EGPRS EXPLAIN

(E)GPRS Functionality

1 © Nokia Siemens Networks RN20021EN20GLA0

Legal Notice

Intellectual Property Rights

All copyrights and intellectual property rights for Nokia Siemens Networks training documentation, product documentation and
slide presentation material, all of which are forthwith known as Nokia Siemens Networks training material, are the exclusive
property of Nokia Siemens Networks . Nokia Siemens Networks owns the rights to copying, modification, translation, adaptation
or derivatives including any improvements or developments. Nokia Siemens Networks has the sole right to copy, distribute,
amend, modify, develop, license, sublicense, sell, transfer and assign the Nokia Siemens Networks training material.

Individuals can use the Nokia Siemens Networks training material for their own personal self-development only, those same
individuals cannot subsequently pass on that same Intellectual Property to others without the prior written agreement of Nokia
Siemens Networks .

The Nokia Siemens Networks training material cannot be used outside of an agreed Nokia Siemens Networks training session
for development of groups without the prior written agreement of Nokia Siemens Networks.

2 © Nokia Siemens Networks RN20021EN20GLA0

Module objectives

After completing this learning element, the participant will be able to:

Theory:

• Describe the (E)GPRS network architecture

• Explain the function of the used protocols Network Protocols
• List the used Physical and Logical Channel

3 © Nokia Siemens Networks RN20021EN20GLA0

SW and HW Releases
This material describes the Nokia Siemens Network BSS (E)GPRS System with the
following Software and Hardware releases:
The compatibility of the NE releases for RG20 (BSS) and RG25 (BSS) is as follows:
RG20 (BSS) consists of the releases:
• BSC S15;
• MetroSite CXM8.0; UltraSite CX8.0; Flexi EDGE EX4.0 and BTSplus BRG2.
RG20 (BSS) is supported by the following NE releases:
• NetAct OSS5.2 MP1; MSC M15 and SGSN SG8.
RG25 (BSS) consists of the releases:
• BSC S15 EPx.0;
• MetroSite CXM8.1; UltraSite CX8.1; Flexi EDGE EX4.1; Flexi EX4.1 and BTSplus
BRG2.1.
RG25 (BSS) is supported by the following NE releases:
• NetAct OSS5.3 CD Set 1; MSC M15 and SGSN SG8.

The BSCi / BSC2i and TCSM2 and Talk Family BTS systems are compatible (supported)
by the RG25 (BSS) Release. The new RG25 (BSS) features are not supported by the
Transcoder TCSM2 and Talk Family BTSs.

4 © Nokia Siemens Networks RN20021EN20GLA0

Functionality - Content

Introduction
• Network Architecture and Interfaces
• Network Protocols
• Multiframe and Header Structure
• Air Interface Mapping – Physical and Logical Channel

5 © Nokia Siemens Networks RN20021EN20GLA0

GSM & (E)GPRS Network Architecture

Network Switching Subsystem

MSC/VLR

Air A-bis A-ter A

PSTN
HLR
MS BTS TC AuC
BSC+PCU Gs
Gr EIR
Gb

Gn Internet
BTS SGSN GGSN
GPRS Border
Backbone
Base Station Subsystem Gateway

Charging
LIG Gateway
AuC – Authentication Centre Inter-PLMN
BSC – Base Station Controller Billing network
BTS – Base Transceiver Station
EIR – Equipment Identity Register
GGSN – Gateway GPRS Support Node PCU – Packet Control Unit
HLR – Home Location Register SGSN – Serving GPRS Support Node
MS – Mobile Station TC – Transcoder
MSC – Mobile Switching Center VLR – Visitor Location Register

6 © Nokia Siemens Networks RN20021EN20GLA0

(E)GPRS Network Elements and Primary Functions
SGSN GGSN Domain Name Server
• Mobility Management • GTP tunnelling to • Translates IP host names to IP
• Session Management other GSNs addresses
• MS Authentication
• Ciphering • Secure interfaces • Makes IP network configuration
• Interaction with to external easier
VLR/HLR networks • In GPRS backbone SGSN uses DNS
• Charging and statistics • Charging & to get GGSN and SGSN IP
• GTP tunnelling to other statistics addresses
GSNs • IP address • Two DNS servers in the backbone to
management provide redundancy

