AJAY KUMAR GARG ENGINEERING COLLEGE

27 km. STONE DELHI - HAPUR BYPASS ROAD GHAZIABAD 201009

PROJECT REPORT On

Principles And Concepts in GSM

Submitted by:
Onkar Pratap Singh

ECE 4TH Year 0702731076

AJAY KUMAR GARG ENGINEERING COLLEGE

27th DELHI-HAPUR BYPASS ROAD GHAZIABAD-201009

TRAINING CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Onkar Pratap Singh, student of Ajay kumar Garg Engineering College B.Tech Final Year of Electronics & Communication Engineering branch, has undergone Industrial training in Principles and Concepts in GSM from ALTTC(Advanced Level Telecom Training Centre)from June 21, 2010 to July 17, 2010.

Gp. Capt. P.K CHOPRA VSM (Retd.) Professor & HOD-(T&P, ECE)

PREFACE

This record is concerned about my Industrial training during the Summer Vacations of 3rd year. In course of B.Tech from Ajay Kumar Garg Engineeering College Ghaziabad it is part of our academic curriculum to undergo a practical training of 4 weeks. This training is useful in life in number of ways. Main objective is to get experience about fieldwork. I have taken my Practical training from ALTTC(ADVANCED LEVEL TELECOM TRAINING CENTRE) located at Rajnagar, Ghaziabad. During this training, i got to learn many new things about the industry and the current requirements of companies. This training proved to be a milestone in my knowledge of present industry scenario and developing business of software in the giant field of communication. Every say and every moment was an experience in itself, an experience which theoretical study cant provide.

GSM: What is the Basic Idea?

Global System for Mobile (GSM) is a second generation cellular standard developed to provide voice services and data delivery using digital modulation .GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is the most popular standard for mobile telephony systems in the world.. Its enables international roaming arrangements between mobile phone operators, providing subscribers the use of their phones in many parts of the world.

GSM differs from its predecessor technologies in that both signaling and speech channels are digital, and thus GSM is considered a second generation (2G) mobile phone system. The ubiquity of implementation of the GSM standard has been an advantage to both consumers, who may benefit from the ability to roam and switch carriers without replacing phones, and also to network operators, who can choose equipment from many GSM equipment vendors. GSM also pioneered low-cost implementation of the short message service (SMS), also called text messaging, which has since been supported on other mobile phone standards as well. Newer versions of the standard were backward-compatible with the original GSM system. For example, Release '97 of the standard added packet data capabilities by means of General Packet Radio Service (GPRS). Release '99 introduced higher speed data transmission using Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE).

Meaning
GSM is a cellular network, which means that mobile phones connect to it by searching for cells in the immediate vicinity. The modulation used in GSM is Gaussian minimum-shift keying (GMSK), a kind of continuousphase frequency shift keying. In GMSK, the signal to be modulated onto the carrier is first smoothed with a Gaussian low-pass filter prior to being fed to a frequency modulator, which greatly reduces the interference to neighboring channels (adjacent-channel interference).

GSM carrier frequencies:

GSM networks operate in a number of different carrier frequency ranges (separated into GSM frequency ranges for 2G and UMTS frequency bands for 3G), with most 2G GSM networks operating in the 900 MHz or 1800 MHz bands. Where these bands were already allocated, the 850 MHz and 1900 MHz bands were used instead (for example in Canada and the United States).

Freq. Range for GSM900 :

Regardless of the frequency selected by an operator, it is divided into timeslots for individual phones to use. This allows eight full-rate or sixteen half-rate speech channels per radio frequency. These eight radio timeslots (or eight burst periods) are grouped into a TDMA frame. Half rate channels use alternate frames in the same timeslot. The channel data rate for all 8 channels is 270.833 kbit/s, and the frame duration is 4.615 ms. The transmission power in the handset is limited to a maximum of 2 watts in GSM850/900 and 1 watt in GSM1800/1900.

HISTORY :
of The development and success of GSM has been an outstanding example international enterprise in action. Operators, governments and

manufacturers have come together in a remarkable venture that has created a new, dynamic and genuinely global telecommunications market. Its an example of co-operation that has affected and will continue to affect, the lives of millions both socially and economically. The scenario of mobile phones in the 1980s can be summed up quite beautifully by considering the case of a car that race through the autobahns of GERMANY but stops dead when it crosses the border and enters FRANCE. As the business was becoming increasingly international the cutting edge of the communication industry focused on exclusively local cellular solutions. And none of these was remotely compatible with other. NMT 450 in the Nordic and Benelux countries. TACS in the UK and C-NETZ in Germany. Radiocom 2000 in France and RTMI/RTMS in Italy. All these networks enabled you to call the office if you were in your own home, but not if you were with a client in another country. Each country developed its own system, which was incompatible with everyone else's in equipment and operation. This was an undesirable situation, because not only was the mobile equipment limited to operation within national boundaries, which in a unified Europe were increasingly unimportant, but there was a very limited market for each type of equipment, so economies of scale, and the subsequent savings, could not be realized. It was clear that there would be an escalating demand for a technology that facilitated flexible and reliable mobile communication. But there was a big disadvantage, which threatened to affect the first generation mobile networks. It was the problem of capacity or the lack of it. It was this that leads to the decline of the entire analog networks in the early 1990s; they collapsed under the pressure of demand. It also became clear to industry watchers that localized solutions to the development of mobile communications did not make ling-term economic sense. Given the daunting R&D costs facing operators and manufacturers, it was essential to be able to exploit the economies of scale inherent in global market penetration. Home market revenue simply wouldnt justify sustained programs of investment. In the alphabet soup that is the communications industry, the CEPT merits a very special place in history. The Europeans realized this early on, and in 1982 the Conference of European Posts and Telegraphs (CEPT) formed a study group called the GROUPE SPCIAL MOBILE (GSM) to study and develop a pan-European public land mobile system. Its objective was to develop the specification for a pan-European mobile communications network capable of supporting the many millions of subscribers likely to turn to mobile communications in the years ahead. The proposed system had to meet certain criteria:

Good subjective speech quality, Low terminal and service cost, Support for international roaming, Ability to support handhold terminals, Support for range of new services and facilities, Spectral efficiency, and ISDN compatibility.

