LTE Fundamentals

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CDMA and ISI

In CDMA systems all data is spread to the system chip rate using spreading codes This spreading results in a symbol length of 260 ns

A delay spread of 5 sec would cause serious ISI and extend over 20 symbols Combated with rake receivers The wider the bandwidth the worst the ISI becomes ( this why CDMA does not use bandwidth bigger than 5 MHz often.) LTE networks use bandwidths up to 20 MHz

OFDM
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Multicarrier system: Available bandwidth divided into multiple parallel subchannels. Bandwidth of each channel is such that they are frequency non-selective (spectrally flat) Therefore less complex equalizer.

As we move to higher data rates (i.e.> 1 Mbps), equalizer complexity grows to level of complexity where the channel changes before you can compensate for it! Alternate solution: Multi-carrier Modulation (MCM) where channel is broken up into subbands such that the fading over each subchannel becomes flat thus minimizing the problem of ISI In order to completely eliminate ISI a guardian interval is appended to the end of each OFDM symbol

OFDM Operation

What is OFDM
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OFDM uses multiple subcarriers that are closely spaced without causing interference to each other. This can happen because of orthogonality Orthogonality: Peak of one subcarrier coincides with the null of the other. Orthogonality: achieved by keeping the carrier spacing equal to the reciprocal of the symbol period

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OFDMA

Early wireless systems that used OFDM (i.e 802.11a/g and 802.16/2004) a single user is assigned all the subcarriers at a given time. Classical TDMA or FDMA was then used to support multiple access. These static multiple access schemes have a key drawback. That each user sees the channel differently. Hence multiuser diversity is not being utilized. As the probability that all users simultaneously realize a deep fade is typically quite low intelligent RRM algorithms can be devised to assure that the subcarriers are assigned to users who see good channels on them. Also to maximize some performance metric (i.e minimize power, maximize throughput)

OFDMA (example)
How do you arrange subchannels to maximize throughput?

LTE Transmission Time Interval

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UMTS R99: TTI is 10 ms and can be 20 ms, 40 ms, or 80 ms HSDPA: the TTI length is reduced to 2 ms LTE : the TTI length is 1 ms Shorter TTI length: faster response to link conditions and allows the system to quickly schedule transmissions to mobiles which temporarily enjoy better than usual link conditions. As a result the system most of the time transmits data over links which are better than the average conditions, which increases the system capacity. Minimum resource block that can be allocated in LTE (0.5msec in time) and 12 subcarriers in frequency (180 KHz or 12 x 15 KHz). (not all frame used for data)

CQI Feedback in LTE

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Compared to WCDMA/HSPA the main new feature of CQI feedback in LTE is the frequency selectivity of the report. As feedback for each resource block would be excessive compression schemes are used. Wideband CQI: One value is reported for the whole CQI bandwidth (no frequency selectivity). Best-M: In Best-M the UE estimates the channel quality for each sub-channel and reports a single value to the BS corresponding to the MCS that the UE could receive correctly. Full channel feedback (CQI reported for each channel aperiodic only) For CQI feedback, the mobile station measures the downlink pilot channel, computes the channel quality information (CQI), and reports the CQI on the uplink feedback channel.

AMC in OFDMA systems

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Traditionally, CDMA systems have used fast power control as the preferred method for link adaptation Adaptation Modulation and Coding (AMC) have offered an alternative link adaptation method that promises to raise the overall system capacity AMC provides the flexibility to match the modulation-coding scheme to the average channel conditions for each user. In a system with AMC, users close to the Node B are typically assigned higher order modulation with higher code rates (e.g. 64 QAM with R=3/4 turbo codes), but the modulation-order and/or code rate will decrease as the distance from Node B increases.

Channel Estimation
Channel estimation is needed for CQI feedback and for demodulation

Reference symbols are added into the time-frequency grid These are LTE downlink reference As LTE aims to support upto 500km/hr many reference signals in grid UE specific and cell specific reference signals

What is MIMO?
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MIMO is an acronym that stands for multiple input multiple output Integral part of LTE

There can be various MIMO configurations for example a 2x2 MIMO would be 2 antennas at the transmitter and 2 at the receiver.

MIMO
For MIMO to have good advantage we need good diversity in the signal propagation (i.e paths need to be uncorrelated at least half a wavelength separation in antennas).

Utilizing multipath will lead to increased SNR and improved throughput through signal processing techniques. (multipath is location specific and can be used to differentiate between the different streams leading to throughput increase)

Different types of MIMO

LTE Network Architecture

I.

LTE has a simplified network architecture compared to UMTS

BSC/RNC has dissapeared all functions have transferred to enodeB All enodeB connect through X2 interface PS-service only (voIP)

Decreases the data-transmission latency by saving the delay incurred by the transmission of packet repetitions over the Iub interface. Queues and unacknowledged packets can be forwarded to the new enodeB thanks to the X2 Interface. enodeB more functions than in UMTS

LTE Network Architecture

The PDN gateway provides connectivity from the UE to external packet data networks by being the point of exit and entry of traffic for the UE. All user packets are transported via the SAE gateway. SAE gateway terminates the interface from LTE radio access and is the local mobility point for interenodeB handovers and inter 3GPP mobility.

enodeB: RRM, encryption, selection of MME, routing of data towards SAE gateway, measurement and measurement reporting configuration for scheduling HSS: contains the subscriber related information, authentication and authorization PCRF: manage QoS and apply charging policies. MME: is a key control node which processes the signalling between the UE and the core network, also paging

LTE RRC STATES

LTE has only 2 RRC states
RRC Idle
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there is no RRC CONNECTION and no DTCH/DCCH allocated UE can receive Cell Broadcast and monitors paging for incoming call UE does cell reselections based on neighbor cell measurements UE is not known by the eNodeB

RRC_Connected

RRC Connection exists and UE can receive/transmit data on shared channels

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UE monitors the control channels corresponding to the Shared Data channels UE provides channel quality and feedback information Saves a lot of signaling