Once AICH ack is detected, UE transmits RACH message over PRACH. There is one-to-one mapping [3GPP TS 25.213] between preamble scrambling code and scrambling code that is to be used for RACH message. So UE knows which code to use for RACH message. Also, as scrambling code used for RACH message is different than that used for preamble, even though other UEs send preamble at the same time as RACH message, node B can still retrieve RACH message. In effect, what we have done above is: we used common code to get access and then once acknowledged, we used different but known code to send actual message. Needless to mention, retries are made certain number of times (as indicated by network in system information) and then access is aborted.

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