From the start, the GSM had it in mind that the new standard was likely to employ digital rather than analogue technology and operate in the 900MHz frequency band. Digital technology offered an attractive combination of performance and spectral efficiency. In other words, it would provide high quality transmission and enable more callers simultaneously to use the limited radio band available. In addition, such a system would allow the development of advanced features like speech security and data communications. By going digital it would also be possible to employ the VLSI technology. It would have severe implications both for manufacturers and consumers. Handsets could be cheaper and smaller.Finally the digital approach neatly complemented the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) which was being developed by the land line communications networks and with which the GSM systems had to interact.
In 1989, GSM responsibility was transferred to the European Telecommunication Standards Institute (ETSI), and phase I of the GSM specifications was published in 1990. Commercial service was started in mid1991, and by 1993 there were 36 GSM networks in 22 countries, with 25 additional countries having already selected or considering GSM. This is not only a European standard - South Africa, Australia, and many Middle and Far East countries have chosen GSM. By the beginning of 1994, there were 1.3 million subscribers worldwide. The acronym GSM now stands for Global System for Mobile telecommunications. GSM differs from first generation wireless systems in that it uses digital technology and time division multiple access transmission methods. Voice is digitally encoded via a unique encoder, which emulates the characteristics of human speech. This method of transmission permits a very efficient data rate/information content ratio.

GSM AS OF NOW:
Todays GSM platform is a hugely successful wireless technology and an unprecedented story of global achievement. In less than ten years since the

first GSM network was commercially launched, it became the worlds leading and fastest growing mobile standard, spanning over 200 countries. Today, GSM technology is in use by more than one in six of the worlds population and it is estimated that at the end of Jan 2004 there were over 1 billion GSM subscribers across more than 200 countries of the world. The growth of GSM continues unabated with more than 160 million new customers in the last 12 months. Since 1997, the number of GSM subscribers has increased by a staggering 10 fold. The progress hasnt stopped there. Todays GSM platform is living, growing and evolving and already offers and expanded and feature-rich family of voice and data enabling services.

GSM Specifications:

bandwidththe range of a channel's limits; the broader the bandwidth, the faster data can be sent bits per second (bps)a single on-off pulse of data; eight bits are equivalent to one byte frequencythe number of cycles per unit of time; frequency is measured in hertz (Hz) kilo (k)kilo is the designation for 1,000; kbps represents 1,000 bits per second megahertz (MHz)1,000,000 hertz (cycles per second) milliseconds (ms)one-thousandth of a second watt (W)a measure of power of a transmitter

Specifications and Characteristics for GSM:

Frequency bandthe frequency range specified for GSM is 1,850 to 1,990 MHz (mobile station to base station). Duplex distancethe duplex distance is 80 MHz. Duplex distance is the distance between the uplink and downlink frequencies. A channel has two frequencies, 80 MHz apart. Channel separationthe separation between adjacent carrier frequencies. In GSM, this is 200 kHz. ModulationModulation is the process of sending a signal by changing the characteristics of a carrier frequency. This is done in GSM via Gaussian minimum shift keying (GMSK). Transmission rateGSM is a digital system with an over-the-air bit rate of 270 kbps.

Access methodGSM utilizes the time division multiple access (TDMA) concept. TDMA is a technique in which several different calls may share the same carrier. Each call is assigned a particular time slot. Speech coderGSM uses linear predictive coding (LPC). The purpose of LPC is to reduce the bit rate. The LPC provides parameters for a filter that mimics the vocal tract. The signal passes through this filter, leaving behind a residual signal. Speech is encoded at 13 kbps.

GSM Architecture:
This is the basic block diagram of current GSM architecture.

GSM NETWORK STRUCTURE

Every telephone network needs a well-designed structure in order to route incoming called to the correct exchange and finally to the called subscriber. In a mobile network, this structure is of great importance because of the mobility of all its subscribers. In the GSM system, the network is divided into the following partitioned areas: GSM service area; PLMN service area; MSC service area; Location area; Cells.

The GSM service is the total area served by the combination of all member countries where a mobile can be serviced. The next level is the PLMN service area. There can be several within a country, based on its size. The links between a GSM/PLMN network and other PSTN, ISDN, or PLMN

network will be on the level of international or national transit exchange. All incoming calls for a GSM/PLMN network will be routed to a gateway MSC. A gateway MSC works as an incoming transit exchange for the GSM/PLMN. In a GSM/PLMN network, all mobile-terminated calls will be routed to a gateway MSC. Call connections between PLMNs, or to fixed networks, must be routed through certain designated MSCs called a gateway MSC. The gateway MSC contains the interworking functions to make these connections. They also route incoming calls to the proper MSC within the network. The next level of division is the MSC/VLR service area. In one PLMN there can be several MSC/VLR service areas. MSC/VLR is a role controller of calls within its jurisdiction. In order to route a call to a mobile subscriber, the path through links to the MSC in the MSC area where the subscriber is currently located. The mobile location can be uniquely identified since the MS is registered in a VLR, which is generally associated with an MSC. The next division level is that of the LAs within a MSC/VLR combination. There are several LAs within one MSc/VLR combination. A LA is a part of the MSC/VLR service area in which a MS may move freely without updating location information to the MSC/VLR exchange that control the LA. Within a LA a paging message is broadcast in order to find the called mobile subscriber. The LA can be identified by the system using the Location Area Identity (LAI). The LA is used by the GSM system to search for a subscriber in an active state. Lastly, a LA is divided into many cells. A cell is an identity served by one BTS. The MS distinguishes between cells using the Base Station Identification code (BSIC) that the cell site broadcast over the air.

