RF Basics

Wireless Network Engineering

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Frequency
FrequencyPlanning
PlanningDiscussion
Discussion

- Review of Frequency Planning constraints for GSM

- C/Ic, C/Ia values for a frequency planning
- Available frequencies / external constraints
- Review of standard frequency plans
- Standard reuse patterns
- How to build the pattern?
- Uplink/Downlink considerations
- Examples of implemented reuse patterns
- Use of features to minimize the interference level
- Frequency hopping
- VAD/DTX
- Power Control
- Diversity
- Comparative performance of plans using these techniques
- Examples of advanced frequency plans using these techniques
- Cell Planning techniques to minimize interference problems
- Antenna type, directivity and gain
- Antenna Tilt (Electrical and Mechanical)
- Site height

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GSM recommendations for Interference
GSM recommendations for mobiles and BTS (ETSI GSM 05.08):

Co-channel interference:
C/(I+N) > 9 dB
Note: when I = N (low coverage areas), the sensitivity degradation is 3 dB
Note 2: at C/(I+N) = 9 dB under fading conditions, the BER is around 7% (RxQual 6)
Adjacent Channel interference:
First adjacency (200 KHz): C/Ia1 >= - 9 dB
Second adjacency (400 KHz): C/Ia2 >= - 41 dB
Third adjacency (600 KHz): C/Ia3 >= - 49 dB

Rule: In between sites, only co-channel and adjacent channel interference are
likely to happen.
1) Frequencies in neighboring cells must never be the same when transmitting
continuously on the same frequency (see frequency hopping).
2) They should as much as possible not be adjacent (200 KHz) to each other.

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 Near-Far mobile effect

Path Loss = 140 dB

Path Loss = 95 dB

MS2: f2
MS1: f1

MS1 received at 45 dB above MS2

=> f1 and f2 need to be at least 600 KHz apart

Rule: On a same site, the frequencies should be chosen 600 KHz or more apart

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 Standard Reuse Patterns

Standard reuse patterns are based on an hexagonal representation of the cells.

The frequencies are organized in groups of 3 frequencies for trisectored sites.

The reuse of the pattern is a result of the following equation:

i2 + ij + j2 where i and j are integers
REGULAR REUSE PATTERNS E
C
REGULAR REUSE PATTERNS D F These patterns allow to build a
D B F A E
C A G A C G B plan insuring a constant reuse
D B D B C G B E
A C A G B E D F distance between the frequencies
B D B D E D F A
C A C D F A C G and therefore allow, up to a
D B D B A C G B
A C A C G B E D certain extent, to minimize the
B D B D B E D F
C A C D F A need for a propagation tool.
B D A C
C G

regular 4-cluster pattern (1st tier of interferers) regular 7-cluster pattern (1st tier of interferers)

Reuse distance Dr = 12 R Reuse distance Dr = 21 R

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 Frequency Plan

> The BCCH plan needs to be developed 12 BCCH Pattern

while prioritizing superior C/I against C/A.
Maximize co-channel re-use distance as
against adjacent channel re-use distance.
> The Propagation Models used in the
Frequency Planning need to be accurate
> The TCH plan can have either static
frequency assignment (same reuse or 1*1 TCH Pattern

different reuse as BCCH plan) or hopping

frequency assignment (1x1 or 1x3).

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 Frequency Plan

> 1X1 Reuse vs. 1X3

• The major criteria for selecting the appropriate hopping
pattern are:
• Geographical Considerations
• Cell Planning Grid (Antenna Azimuths)
• Propagation Environment (Multipath)
• For networks with Standard Azimuths a 1X3 hopping Pattern may
be suitable whereas for a non-standard Azimuth Network a 1X1
Pattern will be suitable.

1*1 Pattern 1*3 Pattern

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Use Of Features minimizing the interference level

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Frequency Hopping constraints

• The frequency supporting BCCH needs to be

transmitted continuously at constant power
for radio measurement purpose:
• Handover preparation
• Cell selection
• Cell re-selection

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 Why using frequency hopping?

Improve network quality:

=> frequency hopping takes care of Raleigh Fading issues
=> frequency hopping allows interferer diversity by spreading the
information over several frequencies (optimal use of interleaving and error
coding capabilities of the GSM system)

Increase the spectrum efficiency:

- With frequency hopping the reuse of frequencies can be increase and
therefore the overall spectrum efficiency can be increased.

