Application

Note
GPRS Mobile Phones - An Overview for
Test Professionals

Understanding General Packet Radio Service mobile

technology is critical for test professionals. The wireless data
revolution has arrived. Are you ready for the next generation
of data enabled GSM/GPRS phones?

I. Introduction Since GPRS is similar to GSM in many ways, much of this

In this application note we will cover many aspects about application note will focus on the differences between
GPRS. The objective is to provide you with a compre- GPRS and GSM. It will also give you a good understand-
hensive view of how GPRS works, and what is required to ing of how GPRS operates and how Aeroflex has taken a
test GPRS mobile devices. This application note is not lot of the mystery out of GPRS testing with the 2935 GPRS
designed to take the place of the standard, as there is test option.
much more to the operation of GPRS than can be cov-
ered in one application note.

For the very latest specifications visit www.aeroflex.com

II. What Is GPRS?
GPRS stands for General Packet Radio Service. GPRS is a tech-
nology where mobile phone users can transfer data using "pack-
ets" of information rather than conventional "circuit switched"
communications. Packet communication systems have an inher-
ent advantage over circuit switched systems due to the fact that Figure 1.0 Circuit Switched Network
packet based wireless communications networks can provide
data services "on demand" to the subscriber, without being tied Figure 2.0, on the other hand, shows a simplified version of how
down to a dedicated connection. a "packet routed" network operates. A packet network operates
in a similar manner to the way that your "mail" or postal system
Within cellular standards, the Global System for Mobile operates. Just like a letter that you send in the "mail", information
Communications or GSM family includes the GPRS standard and is placed into a packet (envelope) and then sent on its way. The
both are Time Division Multiple Access or TDMA technologies. packet of information then goes through a number of different
Within TDMA technology, the user is allocated a particular radio routing centers (nodes) before being delivered to the final end
channel and is then assigned to one particular timeslot within that user. Just like a letter sent through the postal system, "To:" is the
channel. With GSM and GPRS, there are 8 users that are assigned address of the final destination of the letter, and "From:" indicates
time slots 0 through 7, on that particular radio channel. the origination point of the letter.
Until GPRS was introduced, voice and digital data were trans- Once placed into the "system" it is then left up to the "operations"
ferred over conventional GSM networks using "circuit switched" department (the network) to decide what is the most efficient path
technology where the user was allocated a particular time slot to transmit that information from point "A" to point "E". Notice
whether data was present on the slot or not. With GPRS, howev- that the data in "information packet A" takes a different route than
er, that restriction is lifted and data is now "packet routed" and the data in "information packet B", however they both arrive at the
sent as system resources allow. This is a big improvement in effi- same destination because the network determines the best route
ciencies in the cellular network and a primary reason that opera- for the packet, based on capacity and utilization.
tors are moving towards packet routed systems.

As we look at the transmission of data within a cellular network, it

is important to understand the relationship between information
that is dependent upon a constant time interval, such as voice
communications or live video data, and data transmissions that
are not timing dependent. Digitized voice and real time digitized
video data require a data connection that is based on a “fixed”
rate of transmission that allows the transmission of voice or video
data and the subsequent recovery of that data without significant
delays or "latency".