GSM Network Architecture consists :

Mobile Station SIM Mobile Handset Base Station Subsystem BSC (Base Site Controller) BTS (Base Transceiver Station)

Network Switching System MSC (Mobile Switching Centre) HLR (Home Location Register) VLR (Visitor Location Register) EIR (Equipment Identity Register) AUC (Authentication Centre)

MOBILE STATION
The MS (Mobile Station) is the combination of terminal equipment and subscribers data. The terminal equipment as such is called as ME (Mobile Equipment) and the subscribers data is stored in a saperate module called SIM (Subscribers Identity Module).

MS=ME+SIM
The MS includes radio equipment and the man machine interface (MMI) that a subscribe needs in order to access the services provided by the GSM PLMN. MS can be installed in Vehicles or can be portable or handheld stations. The MS may include provisions for data communication as well as

voice. A mobile transmits and receives message to and from the GSM system over the air interface to establish and continue connections through the system. Different type of MSs can provide different type of data interfaces. To provide a common model for describing these different MS configuration, reference configuration for MS, similar to those defined for ISDN land stations, has been defined. Each MS is identified by an IMEI that is permanently stored in the mobile unit. Upon request, the MS sends this number over the signaling channel to the MSC. The IMEI can be used to identify mobile units that are reported stolen or operating incorrectly. Just as the IMEI identities the mobile equipment, other numbers are used to identity the mobile subscriber. Different subscriber identities are used in different phases of call setup. The Mobile Subscriber ISDN Number (MSISDN) is the number that the calling party dials in order to reach the subscriber. It is used by the land network to route calls toward an appropriate MSC. The international mobile subscribe identity (IMSI) is the primary function of the subscriber within the mobile network and is permanently assigned to him. The GSM system can also assign a Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (TMSI) to identity a mobile. This number can be periodically changed by the system and protect the subscriber from being identified by those attempting to monitor the radio channel.

Functions of MS
The primary functions of MS are to transmit and receive voice and data over the air interface of the GSM system. MS performs the signal processing function of digitizing, encoding, error protecting, encrypting, and modulating the transmitted signals. It also performs the inverse functions on the received signals from the BS. In order to transmit voice and data signals, the mobile must be in synchronization with the system so that the messages are the transmitted and received by the mobile at the correct instant. To achieve this, the MS automatically tunes and synchronizes to the frequency and TDMA timeslot specified by the BSC. This message is received over a dedicated timeslot several times within a multiframe period of 51 frames. The exact synchronization will also include adjusting the timing advance to compensate for varying distance of the mobile from the BTS.

MS keeps the GSM network informed of its location during both national and international roaming, even when it is inactive. This enables the System to page in its present LA. Finally, the MS can store and display short received alphanumeric messages on the liquid crystal display (LCD) that is used to show call dialing and status in formation. These messages are limited to 160 characters in length (varies from mobile to mobile).

SIM :
The SIM is a removable, the size of a credit card, and contains an integrated circuit chip with a microprocessor, random access memory (RAM), and read only memory (ROM). The subscriber inserts it in the MS unit when he or she wants to use the MS to make or receive a call. As stated, a SIM also comes in a modular from that can be mounted in the subscribers equipment. A subscriber identity module (SIM) on a removable SIM card securely stores the service-subscriber key (IMSI) used to identify a subscriber on mobile telephony devices (such as mobile phones and computers). The SIM card allows users to change phones by simply removing the SIM card from one mobile phone and inserting it into another mobile phone or broadband telephony device. GSM subscribers are provided with a SIM (subscriber identity module) card with its unique identification at the very beginning of the service. By divorcing the subscriber ID from the equipment ID, the subscriber may never own the GSM mobile equipment set. The subscriber is identified in the system when he inserts the SIM card in the mobile equipment. This provides an enormous amount of flexibility to the subscribers since they can now use

any GSM-specified mobile equipment. Thus with a SIM card the idea of Personalize the equipment currently in use and the respective information used by the network (location information) needs to be updated. The smart card SIM is portable between Mobile Equipment (ME) units. The user only needs to take his smart card on a trip. He can then rent a ME unit at the destination, even in another country, and insert his own SIM. Any calls he makes will be charged to his home GSM account. Also, the GSM system will be able to reach him at the ME unit he is currently using. This is the main advantage of GSM over CDMA. SIM cards are available in three standard sizes. The first is the size of a credit card (85.60 mm 53.98 mm x 0.76 mm). The newer, most popular miniature version has the same thickness but a length of 25 mm and a width of 15 mm, and has one of its corners truncated (chamfered) to prevent misinsertion. The newest incarnation known as the 3FF or micro-SIM has dimensions of 15 mm 12 mm. Most cards of the two smaller sizes are supplied as a full-sized card with the smaller card held in place by a few plastic links; it can easily be broken off to be used in a device that uses the smaller SIM. The first SIM card was made in 1991, with Munich smart card maker Giesecke & Devrient selling the first 300 SIM cards to Finnish wireless network operator Radiolinja. SIM cards were first made the same size as a credit card (85.60 mm 53.98 mm 0.76 mm). The development of physically smaller mobile devices prompted the development of a smaller SIM card, the mini-SIM card. Mini-SIM cards have the same thickness as fullsize cards, but their length and width are reduced to 25 mm 15 mm. When a mobile subscriber wants to use the system, he or she mounts their SIM card and provide their Personal Identification Number (PIN), which is compared with a PIN stored within the SIM. If the user enters three incorrect PIN codes, the SIM is disabled. The service provider if requested by the subscriber can also permanently bypass the PIN. Disabling the PIN code simplifies the call setup but reduces the protection of the users account in the event of a stolen SIM. The equivalent of USIM on GSM networks is SIM, and on CDMA networks it is CSIM.