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Effect of Frequency Hopping
> Resistance to interference:
• spread of interference over all users
• spread of interference over time
• highly loaded sites benefit from lower load on adjacent
sites
• error correction gain from digital processing
> Resistance to Rayleigh fading:
• re-center RxQual distribution for slow moving mobiles
• better stability of the received signal level
• high improvement for areas of weaker signal strength
• inside buildings
• on street

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Effect of Frequency Hopping
> Frequency Hopping effect on FER
FRAME ERASURE RATE versus SFH at -104 dBm

14 .0 0

12 .0 0
1 km/ h
3 km/ h
10 .0 0 5 km/ h
10 km/ h
FER(%)

8 .0 0 50 km/ h

6 .0 0

4 .0 0

2 .0 0

0 .0 0

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
NUMBER OF FREQUENCIES FOR HOPPING

FOR
FORHANDPORTABLES,
HANDPORTABLES,FREQUENCY
FREQUENCYHOPPING
HOPPINGBRINGS
BRINGSAAHIGH
HIGHIMPROVEMENT
IMPROVEMENT

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Why using fractional reuse?

> Adapt / maximize frequency efficiency

• depending on the available frequency band and the
traffic requirements
> Take full advantage of the frequency hopping
feature
• benefit of / maximize the frequency hopping
improvement for slow moving mobiles
• benefit of / maximize interferer diversity in difficult
environments
• depending on the available spectrum

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Frequency planning technics

> Usual frequency allocation

4 sites = 3 sites =
12 9 groups
groups
==> 4*12 ==> 3*9
fully acceptable in
acceptable TCH with GSM
for BCCH features

• Adapted to large spectrum or low traffic

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Frequency planning techniques

• Fractional reuse frequency plan Legend:

BCCH1: BCCH carrier number 1
TCH1: TCH carriers group number 1

BCCH1 TCH1 TCH1 TCH1

A A A A

BCCH3 BCCH2 BCCH4 TCH3 TCH2 TCH1 TCH3 TCH2 TCH1 TCH1 TCH1 TCH1

C C C
B

BCCH7 BCCH6 BCCH5 TCH4 TCH3 TCH2 TCH1 TCH3 TCH2 TCH1 TCH1 TCH1

C B B B

BCCH9 BCCH8 BCCH10 TCH6 TCH5 TCH4 TCH3 TCH2 TCH1 TCH1 TCH1 TCH1

D D D
D

BCCH12 BCCH11 TCH6 TCH5 TCH3 TCH2 TCH1 TCH1

BCCH 4x12 Reuse Pattern TCH 2x6 Reuse Pattern TCH 1x3 Reuse Pattern TCH 1x1 Reuse Pattern

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 Frequency efficiency

5 Mhz solution- an example

4*12 pattern Fract 1*3 Fract 1*1

24 Carriers 24 Carriers 24 Carriers

24 /12 = 2 - 12 for BCCH - 12 for BCCH
12 for TCH 12 /3 = 4 12 for TCH 12 /1 = 12

Each cell contains

2 frequencies Each cell contains Each cell contains
5 frequencies (1 + 4) 13 frequencies (1 + 12)

11TRX
TRXfor
forBCCH
BCCHnon
nonhopping
hopping 11TRX
TRXfor
forBCCH
BCCHnon
nonhopping
hopping 11TRX
TRXfor
forBCCH
BCCHnon
nonhopping
hopping
11TRX
TRX on 1 frequency(no
on 1 frequency (noFH)
FH) 22TRX hopping on 4 frequencies
TRX hopping on 4 frequencies 22TRX hopping on 12 frequencies
TRX hopping on 12 frequencies

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Fractional reuse principles

> Full use of advanced GSM features to decrease

the global interference level
• VAD / DTX
• Power Control
• Efficient diversity reception
• Fractional frequency distribution of the load using synthesized
frequency hopping and hybrid combiners

> Full benefit of the GSM digital signal processing

• Interleaving
• Error protection

> Full benefit of non uniform traffic distribution

• High traffic areas benefit from adjacent lower traffic areas

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VAD / DTX feature

> No transmission on TCH during blanks

• Happends usually more than 50% of the time of a normal
conversation
• brings at least 3 dB improvement in the global interference level
• effect evenly distributed over all the hopping frequencies by use of
frequency hopping

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Power control

> The power Control feature allows to decrease the global interference
level over the network by reducing the power of mobiles and the Base
Stations when full power is not necessary.
> This feature is better used together with frequency hopping in order to
spread evenly the decrease in interference level among all the users.
> This feature is not active on the downlink for the TDMAs transmitted
on the BCCH frequency.
> Downlink and Uplink power control on TCH channels
• Decreases the global interference level
• Effect depends on the user’s positioning related to the site
• Effect evenly distributed over all the hopping frequencies by use of
frequency hopping

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 Diversity reception

•The most efficient technique is based on 2 antennas receiving

widely decorrelated signals and interferences => Improve uplink
only
•Signal processing techniques may have different efficiency
-MRC algorithm gives a higher weight to stronger signal with better C/I
-High efficiency S8000 interference cancelation algorithm
10
dB
5