Any variation in the transmission of more than a few milliseconds

would cause unacceptable information dropouts and time shifts Figure 2.0 Packet Routed Network
of the information, making seamless communication difficult at
best. III. Why Do Users Want Or Need GPRS?
Non-voice or non-real-time video data, on the other hand, does The predominant use for GPRS services is for data services where
not care if the data received or transmitted is a few milliseconds users place a high value on the ability to transmit data in a mobile
late. This is where packet routed networks achieve a huge effi- environment. This can be as diverse as a "chat session" for a
ciency advantage over circuit switched networks. With packet teenager to "e-mail" and "stock quotes" for a businessman.
data services, packets of information do not require a dedicated Examples of data services that are available or that are being pre-
circuit path since they are sent as requirements and system pared for GPRS include:
capacity dictate. With packets, the transmitting and receiving enti- Text and visual information such as share prices, sports scores,
ties are assigned IP addresses and the packet routing network fig- weather, flight information, news headlines, prayer reminders, lot-
ures out how to "route" packets to the appropriate device. tery results, jokes, horoscopes, traffic, location sensitive services
Figure 1.0 shows how a circuit switched network operates. Within and so on. This information need not necessarily be textual - it
a circuit switched network, there is a physical requirement for a may be maps, graphs or other types of visual information.
connection from Point "A" to Point "E" before information can flow Still images such as photographs, pictures, postcards, greeting
between the two users. The switches at each switch point (B, C cards, presentations and static web pages can also be sent and
and D) must be connected to the next segment or the circuit is received over the mobile network as they are across fixed tele-
considered to be "open" and no information (voice or data) can phone networks.
flow.
Moving Images. For mobile communication to continue its
aggressive growth, much of the content will be less textual and
more visual. Moving images in a mobile environment have sev- its corresponding "address" through the use of the Temporary
eral applications including monitoring sites for intruders and Logical Link Identifier or TLLI.
remote monitoring of elderly or medical patients.
After the GPRS attach is completed, the mobile can then send and
Videoconferencing applications, in which sales people can have
receive packets. The TLLI serves as the mobile's identifier to route
a regular sales meeting without having to go to a particular phys-
packets to and from the GPRS network.
ical location, are another application for moving images.
The GPRS network controls the flow of the packets to and from
Other applications such as web browsing, document sharing and
the mobile. This is accomplished by the use of the Packet Control
audio downloads show the diverse nature of the uses for GPRS.
Unit or PCU, the Serving GPRS Support Node or SGSN and the
IV. By The Way - What Is WAP? Gateway GPRS Support Node or GGSN.
WAP stands for Wireless Application Protocol. It is not specifical- The PCU provides the interface between the Base Station
ly a GPRS function, and can be used by a number of wireless Subsystem or BSS and the rest of the network by converting pack-
technologies as the intermediate layer between the application et traffic to PCU frames that have the same configuration as the
and the mobile device. Mobile devices do not enjoy the graphi- Transcoder Rate Adaptor Unit or TRAU frames used by GSM net-
cal display or memory overhead associated with conventional works for transferring circuit switched data. Thus, the BSS can
"fixed" computer resources or laptops. WAP was designed to pro- now route both traffic types, packet and circuit switched informa-
vide a global standard for delivering Internet features to GPRS tion. The PCU controls such things as cell change orders, paging
devices simply and efficiently. the mobile, packet power control and timing advance, packet time
slot configuration and frequency hopping parameters.
V. When Will GPRS Happen?
The SGSN performs the mobility management function. It con-
As of 2002, 96 operators in 45 countries have operational GPRS
trols routing of the packets between the PCU and the GGSN and
networks. GPRS enabled handsets will grow from a scant 10 mil-
buffers many megabytes of packet data. It controls and routes
lion in 2001 to over 280 million in 2005. Figure 3.0 shows the
unacknowledged packets to the SGSN during a cell change of the
anticipated growth of GPRS enabled devices over the next three
mobile station and provides session management between the
years.
mobile and the GGSN. Compression and charging information is
also handled at the SGSN.

The GGSN is the "Gateway" between the GPRS network and the
Internet. While the mobile is roaming throughout the GPRS net-
work, the GGSN is the fixed point for packet data transmission. By
configuring the "packets" for the transmission to the Internet the
GGSN acts as the interface between the GPRS network and the
rest of the IP world using X.25, IP or PPP based networks.

The GSM BSS comprising the Base Tranceiver Station or BTS and
Base Station Control or BSC remains virtually unchanged when
GPRS is added to the network. Since GPRS uses the same mod-
ulation scheme (GMSK) as GSM, there is little to change from a RF
hardware perspective. Software needs to be updated to handle
the packet data traffic and accompanying interfaces to the PCU,
Figure 3.0 Growth of GPRS Enabled Handsets SGSN and GGSN.