Base Station System (BSS)

The BSS is a set of BS equipment (such as transceivers and controllers) that is in view by the MSC through a single A interface as being the entity responsible for communicating with MSs in a certain area. The radio equipment of a BSS may be composed of one or more cells. A BSS may consist of one or more BS. The interface between BSC and BTS is designed as an Abis interface. The BSS includes two types of machines: the BTS in contact with the MSs through the radio interface; and the BSC, the latter being in contact with the MSC. The function split is basically between transmission equipment, the BTS and managing equipment at the BSC. All radio-related functions are performed in the BSS, which consists of base station controllers (BSCs) and the base transceiver stations (BTSs).

Base Station Controller (BSC)

A BSC is a network component in the PLMN that function for control of one or more BTS. It is a functional entity that handles common control functions within a BTS. BSC within a mobile network is a key component for handling and routing information. The BSC provides all the control functions and physical links between the MSC and BTS. It is a high-capacity switch that

provides functions such as handover, cell configuration data, and control of radio frequency (RF) power levels in base transceiver stations. A number of BSCs are served by an MSC. The BSC is connected to the MSC on one side and to the BTS on the other. The BSC performs the Radio Resource (RR) management for the cells under its control. It assigns and releases frequencies and timeslots for all MSs in its own area. The BSC performs the intercell handover for MSs moving between BTS in its control. It also reallocates frequencies to the BTSs in its area to meet locally heavy demands during peak hours or on special events. The BSC controls the power transmission of both BSSs and MSs in its area. The minimum power level for a mobile unit is broadcast over the BCCH. The BSC provides the time and frequency synchronization reference signals broadcast by its BTSs. The BSC also measures the time delay of received MS signals relative to the BTS clock. If the received MS signal is not centered in its assigned timeslot at the BTS, The BSC can direct the BTS to notify the MS to advance the timing such that proper synchronization takes place. The BSC may also perform traffic concentration to reduce the number of transmission lines from the BSC to its BTSs.

Base Terminal Station (BTS)

The BTS handles the radio interface to the mobile station. The BTS is the radio equipment (transceivers and antennas) needed to service each cell in the network. A group of BTSs are controlled by a BSC. A BTS is a network component that serves one cell and is controlled by a BSC. BTS is typically able to handle three to five radio carries, carrying between 24 and 40 simultaneous communication. Reducing the BTS volume is important to keeping down the cost of the cell sites. A BTS compares radio transmission and reception devices, up to and including the antennas, and also all the signal processing specific to the radio interface. A single transceiver within BTS supports eight basic radio channels of the same TDM frame.

Functions of BTS

The primary responsibility of the BTS is to transmit and receive radio signals from a mobile unit over an air interface. To perform this function completely, the signals are encoded, encrypted, multiplexed, modulated, and then fed to the antenna system at the cell site. Transcoding to bring 13-kbps speech to a standard data rate of 16 kbps and then combining four of these signals to 64 kbps is essentially a part of BTS, though; it can be done at BSC or at MSC. The voice communication can be either at a full or half rate over logical speech channel. In order to keep the mobile synchronized, BTS transmits frequency and time synchronization signals over frequency correction channel (FCCH and BCCH logical channels. The received signal from the mobile is decoded, decrypted, and equalized for channel impairments. Random access detection is made by BTS, which then sends the message to BSC. The channel subsequent assignment is made by BSC. Timing advance is determined by BTS. BTS signals the mobile for proper timing adjustment. Uplink radio channel measurement corresponding to the downlink measurements made by MS has to be made by BTS.

BTS-BSC Configurations
There are several BTS-BSC configurations: single site, single cell; single site, multicell; and multisite, multicell. These configurations are chosen based on the rural or urban application. These configurations make the GSM system economical since the operation has options to adapt the best layout based on the traffic requirement. Thus, in some sense, system optimization is possible by the proper choice of the configuration. These include omnidirectional rural configuration where the BSC and BTS are on the same site; chain and multidrop loop configuration in which several BTSs are controlled by a single remote BSC with a chain or ring connection topology; rural star configuration in which several BTSs are connected by individual lines to the same BSC; and sectorized urban configuration in which three BTSs share the same site and are controlled by either a collocated or remote BSC. In rural areas, most BTSs are installed to provide maximum coverage rather then maximum capacity.

NETWORK SWITCHING SUBSYSTEM:

The Network Switching Subsystem (NSS) comprises of: Mobile services Switching Centre (MSC) Home Location Register (HLR) Visitor Location Register (VLR) Authentication Centre (AC) Equipment Identification Register (EIR)

The network and the switching subsystem together include the main switching functions of GSM as well as the databases needed for subscriber data and mobility management (VLR). The main role of the MSC is to manage the communications between the GSM users and other telecommunication network users. The basic switching function is performed by the MSC, whose main function is to coordinate setting up calls to and from GSM users. The MSC has interface with the BSS on one side (through which MSC VLR is in contact with GSM users) and the external networks on the other (ISDN/PSTN/PSPDN). The main difference between a MSC and an exchange in a fixed network is that the MSC has to take into account the impact of the allocation of RRs and the mobile nature of the subscribers and has to perform, in addition, at least, activities required for the location registration and handover. The MSC is a telephony switch that performs all the switching functions for MSs located in a geographical area as the MSC area. The MSC must also handle different types of numbers and identities related to the same MS and contained in different registers: IMSI, TMSI, ISDN number, and MSRN. In general identities are used in the interface between the MSC and the MS, while numbers are used in the fixed part of the network, such as, for routing.