Border Gateway Charging Gateway Legal Interception Gateway

- Interconnects different • CDR consolidation • Enables authorities to intercept
GPRS operator‘s subscriber data and signaling
Backbones • Forwarding CDR
- Enables GPRS roaming information to • Chasing criminal activity
billing center • Operator personnel has very limited
access to LI functionality
• LI is required when launching the
GPRS service

7 © Nokia Siemens Networks RN20021EN20GLA0

GSM and (E)GPRS Interfaces
SMS-GMSC
SM-SC
SMS-IWMSC

E C
Gd

MSC/VLR HLR
D
Gs
A Gc
Gr
Gb Gi
TE MT BSS SGSN GGSN PDN TE
R Um Gn
Gn EIR
Gp
Gf
SGSN GGSN

Other PLMN
Gd, GC and Gs are optiona!l

Signaling Interface
Signaling and Data Transfer Interface
8 © Nokia Siemens Networks RN20021EN20GLA0
(E)GPRS Protocol Architecture

(E)GPRS defines a protocol architecture which Relay

allows to transfer IP version 4 or 6 packets from IP IP
application servers (Host) to Mobile Stations.
L2
(E)GPRS Bearer
L1
GGSN

Um Gb Gn Gi

APP APP
USER
TCP/UDP TCP/UDP
PAYLOAD
IP Relay IP
SNDCP SNDCP GTP GTP L2
Relay
LLC LLC UDP UDP L1
RLC RLC BSSGP BSSGP IP IP
MAC MAC NW Services NW Services L2 L2
GSM RF GSM RF L1bis L1bis L1 L1

MS BSS SGSN GGSN FIXED HOST

GPRS IP Backbone Internet

9 © Nokia Siemens Networks RN20021EN20GLA0

SNDCP (Subnetwork Dependent Convergence
Protocol) Layer

APP The SNDCP layer works between MS and SGSN.

TCP/UDP Main functions:

IP
- Multiplexer/demultiplexer for different datastreams onto one LLC layer
SNDCP - Option to (de-)compress protocol control information (e.g. TCP/IP header)
- Option to (de-)compress data (whole IP packet)
LLC
- Segmentation/de-segmentation of data to/from LLC layer
RLC - Buffering of data fragments in case of LLC acknowledged transfer mode

MAC

GSM RF

10 © Nokia Siemens Networks RN20021EN20GLA0

Logical Link Control (LLC) Layer

The LLC layer works between MS and SGSN:

Main functions:
APP
• Provision of acknowledged or unacknowledged transfer mode between
SGSN and MS
TCP/UDP
• Independent of underlying radio interface protocols
IP • transfer of signalling (GMM, SM or SMS) and SNDCP packets (user data).
• Ciphering/deciphering of signalling and user data
SNDCP

LLC LLC Frame

RLC
Address Control Information FCS
MAC
1 1-3 1-1520 3 Octets
GSM RF

11 © Nokia Siemens Networks RN20021EN20GLA0

Radio Link Control (RLC)/ Medium Access Control
(MAC) Layers

RLC
APP
- Provides Acknowledged or Unacknowledged data transfer on air
interface
TCP/UDP
- Segmentation/de-segmentation of data from/to LLC layer
IP
MAC
SNDCP - Control of MS access to common air-interface medium
- Flagging of PDTCH/PACCH occupancy
LLC

RLC
RLC/MAC Protocols works between the MS and PCU.
MAC

GSM RF

12 © Nokia Siemens Networks RN20021EN20GLA0

GSM RF Layer
Normal burst
tail S training S tail guard
encrypted bits encrypted bits
bits B sequence B bits period
57 57
3 1 26 1 3 8,25 bits

Functions of the Physical Link sublayer:

APP - Framing: Placement of data into bursts, frames, radio blocks, etc.
-Data (de)coding for maximising the data throughpu
TCP/UDP
- Coding Scheme CS1 to 4 for GPRS
IP - Modulation and Coding Scheme MCS 1 to 9 for EGPRS
- Detection and correction of errors
SNDCP - Procedures for detecting congestion on the air interface
LLC
- Procedures for synchronising MS and network
- Procedures for monitoring and evaluation the radio link quality
RLC - Procedures for cell (re-)selection
- Transmitter power control (implemented only in UL)
MAC