Figure 4.0 shows a typical GSM network with the GPRS packet
VI. GPRS Network Operation
control units and SGSN and GGSN added.
GPRS deployment involves overlaying a packet-based air interface
onto the existing circuit switched GSM network. This gives the VII. How Does a GPRS Mobile Transfer Packet Data?
user an option to use a packet-based data service or convention-
al voice services. To supplement a circuit switched network archi- 1. The GPRS Attach Sequence
tecture with packet routing is a significant upgrade. Adding GPRS The GPRS mobile establishes communication with the network
to an existing GSM network requires the network operator to add through a process called a GPRS attach. The GPRS attach session
new infrastructure nodes and add software upgrades to existing includes a dialog of packets sent between the mobile and the
network elements. base station. The mobile, upon power up or being placed into a
GPRS mode, will automatically initiate an attach sequence.
A GPRS network operates in a mode called "Always On". This
doesn't mean that the GPRS mobile is constantly transmitting to There are two different types of GPRS attach sequences that can
the network and is chewing up battery reserve along the way. The occur. One is called simply, GPRS Attach. This applies to all class-
GPRS mobile device initiates a "GPRS attach sequence" upon es of mobiles, either A, B or C. (See section VIII, 2. Mobile Station
power-up or GPRS mode operation. During the GPRS attach Class). The GPRS attach allows the mobile to attach to the net-
sequence, the mobile establishes its location to the network and work and then, if needed, begin packet data traffic.

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The other sequence is called a Combined Attach. This applies to
Mobile Station Class A or B. (See also section VIII, 2. Mobile
Station Class). In this instance the mobile informs the network that
it wishes to be both IMSI-attached for circuit switched operation
as well as GPRS-attached for packet data services. This is similar
to a GSM registration process where the mobile has performed a
location area update and IMSI attach, along with the GPRS attach.

Now dealing with packets of data, the network controls when

those packets are sent. It can also control the quantity of packets
sent, depending on the capabilities of the mobile. It also allows
for the GPRS mobile to continuously be "attached" to the network,
although being "attached" doesn't mean that data is flowing.
Figure 5.0 A GPRS Data Message Sequence Chart
To attach to the network, the mobile starts with an "attach
request" message to the network, which includes the mobiles 2. Sending and Receiving Packets
International Mobile Subscriber Identifier or IMSI, which is then
Since the mobile has now been assigned a TLLI and is attached
processed by the network into a Packet-Temporary Mobile Sub-
to the network, packet data can be sent. With a mobile originat-
scriber Identity or P-TMSI and resent back to the mobile. The P-
ed data session, the mobile issues a channel request. The net-
TMSI forms the basis of what is called a Temporary Logical Link
work sees the channel request and issues an immediate assign-
Identifier orTLLI , used to track the mobile from the SGSN through
ment. The immediate assignment points the mobile to a Packet
the network. As part of the Combined Attach procedure, the
Data Traffic Channel or PDTCH and data blocks are then sent to
mobile is authenticated with the mobile's Home Location Register
and from the mobile.
or HLR. After authentication, the SGSN does an update of the
GPRS location and sends an "Attach Accept" message to the The network, knowing the location and TLLI of the mobile can also
mobile, and the mobile responds with an "Attach Complete". The initiate a data session by simply issuing an immediate assignment.
mobile is now "attached" to the network, and due to the TLLI, This is part of the Radio Resource messaging sent between the
packets can be routed to and from the network. BSS and the mobile.

Figure 5.0 shows the Mobility Management messaging between VIII. Types of GPRS Mobiles
the mobile and the SGSN for a GPRS attach sequence.
1. Type 1 MS versus Type 2 MS
The "Types" of MS are the same as in GSM. A Type 1 MS is not
required to transmit and receive at the same time.

Type 2 MS are required to be able to

transmit and receive at the same time.

Almost all GSM/GPRS mobiles are a

type 1 MS. This means that, although
they operate in a frequency offset
mode, (45 MHz - GSM/GPRS
900 MHz Band, 95 MHz - GSM/GPRS
1800 MHz Band,
80 MHz - GSM/GPRS 1900 MHz
Band) they are not technically in a true
duplex mode. This is because they do
not transmit and receive data at the
same time.

A good example of a type 2 MS is an

analog phone, where the phone has a
diplexer and is capable of transmitting
and receiving concurrently.