 Mobile services Switching Centre (MSC)

An MSC is the point of connection to the network for mobile subscribers of a wireless telephone network. It connects to the subscribers through base stations and radio transmission equipment that control the air interface, and to the network of other MSCs and wireless infrastructure through voice trunks and SS7. An MSC includes the procedures for mobile registration and is generally co-sited with a visitor location register (VLR) that is used to temporarily store information relating to the mobile subscribers temporarily connected to that MSC. The MSC performs the telephony switching functions of the system. It controls calls to and from other telephone and data systems. It also performs such functions as toll ticketing, network interfacing, common channel signaling, and others.

Functions of MSC:
As stated, the main function of the MSC is to coordinate the set up of calls between GSM mobile and PSTN users. Specifically, it performs functions such as paging, resource allocation, location registration, and encryption. Specifically, the call-handling function of paging is controlled by MSC. MSC coordinates the set up of call to and from all GSM subscribers operating in its areas. The dynamics allocation of access resources is done in coordination with the BSS. More specifically, the MSC decides when and which types of channels should be assigned to which MS. The channel identity and related radio parameters are the responsibility of the BSS; The MSC provides the control of interworking with different networks. It is transparent for the subscriber authentication procedure. The MSC supervises the connection transfer between different BSSs for MSs, with an active call, moving from one call to another. This is ensured if the two BSSs are connected to the same MSC but also when they are not. In this latter case the procedure is more complex, since more then one MSC involved. The MSC performs billing on calls for all subscribers based in its areas. When the subscriber is roaming elsewhere, the MSC obtains data for the call billing from the visited MSC. Encryption parameters transfers from VLR to BSS to facilitate ciphering on the radio interface are done by MSC. The exchange of signaling information on the various interface toward the other network elements and the management of the interface themselves are all controlled by the MSC.

Finally, the MSC serves as a SMS gateway to forward SMS messages from Short Message Service Centers (SMSC) to the subscribers and from the subscribers to the SMSCs. It thus acts as a message mailbox and delivery system The SMSC is a store-and-forward device used to provide peer-to-peer text messaging services in mobile networks. Any text message issued from a mobile

handset is forwarded to the SMSC, where the location of the called subscriber is determined by consulting the appropriate HLR. If the subscriber is currently connected to a reachable network, the location is determined and the text message is transmitted. If not, the message is stored for later transmission once the subscriber becomes available. The SMSC also includes back-end interfaces for the connection of enhanced service platforms that can be used to implement a variety of SMS services such as televoting and premium rate data services (e.g., weather, traffic, sports, and news).

Visitor Location Register

The VLR is a database that contains temporary information about subscribers that is needed by the MSC in order to service visiting subscribers. The VLR is always integrated with the MSC. When a mobile station roams into a new MSC area, the VLR connected to that MSC will request data about the mobile station from the HLR. Later, if the mobile station makes a call, the VLR will have the information needed for call setup without having to interrogate the HLR each time. The VLR is allocated with an MSC. A MS roaming in an MSC area is controlled by the VLR responsible for that area. When a MS appears in a LA, it starts a registration procedure. The MSC for that area notices this registration and transfers to the VLR the identity of the LA where the MS is situated. A VLR may be in charge of one or several MSC LAs. The VLR constitutes the databases that support the MSC in the storage and retrieval of the data of subscribers present in its area. When an MS enters the MSC area borders, it signals its arrival to the MSC that stores its identity in the VLR. The information necessary to manage the MS is contained in the HLR and is transferred to the VLR so that they can be easily retrieved if so required.

Data Stored in VLR:

The data contained in the VLR and in the HLR are more or less the same. Nevertheless the data are present in the VLR only as long as the MS is registered in the area related to that VLR. Data associated with the movement of mobile are IMSI, MSISDN, MSRN, and TMSI. The terms permanent and temporary, in this case, are meaningful only during that time interval. Some data are mandatory, others are optional.

Home Location Register

The HLR is a database that permanently stores data related to a given set of subscribers. The HLR is the reference database for subscriber parameters. Various identification numbers and addresses as well as authentication parameters, services subscribed, and special routing information are stored. Current subscriber

status including a subscribers temporary roaming number and associated VLR if the mobile is roaming, are maintained. The HLR is a database used for storage and management of subscriptions. The HLR is considered the most important database, as it stores permanent data about subscribers, including a subscriber's service profile, location information, and activity status. When an individual buys a subscription from one of the PCS operators, he or she is registered in the HLR of that operator. Once a mobile user is registered with a network, the current location is stored in the HLR, thus allowing incoming calls to be routed to the subscriber. The HLR provides data needed to route calls to all MS-SIMs home based in its MSC area, even when they are roaming out of area or in other GSM networks. The HLR provides the current location data needed to support searching for and paging the MS-SIM for incoming calls, wherever the MS-SIM may be. The HLR is responsible for storage and provision of SIM authentication and encryption parameters needed by the MSC where the MS-SIM is operating. It obtains these parameters from the AUC. The HLR maintains record of which supplementary service each user has subscribed to and provides permission control in granting services. The HLR stores the identification of SMS gateways that have messages for the subscriber under the SMS until they can be transmitted to the subscriber and receipt is knowledge. Some data are mandatory, other data are optional. Both the HLR and the VLR can be implemented in the same equipment in an MSC (collocated). A PLMN may contain one or several HLRs

Authentication Centre
A unit called the AUC provides authentication and encryption parameters that verify the user's identity and ensure the confidentiality of each call. The AUC protects network operators from different types of fraud found in today's cellular world. The AUC stores information that is necessary to protect communication through the air interface against intrusions, to which the mobile is vulnerable. The legitimacy of the subscriber is established through authentication and ciphering, which protects the user information against unwanted disclosure. Authentication information and ciphering keys are stored in a database within the AUC, which protects the user information against unwanted disclosure and access. The HLR is also responsible for the authentication of the subscriber each time he makes or receives a call. The AUC, which actually performs this function, is a

separate GSM entity that will often be physically included with the HLR. Being separate, it will use separate processing equipment for the AUC database functions.

