RAN 3G

Interfaces
Protocols
Interfaces
 Iub Functions
Carrying information
user voice, user data and cell-broadcast [UE
External networks]
Radio resources control (RRC) signaling
[UERNC]
NAS signaling (CC, SM, MM) [UECore]
Node-B management
Logical resources [NBAP]
Physical resources [O&M]
Managing AAL2 links between RNC and Node-B
[ALCAP (Q.2630)]
 Protocols
The protocol architecture is divided horizontally into two key layers.
The upper part is referred to as the Radio Network Layer, and the
lower is part is referred to as the Transport Network Layer. The
Radio Network Layer constitutes the source for data to be
transferred across the interfaces; this data will be signaling or traffic.
The Transport Network Layer provides the necessary transport
mechanisms, based on ATM.
The protocol architecture is also divided into two planes, the control
plane and the user plane. The control plane handles control
information, pertaining to the radio interface. There are three
protocols specified for the UTRAN:

Node B application Part (NBAP) on the Iub interface

Radio Network Application Part (RANAP) on the Iu interface
Radio Network Subsystem Application Part (RNSAP) on the Iur
interface
Protocol Stack of the Iub Interface
 Iub Protocol Stacks ata
d
User

NAS

m ngt
Nod e-B
L2 RRC
AA

Set VPI/VCI of NBAP and ALCAP

 Iub procedures User traffic
User voice and data information is carried
over the Dedicated and possibly the
Common Transport Channels.
AMR is used on CS calls
PDCP and IP are used on PS calls
 Iur functions
The Iur interface is the interface between two RNCs.
When a UE leaves the area controlled by an RNC to
another RNC, the UEs related data is now transferred to
the new RNC over the Iur interface.
The original RNC is now referred to as Serving RNC and
the new RNC is now referred to as Drift RNC.
Dedicated channels with the same characteristics are
formed between the new DRNC to the relevant Node-B,
according to messages received on the Iur.
AAL2 decode is the same as Iub (same protocol stack)
AAL5 protocol stack is different
 Main Iur Messages
Dedicated signaling channel
RNSAP: Radio Link Setup Request
RNSAP: Radio Link Setup Response
ALCAP: Establish Request
Dedicated traffic channel
RNSAP: Radio Link Reconfiguration Request
RNSAP: Radio Link Reconfiguration Response
ALCAP: Establish Request
Channel Deletion
RNSAP: Radio Link Setup Deletion
Iur Protocol Stack
 NBAP
Node B Application Part is a Layer-3 protocol at
the Iub interface. NBAP functions are divided
into two groups, namely common and
dedicated NBAP procedures.
Common NBAP procedures are used to create
new user equipment (UE) contexts and control
BCCH broadcast information. The Iub always
contains one signalling link for the common
NBAP procedures, and there may be several
signalling links for dedicated NBAP procedures.
 RNSAP
The Iur interface procedures are controlled by the RNSAP signaling
protocol. Its function is to establish transport for the user plane
framing protocols (soft handover
= drift handover). The most important procedures are naturally
involved in:
radio link set-up
radio link addition
radio link reconfiguration and
radio link deletion.