2. Mobile Station Class

The GPRS mobile is going to fall into
one of three categories called Mobile
Station Class. As we go through these
illustrations, we will refer to circuit
switched operation as GSM and pack-
et routed operation as GPRS.
Figure 4.0 A GPRS Network Overlay on a GSM Network
Mobile Station Class A mobiles supports both GSM and GPRS GPRS channel coding schemes with their appropriate data rates
operation and monitoring concurrently, allowing the user to be in are shown in table 1.0:
a GSM call or GPRS data session and then monitor the applicable
Slot Combinations
paging channel of the other service and be able to react upon it Channel Coding Scheme 1 Slot 4 Slots 8 Slots
appropriately. CS1 9.2 kbps 36.8 kbps 73.6 kbps
CS2 13.55 kbps 54.2 kbps 108.4 kbps
Mobile Station Class B mobiles supports GSM or GPRS operation CS3 15.75 kbps 63 kbps 126 kbps
CS4 21.55 kbps 86.2 kbps 172.4 kbps
- but not concurrently. Once the user is in either mode, it is not
required to monitor the paging channel for the other service and
Table 1.0 GPRS Channel Coding Schemes and Associated Data Rates
therefore, is not required to respond if a page is sent to that
mobile from the network. X. Multi-Slot Classes
Mobile Station Class C mobiles support only GPRS or GSM data. Recall from GSM that the mobile is sending uplink bursts to the
These types of mobiles are typically modems. No provision is base station during its allocated time slot every frame. Each frame
made for the mobile to monitor or react to pages from either contains 8 time slots, therefore allowing up to 8 users for that par-
mode. By default, GSM circuit switched data mobiles are Mobile ticular radio channel. The burst time is 577 microseconds, which
Station Class C mobiles. equates to a frame length of 4.615 milliseconds (8 times 577
microseconds). These frames are part of a larger multi-frame,
IX. Channel Coding Schemes which in GSM is equal to 26 frames. Bursts are sent in a duplex
Channel coding schemes are an important part of GPRS opera- mode where one burst position (time slot) is assigned for mobile
tion. Channel coding in a wireless cellular network is how the dig- communication in the downlink and uplink per frame. The uplink
ital data (either voice from the vocoder or data for non-voice appli- is offset from the downlink by 3 time slots. Only one time slot is
cations) from the mobile or base station is formatted to deal with used for voice communications, since the sampling rates are set
the inherent problem of transmitting information across a radio to occur every 4.615 milliseconds. See figure 6.0 for an example
channel. Channel coding includes parity generation, convolu- of a GSM frame.
tional coding, puncturing and interleaving. These processes are
structured so that either the mobile or the base station can
receive a stream of data bits with corrupted values and still have
a high likelihood of decoding the bit stream correctly.

A good analogy is packing a fragile gift prior to shipment in the

post. You add layer upon layer of protective covering, paper, bub-
ble wrap or whatever protective medium you choose to protect Figure 6.0 A GSM Frame
the integrity of the gift. Much as we would "protect" the gift and
the recipient "unpacks" the gift, channel coding "protects" the 1. Downlink and Uplink Slots
data that is being transmitted to and from the mobile and base
With GPRS no longer tied down to using only one slot, the GPRS
station where it is "unpacked".
mobile can handle both multiple downlink slots as well as send
In GPRS we have four different channel coding schemes. The multiple uplink slots. The burst structure and frame structure
reason for having multiple schemes is to provide for varying remains the same as GSM, however the multiframe has been
degrees of data rates, dependent upon the Quality Of Service or expanded to 52 frames.
QOS requirements. QOS takes into account the mobile user's
In GPRS mobile terminology, the term Multi-Slot Class refers to the
required data rates (graphics or text) and the channel conditions
number of downlink and uplink slots the mobile can appropriate-
to and from the mobile. The coding used can be extensive, (CS1)
ly handle. For example, Multi-Slot Class 1 means that the mobile
where we get the most protection for the data and correspond-
can handle one slot on the downlink and transmit one slot on the
ingly lower data rates - to very little (CS4) where the data rates are
uplink per frame. Multi-Slot Class 10, on the other hand, provides
much higher, since fewer of the transmitted "bits" are used for
4 slots on the downlink and 2 on the uplink. Table 2.0 shows the
error correction.
different Multi-Slot class configurations.
Again, using our "fragile gift" analogy, the channel coding can vary
from no packaging, because the delivery address is right next Where:
door to our home, to extensive packaging, since the package is Rx: Rx describes the maximum number of receive times-
going around the world to some exotic location located miles lots that the Multi-Slot or MS can use per GSM TDMA
from any paved road. frame.
Tx: Tx describes the maximum number of transmit times-
lots that the MS can use per GSM TDMA frame.
Sum: Sum is the total number of uplink and downlink TS
that can actually be used by the MS per TDMA frame.