Equipment Identity Register

The EIR is a database that contains information about the identity of mobile equipment that prevents calls from stolen, unauthorized, or defective mobile stations. The AUC and EIR are implemented as stand-alone nodes or as a combined AUC/EIR node. EIR is a database that stores the IMEI numbers for all registered ME units. The IMEI uniquely identifies all registered ME. There is generally one EIR per PLMN. It interfaces to the various HLR in the PLMN. The EIR keeps track of all ME units in the PLMN. It maintains various lists of message. The database stores the ME identification and has nothing do with subscriber who is receiving or originating call. There are three classes of ME that are stored in the database, and each group has different characteristics: White List: contains those IMEIs that are known to have been assigned to valid MSs. This is the category of genuine equipment. Black List: contains IMEIs of mobiles that have been reported stolen. Gray List: contains IMEIs of mobiles that have problems (for example, faulty software, and wrong make of the equipment). This list contains all MEs with faults not important enough for barring.

Handover
Handover, or handoff as it is called in North America, is the switching of an ongoing call to a different channel or cell. There are four different types of handover in the GSM system, which involve transferring a call between

Channels (time slots) in the same cell, Cells (Base Transceiver Stations) under the control of the same Base Station Controller (BSC), Cells under the control of different BSCs, but belonging to the same Mobile services Switching Center (MSC), and Cells under the control of different MSCs.

The first two types of handover, called internal handovers, involve only one Base Station Controller (BSC). To save signaling bandwidth, they are managed by the BSC without involving the Mobile service Switching Center (MSC), except to notify it at the completion of the handover. The last two

types of handover, called external handovers, are handled by the MSCs involved. Note that call control, such as provision of supplementary services and requests for further handoffs, is handled by the original MSC. Handovers can be initiated by either the mobile or the MSC (as a means of traffic load balancing). During its idle time slots, the mobile scans the Broadcast Control Channel of up to 16 neighboring cells, and forms a list of the six best candidates for possible handover, based on the received signal strength. This information is passed to the BSC and MSC, and is used by the handover algorithm. The algorithm for when a handover decision should be taken is not specified in the GSM recommendations. There are two basic algorithms used, both closely tied in with power control. This is because the BSC usually does not know whether the poor signal quality is due to multipath fading or to the mobile having moved to another cell. This is especially true in small urban cells.

Intra MSC Handover

1. The MS determines that a handover is required, it sends the Measurement Report message to the serving BSS. This message contains the signal strength measurements. 2. The serving BSS sends a Handover Request message to the MSC. This message contains a rank-ordered list of the target BSSs that are qualified to receive the call. 3. The MSC reviews the global cell identity associated with the best candidate to determine if one of the BSSs that it controls is responsible for the cell area. In this scenario the MSC determines that the cell area is associated with the target BSS. To perform an intra-MSC handover, two resources are required: a trunk between the MSC and the target BSS and a radio TCH in the new cell area. The MSC reserves a rank and sends a Handover Request message to the target BSS. This message includes the desired cell area for handover, the identity of the MSC-BSS trunk that was reserved, and the encryption key ( ). 4. The target BSS selects and reserves the appropriate resources to support the handover pending the connection execution. The target BSS sends a Handover Request Acknowledgment to the MSC. The message contains the new radio channel identification. 5. The MSC sends the Handover Command message to the serving BSS. In this message the new radio channel identification supplied by the target BSS is included. 6. The serving BSS forwards the Handover Command message t o the MS. 7. The MS retunes to the new radio channel and sends the Handover Access message to the target BSS on the new radio channel.

8. The target BSS sends the Physical Information message to the MS. 9. The target BSS informs the MSC when it begins detecting the MS handing over with the Handover Detected message. 10. The target BSS and the MS exchange messages to synchronize/align the Mss transmission in the proper time slot. On the completion, the MS sends the Handover Completed message to the target BSS. 11. The MSC sends a Release message to other serving BSS to release the old radio TCH. 12. At this point, the serving BSS releases all resources with the MS and sends the Release Complete message to the MSC.

Inter MSC Handover

In this scenario we assume that a call has already been established. The serving BSS is connected to the serving MSC and the target BSS to the target MSC. 1. Same as step 1 in the intra-MSC handover. 2. Same as step 2 in the intra-MSC handover. 3. When a call is handed over from the serving MSC to the target MSC via PSTN, the serving MSC sets up an inter-MSC voice connection by placing a call to the directory number that belongs to the target MSC. When the serving MSC places this call, the PSTN is unaware that the call is a handover and follows the normal call routing procedures, delivering the call to the target MSC. The serving MSC sends a Prepare Handover message to the target MSC. 4. The target MSC sends an Allocate Handover message to its VLR to assign the TMSI. 5. The target VLR sends the TMSI in the Send Handover Report message. 6. Same as step 3 in the intra-MSC handover. 7. Same as step 4 in the intra-MSC handover. 8. The target MSC sends the Prepare Handover (acknowledge) message to the serving MSC indicating that is ready for the handover. 9. The serving MSC sends the Send Handover (acknowledge) message to the target MSC. 10. The target MSC sends a Send Handover Request (acknowledge) message to the target VLR. 11. Same as step 5 in the intra-MSC handover. 12. Same as step 6 in the intra-MSC handover. 13. Same as step 7 in the intra-MSC handover. 14. Same as step 8 in the intra-MSC handover. 15. Same as step 9 in the intra-MSC handover. 16. Same as step 10 in the intra-MSC handover. 17. Same as step 11 in the intra-MSC handover. 18. The target MSC sends a Process Access Signaling message to the serving MSC.