0
1
-5
Antenna 1
-10

-15 Antenna 2

-20

-25
Time
-30 Signal
Signaldrops
dropsat
atdifferent
differenttime timeon oneach
each
antenna
antenna Nortel Confidential Information
Antenna Type, directivity and gain
0

335340 0
345350355 5 10 15
20 25
Horizontal attenuation Pattern
330 30
325 35
320 40
315 -10 45
65 degrees antenna
310 50
305 55
300
-20 60 90 degrees antenna
295 65
290 70
285
280
-30 75
80
275 85 Attenuation Angle 65 degrees 90 degrees
270 -40 90 0 0.00 dB 0.00 dB
265 95 15 -0.50 dB -0.40 dB
260 100 30 -2.60 dB -1.40 dB
255 105 45 -5.00 dB -3.00 dB
250 110 60 -8.10 dB -5.60 dB
245 115
75 -11.80 dB -8.90 dB
240 120
235 125 90 -15.90 dB -11.70 dB
230 130
225 135
220 140
215 145
210 150
205200 155
160
195190185 175170165
180

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 > LINK BALANCE CONCEPTS

22 Nortel Confidential Information

RADIO
RADIOBLOCK
BLOCKDIAGRAM
DIAGRAM
Propagation Parameters:
- In car, Indoor penetration factors
Standard Conf. DLNA conf. - Frequency 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
- Antenna Height
- Environment

Antenna Gain Design Parameters:

Rx Sensitivity Overlapping margin

Common cable Losses Radio Link

Rx Sensitivity
Specific Tx Cable Losses

Antenna Gain
Combiner losses
Rx Sensitivity

TxPa Output Power

TxPa Output Power

Rx Diversity Gain MS
Base Station

Duplexor Other factors for MS

Body Losses
Combiner
Common cable losses
Power Amplifier

DLNA

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 Radio
RadioLink
LinkConsiderations
Considerations

Factors affecting RX BTS Components

Signal Level Standard Conf. DLNA conf. affecting Signal Level

Combiner
Antenna Gain Duplexor
Rx Sensitivity Rx Splitter
Power Amplifier
BS Pwr Connectors
TX/RX modules

MS Pwr Common cable Losses Radio Link

Cable losses Rx Sensitivity

Specific Tx Cable Losses

Coupling losses Combiner losses Antenna Gain

Rx Sensitivity
Antenna gain TxPa Output Power
TxPa Output
Power
DLNA
Diversity gain Rx Diversity Gain MS
Base Station
Rx module
Duplexor MS Components
Tx module Combiner
affecting Signal Level

Power Amplifier Tx moduler

Rx module
MS antenna
DLNA

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 S8000
S8000((-110
-110 dBm
dBmsens .) Link
sens.) LinkBudget
Budgetexample
example
Coupling Type Max. Insertion Loss
Duplexor Only < 1.5 dBm
Worst Case Dupl. Hybrid Combiner < 4.5 dBm
Diversity Gain: Antenna Gain: 18 dBi
5 dB H-Plane: 60Þ-65Þ S8000 BTS Performance:
S8000 BTS Performance:
• Link Balanced at 55 dBm EIRP, worst case
E-Plane: 5Þ-6Þ • Link Balanced at 55 dBm EIRP, worst case
• Capacity Range from 1 to 8 TRX
• Capacity Range from 1 to 8 TRX

Conventional S8000 BTS without Masthead Equipment

Hybrid Combiner Duplexor
Feeder Losses: <3 dB MS Power : 30 dBm 30 dBm
MS Antenna Gain: 0 dBi 0 dBi
BS Antenna Gain: 18 dBi 18 dBi
Common Cable Losses 3 dB 3 dB
Guaranteed Ref, BS Ref. Sensi. : -110 dBm -110 dBm
Sensitivity: -110 Diversity : 5 dB 5 dB
dBm Max Up. Losses 160.0 dB 160.0 dB
Nominal TX Power: 44.7
dBm BS Power : 30 W 30 W
BS Power 44.7 dBm 44.7 dBm
Duplex. Duplex. Coupling Losses 4.5 dB 1.5 dB
Common Cable Losses 3 dB 3 dB
Combiner Combiner BS Antenna Gain: 18 dBi 18 dBi
LNA/Splitter BS EIRP 55.2 dBm 58.2 dBm
PA PA PA PA MS Antenna Gain: 0 dBi 0 dBi
MS Ref. Sensi.: -102 dBm -102 dBm
Max Dw. Los. 157.2 dB 160.2 dB

DRXDRXDRXDRX
BTS Cabinet Link Balance -2.8 dB 0.2 dB
EIRP for Balance: 55.2 dBm 58.0dBm
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 Diversity
Diversitygain
gain