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 Multi-Slot class Maximum number of slots Minimum number of slots receive TS and the next receive TS when measure-
Rx Tx Sum Tta Ttb Tra Trb
ment is to be performed between.
1 1 1 2 3 2 4 2
2 2 1 3 3 2 3 1 Trb: Trb relates to the time needed for the MS to get ready
3 2 2 3 3 2 3 1
4 3 1 4 3 1 3 1
to receive. This minimum requirement will only be
5 2 2 4 3 1 3 1 used when adjacent cell power measurements are
6 3 2 4 3 1 3 1
7 3 3 4 3 1 3 1 not required by the service selected.
8 4 1 5 3 1 2 1
9 3 2 5 3 1 2 1 For type 1 MS it is the minimum number of timeslots
10 4 2 5 3 1 2 1
that will be allowed between the previous transmit TS
11 4 3 5 3 1 2 1
12 4 4 5 2 1 2 1 and the next receive TS or between the previous
Table 2.0 Multi-Slot Class Configurations receive TS and the next receive TS when the fre-
quency is changed in-between.
More information can be obtained by going to the standard 3GPP
TS 05.02. XI. Testing a GPRS Mobile

2. Relationship of Downlink to Uplink Slots 1. What is the Difference Between GSM and GPRS
When looking at table 2.0, under the heading "minimum number Tests?
of slots" the terms Tta, Ttb, Tra and Trb are seen. These terms refer GSM and GPRS utilize the same bandwidth, bit rates and modula-
to timing relationship between the downlink and uplink slots. This tion formats. The digital modulation format is called Gaussian
is because the mobile is periodically required to monitor channel Minimum Shift Keying or GMSK. The primary difference is that with
conditions and then report them back to the network to deter- GPRS, packet data is sent on multiple slots in either the uplink or
mine if a cell change is required, what channel coding scheme downlink direction using different channel coding schemes as dis-
would be best utilized, power levels, etc. The mobile needs to per- cussed earlier.
form channel quality measurements during an idle slot and the
Recall from past GSM experience that sensitivity was tested using
utilization of transmit to receive offsets allows the mobile sufficient
Bit Error Rate or BER tests based on the class of bits (more on this
time to accomplish this task.
later). GPRS does not assign weighting to those different classes
Where: of bits; rather it uses a similar method of checking sensitivity called
block error rate or BLER.
Tta: Tta relates to the time needed for the MS to perform
adjacent cell signal level measurement and get ready 2. Transmitter Tests
to transmit. Transmitters are the most tested part of either a mobile or base
For type 1 MS it is the minimum number of timeslots station. This is due to the inherent inter-modulation products and
that will be allowed between the end of the previous the spectral efficiency issues that accompany modern digital
transmit or receive TS and the next transmit TS when modulation techniques and the corresponding requirement to
adjacent cell signal level measurements are to be "co-exist" with other mobile transmitters in a given spectrum.
performed between. It should be noted that, in prac- Here are the most common tests for a GSM digital mobile RF
tice, the minimum time allowed may be reduced by transmitter:
amount of timing advance. Spurious Emissions and Spectral Measurements: Spurious sig-
Ttb: Ttb relates to the time needed for the MS to get ready nals can be defined as inter-modulation products in and out of
to transmit. This minimum requirement will only be channel or band, and are usually caused by non-linear amplifiers,
used when adjacent cell power measurements are I/Q mixer balance and spectral re-growth. These emissions can
not required by the service selected. be tracked with a good quality spectrum analyzer by looking at in-
band and out-of-band emissions.
For type 1 MS it is the minimum number of timeslots
that will be allowed between the end of the last pre- Power versus Time - The GMSK Burst Structure: Recall from sec-
vious receive TS and the first next transmit TS or tion IX that the GPRS mobile can send multiple bursts within one
between the previous transmit TS and the next trans- frame on the uplink depending on its multi-slot classification. If a