19. At this point the handover has been completed, and the target MSC sends a Send End Signal message to the serving MSC. 20. Same as step 12 in the intra-MSC handover. 21. Same as step 13 in the intra-MSC handover. 22. The serving MSC sends a Send End Signal (acknowledge) message to the target MSC.

Location updating and call routing

The MSC provides the interface between the GSM mobile network and the public fixed network. From the fixed network's point of view, the MSC is just another switching node. However, switching is a little more complicated in a mobile network since the MSC has to know where the mobile is currently roaming - and in GSM it could even be roaming in another country. The way GSM accomplishes location updating and call routing to the mobile is by using two location registers: the Home Location Register (HLR) and the Visitor Location Register (VLR). Location updating is initiated by the mobile when, by monitoring the Broadcast Control Channel, it notices that the location area broadcast is not the same as the one previously stored in the mobile's memory. An update request and the IMSI or previous TMSI is sent to the new VLR via the new MSC. A Mobile Station Roaming Number (MSRN) is allocated and sent to the mobile's HLR (which always keeps the most current location) by the new VLR. The MSRN is a regular telephone number that routes the call to the new VLR and is subsequently translated to the TMSI of the mobile. The HLR sends back the necessary call control parameters, and also sends a cancel message to the old VLR, so that the previous MSRN can be reallocated. Finally, a new TMSI is allocated and sent to the mobile, to identify it in future paging or call initiation requests. With the above location updating procedure, call routing to a roaming mobile is easily performed. The most general case is where a call from a fixed network (Public Switched Telecommunications Network or Integrated Services Digital Network) is placed to a mobile subscriber. Using the Mobile Subscriber's telephone number (MSISDN, the ISDN numbering plan), the call is routed through the fixed land network to a gateway MSC for the GSM network (an MSC that interfaces with the fixed land network, thus requiring an echo canceller). The gateway MSC uses the MSISDN to query the Home Location Register, which returns the current roaming number (MSRN). The MSRN is used by the gateway MSC to route the call to the current MSC (which is usually coupled with the VLR). The VLR then converts the roaming number to the mobile's TMSI, and the cells under the control of the current BSC to inform the mobile broadcast a paging call.

Hyperframe & Superframe

Frame Types on the Um-interface Frame types The GSM specifications define several types of frames -TDMA frame A TDMA frame consists of eight timeslots (physical channels). The length of a timeslots 0.577 ms. The length of a TDMA frame is therefore 4.62 ms. Note: because data on a timeslot is transmitted in bursts, the length of a timeslot is transmitted in bursts, the length of a timeslot is often expressed in BP (Burst Period); 1 BP represents 1 time slot. -26-TDMA multiframe This multiframe is defined as a succession of 26 TDMA frames, 26 x 8 BP or 120 ms cycle used in the definition of the TCH/F and TCH/H. -51-TDMA multiframe This multiframe is defined as a succession of 51 TDMA frames, corresponds to 51 x 8 BP cycle used in the definition of the TCH/F, TCH/H and of common ch. -Superframe The superframe is a succession of 51 x 26 TDMA frames (6.12 sec) corresponds to the smallest cycle for which the organization of all channels is repeated. -Hyperframe The hyperframe is the numbering period. It is 2048 x 51 x 26 x 8 BP long, or 3 hours, 28 minutes, 53 seconds and 760 milliseconds. It is the multiple of all the previously cited cycles, and determines all the cycles in transmission of radio path. It is in particular smallest cycle for frequency hopping, ciphering.

GSM BURST GSM radio transmission is accomplished by sending data in bursts. The burst is the physical content of the timeslot. Each burst consists of 148 usable bits of 3.69 msec each. Between the bursts there is guard period of 30.5 msec (=8.25 bit) to distinguish the consecutive bursts. Hence, each time slot interval has a fixed length of 156.25 bits or 15/26 ms. The actual burst varies in length, depending on the type of burst. The different parts in a burst have special functions. Note that the number of bits used for a particular function may vary with the type of burst. Examples of burst parts are: training sequence, encrypted bits, tail bits, guard period and stealing flag bits. Training sequence, a fixed bit pattern, called TSC (training sequence code) is known by both the MS and the BTS. It is used to train the MS in predicting and correcting the signal distortions (due to Doppler and Multipath effects) in the demodulation process. The TSC has either a 26, 41 or 64 bit pattern. The encrypted bits represent the useful bits serving for speech, data transmission, or signalling. Tail bits (TB) at the beginning define (flag) the start of a burst. The tail bits at the end define the end of a burst.

Guard Period The guard period (GP) between two consecutive bursts is necessary for: -Switching the transmitter on and off. The transmitted amplitude is ramped up from zero to a constant value over the useful period of a burst and then ramped down to zero again. This is always required for the MS, and the BTS may do so if the adjacent burst is not emitted. Switching off will reduce interference to other RF channels. -Timing Advance

Stealing flag bits The network has the option to use the information bits in the normal burst to send signalling data as needed. By setting a flag, using the stealing flag bits, the receiver can distinguish between traffic (User data) and signalling information. The two stealing flag bits (and) are located just before and after the TSC in the normal burst. The stealing flag bits whether the adjacent 57 bits in the associated data field contain speech/ data information or are stolen from the traffic channel for carrying pre-emptive FACCH (Fast Associated Control Channel) signalling channel. The FACCH is used for sending signalling data if the capacity of the SACCH (Slow Associated Control Channel) is not sufficient.

