WiMAX: Broadband Wireless Access

Wireless Networks Spring 2007

802.16 Standards Development

Use wireless links with microwave or

millimeter wave radios
o
o

10-66 GHz
802.16a extension to 2-11 GHz

Use licensed spectrum (unlicensed too in

802.16a)
Metropolitan in scale
Provide public network service to fee-paying
customers
Point-to-multipoint architecture with rooftop
or tower-mounted antennas
Wireless Networks Spring

802.16 Standards Development

Provide efficient transport of

heterogeneous traffic supporting QoS
Capable of broadband transmissions (2-75
Mbps)
o

Accommodate both continuous and bursty

traffic

Mobile extensions: 802.16e

Wireless Networks Spring

IEEE 802.16 Protocol

Architecture

Wireless Networks Spring

Protocol Architecture

Physical layer functions:

o
o
o

Encoding/decoding of signals
Preamble generation/removal
Bit transmission/reception

Medium access control layer functions:

o

On transmission, assemble data into a frame

with address and error detection fields
On reception, disassemble frame, and perform
address recognition and error detection
Govern access to the wireless transmission
medium
Wireless Networks Spring

Protocol Architecture

Convergence layer functions:

o

Encapsulate PDU framing of upper

layers into native 802.16 MAC/PHY
frames
Map upper layers addresses into
802.16 addresses
Translate upper layer QoS parameters
into native 802.16 MAC format
Adapt time dependencies of upper layer
traffic into equivalent MAC service
Wireless Networks Spring

IEEE 802.16 Services

Digital audio/video multicast

Digital telephony
ATM
Internet protocol
Bridged LAN
Back-haul
Frame relay
Wireless Networks Spring

Burst Profiles

Each subscriber station negotiates a burst

profile with the base station
Burst profiles decided based on QoS
needs and channel conditions
o

Harsher environment demands more robust

profiles
Favorable environment allows efficient profiles

Wireless Networks Spring

IEEE 802.16.1 Frame Format

Header - protocol control information

o
o

Downlink header used by the base station

Uplink header used by the subscriber to
convey bandwidth management needs to base
station
Bandwidth request header used by
subscriber to request additional bandwidth

Payload either higher-level data or a

MAC control message
CRC error-detecting code
Wireless Networks Spring

Physical Layer: Uplink

Stations transmit in in their assigned

allocation specified in an initial map
Uplink sub-frame may also contain
contention-based allocations for initial
system access
Uses a DAMA-TDMA technique
Error correction uses Reed-Solomon codes
Modulation scheme based on QPSK, 16QAM or 64-QAM
Wireless Networks Spring

Physical Layer: Downlink

Continuous downstream mode

o
o
o

For continuous transmission (audio/video)

Simple TDM scheme is used for channel access
Frequency division duplex (FDD)

Burst downstream mode

o
o
o

For bursty transmission (IP-based traffic)

DAMA-TDMA scheme for channel access
FDD with adaptive modulation, frequency shift
division duplexing (FSDD), time division
duplexing (TDD)
Wireless Networks Spring

Medium Access Control (MAC)

Connection-oriented
o

All services inherently connectionless

mapped to a connection

Connections referenced using a 16bit connection identifier (CID)

Management channels and transport
channels for contracted services

Wireless Networks Spring

Radio Link Control

Power control and paging

Transition among burst profiles
Downlink burst profile change
o
o
o

Subscriber station monitors downlink quality

Requests a new profile
Granted if base station judges possible

Uplink profile change

o
o

Base station monitors the uplink signal quality

Specifies the new profiles usage code when
granting subscriber bandwidth in a frame
Wireless Networks Spring

Bandwidth Requests & Grants

Two kinds of subscribers

o
o

Grant per connection (GPC)

Grant per subscriber (GPSS)

Both classes request bandwidth per

connection for QoS guarantees
For GPC, bandwidth explicitly guaranteed
to connection
For GPSS, bandwidth aggregated into a
single grant for SS
Wireless Networks Spring

Requesting Bandwidth

Unsolicited grants
o

No need to request bandwidth for services that

generate fixed units of data periodically
Negotiated at connection setup time

Send a bandwidth request MAC packet

Piggyback request within MAC data packet
Polling by base station

Wireless Networks Spring

MAC Management Messages

Uplink and downlink channel descriptor

Uplink and downlink access definition
Ranging request and response
Registration request, response and
acknowledge
Privacy key management request and
response
Dynamic service addition request,
response and acknowledge
Wireless Networks Spring

MAC Management Messages

Dynamic service change request,

response, and acknowledge
Dynamic service deletion request
and response
Multicast polling assignment request
and response
Downlink data grant type request
ARQ acknowledgment
Wireless Networks Spring