mit TS when the frequency is changed in-between. It mobile is capable of this, then the test equipment manufacturer
should be noted that, in practice, the minimum time can devise tests that allow for power profile analysis of the GMSK
allowed may be reduced by the amount of the timing burst in each of the slots utilized by the mobile. Keep in mind that
advance. the mobile will only send multiple bursts per frame on a consec-
utive basis (i.e. slot 1, slot 2, slot 3, etc…) and will not send them
Tra: Tra relates to the time needed for the MS to perform on an alternate slot basis (i.e. slot 1, slot 3, slot 7, etc…).
adjacent cell signal level measurement and get ready
to receive. Begin by looking at a normal GMSK burst utilized in either a GSM
or GPRS function. Figure 7.0 shows a Power versus Time template
For type 1 MS it is the minimum number of timeslots for a normal burst format.
that will be allowed between the previous transmit or
Compare this to a GPRS uplink
that has two consecutive bursts
side by side as shown in figure
8.0. This would be consistent
with a mobile that conforms to
Multi-Slot Classes 3, 5, 6, 9, 10,
19, 24 per table 2.0. Notice that
the time between the two
bursts allows for variation in the
power. The mobile can either
power down, or continue trans-
mitting random data. It is up to
the designer to make this deci-
sion but it must conform to the
power versus time template to
ensure that it does not cause
interfering emissions. Most
mobiles today only support one slot uplink. mobile then adjusts the timing advance. Since the SACCH is
mapped over 102 GSM TDMA frames, the mobile receives an
RMS and Peak Phase Error: For GMSK modulation, this checks
update every 480 ms.
the modulation accuracy of the transmitter in the Mobile Under
Test. It is made on the useful part (information or data) of the burst With GPRS, this process will not work, since the continuous trans-
and is usually averaged over a predetermined number of bursts. mission of uplink bursts is no longer provided. GPRS uses a dif-
Peak is the worst case measurement of the burst phase error. ferent method called the Continuous Timing Advance Update
Procedure. The continuous timing update procedure relies on
Frequency Error: A test of the stability of the mobile's transmitter
the Packet Timing Control Channel or PTCCH for both the uplink
to keep on frequency regardless of modulation format.
and downlink. Here, the mobile is assigned to one of 16 logical
Bit Timing: This test checks the accuracy of the mobile's trans- sub-channels that repeat every 416 frames on either the 12th or
mission timing. To accommodate for near-far effect, the network 38th burst. The mobile sends an access burst to the base station
can request that the mobile advance its burst by a predetermined and the BTS can then estimate the distance to the respective
number of bits. mobile and then return the appropriate timing advance message.

In GSM, this is accomplished by the BTS measuring the bit shift of Optionally, the BTS may track the shift of the incoming access
the Training Sequence Code orTSC that is found on all uplink nor- bursts and normal bursts on the PDTCH from the mobile and
mal bursts from the mobile to the BTS. (Remember that with GSM, determine the distance to the mobile station. Using a method
the mobile is always sending uplink bursts during a voice call). called polling, the PCU sends a polling message to the mobile and
The BTS then sends timing adjustments back to the mobile on the the mobile responds with four identically formatted access bursts
Slow Associated Control Channel or SACCH message where the during a particular uplink radio block (a block is equal to four
bursts) assigned by the PCU. The BTS meas-
ures the timing advance and forwards this to
the PCU, which responds with a correspon-
ding message to the mobile.

3. Receiver Tests:
The receiver tests are used to determine the
sensitivity of the receiver, or how low a signal
the mobile can process before it causes
excessive errors. In analog days, this was a
Signal + Noise and Distortion test or SINAD.
For digital modulation techniques, however,
we need to look at an alternative method to
test sensitivity.