Phy. Link
GSM RF The RF layer works between the MS and BTS
and can be splitt into
Phy. RF
- Physical Link sublayer (see above)
- Physical RF sublayer (Modulation)
13 © Nokia Siemens Networks RN20021EN20GLA0
(E)GPRS Protocol Architecture
Mapping to RF layer

IP Network PDU (NPDU) e.g. IP-packet

SNDCP
SNDCP PDU (SN-PDU)
LLC

LLC-PDU LLC-PDU
RLC

RLC Block RLC Block

MAC

MAC Block

GSM RF channel coding

Burst Burst Burst Burst

14 © Nokia Siemens Networks RN20021EN20GLA0
 Bursts on the Air Interface –
Mapping RLC blocks

RLC Blocks

RLC/MAC Blocks

1 TDMA frame = 4.615 ms

= BURST PERIOD TDMA Bursts

0 70 70 70 7

4 x TDMA Frames = 4 Bursts = 1 Radio block

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1

P I P I
B0(0..3) B1(4..7) B2 (8..11) T B3(13..16) B4(17..20) B5(21..24) D B6(26..29) B7(30..33) B8(34..37) T B9(39..42) B10(43..46) B11(47..50) D
C L C L
C E C E
H H

12 x RLC/MAC Blocks = 1 x 52 PDCH MultiFrame = 240 ms

12 Radio Blocks / 0.240 s = 50 RLC/MAC Blocks / s

15 © Nokia Siemens Networks RN20021EN20GLA0
GSM and (E)GPRS Multiframe
TS 0 TS 1 TS 2 TS 3 TS 4 TS 5 TS 6 TS 7
TDMA frame 0 FCCH
1 SCH TCH Radio Block 0
2
3 BCCH
4 TCH
5 Radio block 1
6
7 PCH+
8 AGCH TCH
9 Radio Block 2
10 FCCH
11 SCH
12 SACCH PTCCH
13
14 TCH Radio Block 3
GSM Signalling 15
PCH+
16 AGCH
17
18
GSM Traffic TCH
Radio Block 4
19
51 TDMA 20
21
FCCH 26 TDMA TCH
SCH
22 Radio Block 5
Multiframe 23 Multiframe
24 PCH+
25 IDLE IDLE
26 AGCH
27 Radio Block 6
28
29
30 FCCH (E)GPRS traffic Radio Block 7
31 SCH
32
33
34
35
PCH+ 52 TDMA Radio Block 8
36 AGCH
37 Multiframe PTCCH
38
39
40 Radio Block 9
41
FCCH
42 SCH
43
44 Radio Block 10
PCH+
45
46 AGCH
47 Radio Block 11
48
49
50 IDLE
51 IDLE

16 © Nokia Siemens Networks RN20021EN20GLA0

(E)GPRS Logical Channels

GPRS introduces several new logical channels to the GSM air interface. There are
no dedicated signalling channels as in GSM. The PDCH are used for data and
signalling.
Packet data traffic channel (PDTCH) is reserved for GPRS packet data transfer. A
PDTCH corresponds to the resource allocated to a single MS on one physical
channel for user data transmission. In multislot operation, one MS may use multiple
PDTCHs in parallel for individual packet transfer. PDTCH are uni-directional as
opposed to TCH in GSM.
Packet associated control channel (PACCH) (bi-directional) is a signalling
channel dedicated for a certain MS. The signalling information could include
acknowledgements, power control, resource assignments, or reassignment
messages
Packet timing advance control channel (PTCCH) is used in uplink direction for
the transmission of random access bursts to estimate the timing advance for one
mobile. In the downlink direction one PTCCH is used to transmit timing advance
information to several MSs. PTCCH information is transmitted in positions 12 and 38
of the 52-multiframe structure.
For initiating the data transfer existing GSM Common Channels are used. PBCCH
(Packet Broadcast Control Channel) and associated GPRS common channels are
not supported.

17 © Nokia Siemens Networks RN20021EN20GLA0

(E)GPRS Logical Channels

GPRS Air Interface Logical Channels

CCCH DCH
Common Control Channels Dedicated Channels

PTCCH UL/DL
Packet Timing
Advance Control CH
PACCH
PCH AGCH RACH Packet Associated PDTCH
Paging CH Access Grant CH Random Access CH Control CH Packet Data TCH

Existing GSM Signaling Channels GPRS Signaling and

(Shared with GPRS Signaling) Data Channels

18 © Nokia Siemens Networks RN20021EN20GLA0