Burst Types Normal burst Carry Data Frequency correction burst used in FCCH (Frequency Correction Channel) Synchronization burst used in SCH (Synchronisation Channel) Access burst used in RACH (Random Access Channel) Dummy burst

Normal Burst - The TSC of 26 bits is positioned in the middle of the burst. - Two packets of 58 encrypted bits (57 data bits + 1 stealing flag bit)are carried for the traffic channel (TCH), or for the control channel (BCCH and CCCH) but not for the RACH.

Normal Burst for TCH data Information to be sent over the radio link on GSM traffic channels (TCH) comes out of the channel encoding process in blocks of 456 bits. Data bits from these blocks are first interleaved into data bursts of 114 bits each and then encrypted data has to be fitted in to normal bursts: 1. The two stealing bits and are added to these encrypted data bursts in order to identify whether some or all the data contained in the burst is user information data or control signalling data. 2. 32 overhead bits (26 TSC bits and 6 TB bits) are added to these 116 bits to make up a normal data burst. 3. This normal data burst is then mapped into a GSM timeslot and sent to the modulator for the transmission over the radio link. Dummy Burst The dummy burst has the same structure as the normal burst. It is transmitted in idle time slots on the BCCH (Broadcast Control Channel) carrier, which ensures that the BCCH is always present. This makes it easier for the MS to find the BCCH carrier and permits assessments of the neighbouring cells. As the dummy burst has only a stuffing task, it provides 2 packets of 58 mixed bits in fixed pattern without information content.

Access Burst The access burst is a short burst used by the MS, in a uplink direction at an initial phase of a call when the propagation delay between the MS and BTH is not known yet, neither as the frequency and reception level (random access). This situation occurs during a first access on the RACH and sometimes upon a handover to a new cell. It provides a 41 bit TSC that is longer than the normal 26 bits in order to make the initial demodulation for the BTS more successful.

Synchronization Burst The synchronization burst (S-Burst) is the first burst in the downlink direction that a MS needs to process, used on the SCH. It provides a unique 64 bit TSC that is longer than the normal 26 bits in order to facilitate the initial demodulation for the MS. The encrypted bit fields contain the BSIC (Base Station Identity Code) and the TDMA frame number. The frame number is continuously counted in a hyperframe and runs from 0 to 2715647. A hyperframe lasts approximately 3.5 hours.

Frequency Correction Burst The frequency correction burst (F-Burst) is used by the MS to correct its transmit and receive frequencies. F-Bursts are sent in downlink direction as the FCCH. A frequency correction burst consists of a bit string of all logical 0s. It acts as an unmodulated carrier that appears at the demodulator output as frequency offset of +1625/24 kHz above the nominal carrier frequency.

Frequency Hopping Objective

 Multi-path fading is dependent on carrier frequency. Changing the carrier frequency slowly, helps alleviate the problem. Co- channel interference is in effect randomized Realization The ARFCM for the channels is changed in each successive frame, based on Hopping sequence. Discontinuous Transmission Average person speaks for 40 % of the time. Transmitter turned off during silence period. Benefit: Minimizes co-channel interference Added benefit: conserves power. VAD (Voice Activity Detection) - Voice misinterpreted as noise, Clipping occurs. - Noise misinterpreted as voice, efficiency decreases. Comfort Noise creation at the receiver during off period. Discontinuous Reception Paging channel used for alerting mobiles. Paging channel is structured into sub-channels. MS to listen only to its sub channel. Frequency Hopping FH permits dynamic switching of radio links from one carrier frequency to another. Frequency Hopping changes the frequency used by the radio link every new TDMA frame in a regular pattern. The reasons of using Frequency Hopping are:

 Decreasing the probability of interference. FH will spread the annoyance of interference over different MS in a particular cell. Suppressing the effect of Rayleigh fading. Rayleigh fading (or MultiPath fading) is caused by different paths followed by the radio signals. Rayleigh fading can cause coverage holes. Rayleigh fading is location and frequency dependent. When the MS is stationary and moves at a slow speed, frequency hopping will significantly improve the level of the air interface performance. However, when the mobile station moves at a high speed, frequency hopping does not harm, but not help much either. The more frequencies are used in a particular cell, the more frequency hopping can gain in suppressing the effect of Rayleigh fading. Frequency Hoping Process A radio link changes carrier frequency is by hopping sequence. Hopping sequence can have a cyclic pattern or a pseudo random pattern. In order to calculate the hopping sequence, a function is used which maps a particular TDMA frame to radio frequency within the set of frequencies, using parameters such as TDMA frame number and number of frequencies in the set of frequencies. Both the uplink and the downlink use the same hopping sequence. For this purpose parameters used to calculate hopping sequence are also transferred from the BTS to the MS. There is an exception for the frequency hopping sequence. This exception is applicable to time slots bearing the common channels (BCCH, FCCH, SCH, PAGCH and the RACH) in TS 0 of the lowest radio frequency. To reduce complexity common channels do not hop.

CONCLUSION
During the industrial training for a period of 4 weeks in ALTTC(ADVANCED LEVEL TELECOM TRAINING CENTRE), I have learned a lot about the present scenario in the field of communication. I have gained knowledge about the technology used by the company GSM (GLOBAL SYSTEM FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATION). At our college we learn most of the things theoretically, which does not provides sufficient information about the subject, and students remain unaware of the problems and errors when they go to the field. This practical training has provided us the knowledge about various technologies in the communication field. I am highly grateful to the ALTTC for the support and guidance given to us for the successful completion of my industrial training.

Onkar Pratap Singh