Recall from past GSM experience that the bits

within the voice data are assigned different
"class" codes to determine their relative
importance in transmission and were afford-
ed more extensive convolutional coding or
"protection" based on their importance. In

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GSM, we therefore tested the various BER in each of those class- Conclusion - GPRS Now and In The Future
es of bits. This gave us BER1, BER2, RBER1b and RBER2 bit error This application note has introduced information about GPRS
measurements. GSM also tracked Frame Erasure Rates or FER, operation. It has explained various differences between GSM cir-
where the whole frame was lost. cuit switched operation and GPRS packet operation. GPRS is a
These combined tests, along with a GSM Single-slot TCH loop (A) fundamentally different way of handling data communications
test allow test equipment manufacturers to accurately test the over the air, and is the first step in packet data functionality that
mobile's sensitivity. sets the basis for packet data operation for next generation tech-
nologies including EGPRS (EDGE) and 3G WCDMA.
BER compares a known good data stream (bits) transmitted to the
mobile from the test system. Typically, the mobile then "loops GPRS will continue to evolve. Currently manufacturers offer a lim-
back" the data stream to the test system, where the data sent is ited range of mobile products that have been carefully matched
compared to the data received. Those "bits" that do not come to the networks that they operate. There are a number of issues
back correctly are flagged as errors, hence the name "Bit Error that make GPRS mobile and network inter-operation challenging.
Rate". The measurement is expressed as a ratio of the received This requires comprehensive solutions that take the guesswork
"error bits" to the known good bits transmitted. This test is used out of GPRS mobile performance testing.
to determine the sensitivity of the mobile's receiver, where the As we gain experience, many of these issues will fade away. New
sensitivity is determined by reducing the power of the received and different problems will undoubtedly develop to challenge us
signal until a predetermined BER is reached. Faster tests will set as data rates and features expand.
a predetermined pass/fail limit BER and set a particular output
level (typically around -104 dBm) and simply check the mobile Aeroflex will continue to enhance product performance and will
against the pass/fail parameters. be releasing more application notes in the future as GPRS tech-
nology evolves. Please check our Website for additional informa-
GPRS utilizes a different method to determine sensitivity of the tion. www.aeroflex.com
mobile. This is called Block Error Rate or BLER. A block is defined
as four consecutive bursts from the base station to the mobile.
GPRS mobiles that support BLER support GPRS test modes A, B
and C. BLER means the test system sends random RLC blocks of
data to the mobile which replies with ACK/NACK (acknowl-
edge/not acknowledge) responses to the test system. The ratio
of NACKs to ACKs determines the block error rate.

A GPRS BER test can also be performed if the GPRS mobile is

capable of doing a GPRS Test Mode "B" Loopback test. If the
mobile cannot support Test Mode "B", then it must be able to sup-
port GPRS Test Mode "A". Mobiles that support both modes are
known as supporting GPRS Test Mode "C".

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Fax: [+86] (21) 62828 8002 Fax: [+852] 2834 5364 Fax: [+34] (91) 640 06 40 Tel: [+1] (316) 522 4981
FINLAND INDIA UK Burnham Fax: [+1] (316) 522 1360
Tel: [+358] (9) 2709 5541 Tel: [+91] 80 5115 4501 Tel: [+44] (0) 1628 604455 Toll Free: 800 835 2352
Fax: [+358] (9) 804 2441 Fax: [+91] 80 5115 4502 Fax: [+44] (0) 1628 662017
FRANCE KOREA
Tel: [+33] 1 60 79 96 00 Tel: [+82] (2) 3424 2719
Fax: [+33] 1 60 77 69 22 Fax: [+82] (2) 3424 8620

As we are always seeking to improve our products,

the information in this document gives only a general
indication of the product capacity, performance and
suitability, none of which shall form part of any con-
w w w.aeroflex.com Our passion for performance is defined by three
tract. We reserve the right to make design changes
attributes represented by these three icons:
without notice. All trademarks are acknowledged.
Parent company Aeroflex, Inc. ©Aeroflex 2005. info-test@aeroflex.com solution-minded, performance-driven and customer-focused.

Part No. 46891/907, Issue 2, 07/05