Frequency Diversity Time Diversity

RAYLEIGH FADING BEHAVIOUR ( CARRIER AND INTERFERENCE) Benefits of Interleaving
10 Original Sequence

1 After Interleaving

-5

-10
Deep fades or burst noise destroys some contigous frames
-15

-20

After De-interleaving, Forward Error Correction can recover lost information

-25 WITHOUT HOPPING A SLOW MS CAN STAY HERE
SEVERAL SPEECH FRAME
WITH HOPPING IT STAYS ONLY ONE TIME SLOT
-30

Frequency hopping: Burst Interleaving:

> No signal level gain
• No signal level gain
> FER gain after error correction
• FER gain after error correction

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 Diversity
Diversitygain
gain

Spatial Diversity Polarization Diversity

2 branch (same polarization): 2 branch (cross polarization):

> 3 dB average signal level gain on the UL.
(Doubling the received power)
• Signal level gain dependent on
> 4-5 dB system level gain (UL) after Maximum
propagation profile. (Described later)
Ratio Combining (MRC) and Digital Signal • 4-5 dB system level gain* after
Processing (DSP)
Maximum Ratio Combining (MRC)
> Smaller variance in link balance plots and Digital Signal Processing (DSP)
• Greater variance in link balance plots
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 Effect
Effectof
ofDiversity
Diversityon
onLink
LinkBalance
Balance

Spatial diversity
> Lack of diversity (disabled or defective
path) will result in a ~ 3 dB loss on the RxLev (DL - UL) distribution
reported RxLev UpLink values. Since
Link Balance is typically a median value
of the set of corresponding RxLev_DL - 3 dB
RxLev_UL, a 3 dB positive shift would
be observed indicating weaker UpLink.

RxLev (DL - UL) dB

with diversity : x
without diversity : x + 3 dB

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 Effect
Effectof
ofDiversity
Diversityon
onLink
LinkBalance
Balance

Polarization diversity
• Link balance plot will be spread out due to
Case1 (Extreme)
different gains in LOS vs. non-LOS case MS with antenna almost
orthogonal to the TX

• In LOS case, different MS’s antennae can be element but aligned with
the other RX element

more aligned with one of the two cross polarized Case 2 (Extreme)
MS with antenna aligned
antenna elements of the site while being almost with the TX element and
one of the two RX elements

orthogonal to the other. Minimal Diversity.

• In non-LOS case, due to reflections, the polarity Reflector

will be uniformly distributed. Maximum diversity O

b
with multipath propagation. s
t
a
Assume z dB is c
the normal link RxLev (DL - UL) distribution l
e
balance achieved
when a standard
2 branch spatial
diversity is used.
Reflector
y is the isolation Case 3 (Most common)
factor for the MS with no-LOS and
polarization reflected multi-paths to the
RxLev (DL - UL) dB Base Station Antennae.

Case 1: Case 3: Case 2: The final distribution would look more

Weak DL, Normal DL & Strong UL & DL like the red colored curve when all the
Strong UL Div. gain in UL No div. gain
z - y* dB z dB z + 3 dB
cases are statistically combined

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 S8000
S8000Ideal
IdealLink
LinkBalance
BalanceLevel
Level

Coupling Type Max. Insertion Loss

Duplexor Only < 1.5 dBm
Dupl. Hybrid Combiner < 4.5 dBm

S8000 Duplexor S8000 Combiner Description

DownLink DownLink
44.5 dBm 44.5 dBm BTS TX / PA output power: (When no attenuation)
-1.5 dBm -4.5 dBm coupling losses with duplexor or duplexed combiner
xyz xyz common UL/DL path losses and gains
Feeder Losses: <3 dB 43 + xyz dBm 40 + xyz dBm Reported Measurement by MS

UpLink UpLink
30 dBm 30 dBm MS TX output power
3 dBm 3 dBm Rx Signal Level gain due to diversity (reported)
xyz xyz common UL/DL path losses and gains
33 + xyz dBm 33 + xyz dBm Reported Measurements by BS
Nominal TX + 0 to 2.5 dB + 0 to 2.5 dB Due to RxLev measured in Watts and averaged in dBm
Power: 44.7 dBm by the BTS in line-of-sight vs. Rayleigh fading conditions
Typical value is 1.5 to 2 dB since no LOS majority of the time. Rayleigh Fading conditions apply

Duplex. Duplex.
BS PA settings Acceptable measured Link difference Range
Combiner
Attenuation order S8000 duplexor S8000 combiner
Combiner
0 dB attenuation (Max Pwr) 8 - 10 dBm 5 - 7 dBm
LNA/Splitter
2 dB attenuation 6 - 8 dBm 3 - 5 dBm
PA PA PA PA 4 dB attenuation 4 - 6 dBm 1 - 3 dBm

DRXDRXDRXDRX
BTS Cabinet

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