GSM :

The GSM system is the most widely used cellular technology in use in the world today. It has
been a particularly successful cellular phone technology for a variety of reasons including the
ability to roam worldwide with the certainty of being able to be able to operate on GSM
networks in exactly the same way - provided billing agreements are in place.

The letters GSM originally stood for the words Groupe Speciale Mobile, but as it became clear
this cellular technology was being used world -wide the meaning of GSM was changed to Global
System for Mobile Communications. Since this cellular technology was first deployed in 1991,
the use of GSM has grown steadily, and it is now the most widely cell phone system in the
world. GSM reached the 1 billion subscriber point in February 2004, and is now well over the 3
billion subscriber mark and still steadily increasing.

GSM system overview

The GSM system was designed as a second generation (2G) cellular phone technology. One of
the basic aims was to provide a system that would enable greater capacity to be achieved than the
previous first generation analogue systems. GSM achieved this by using a digital TDMA (time
division multiple access approach). By adopting this technique more users could be
accommodated within the available bandwidth. In addition to this, ciphering of the digitally
encoded speech was adopted to retain privacy. Using the earlier analogue cellular technologies it
was possible for anyone with a scanner receiver to listen to calls and a number of famous
personalities had been "eavesdropped" with embarrassing consequences.

GSM services
Speech or voice calls are obviously the primary function for the GSM cellular system. To
achieve this the speech is digitally encoded and later decoded using a vocoder. A variety of
vocoders are available for use, being aimed at different scenarios.
In addition to the voice services, GSM cellular technology supports a variety of other data
services. Although their performance is nowhere near the level of those provided by 3G, they are
nevertheless still important and useful. A variety of data services are supported with user data
rates up to 9.6 kbps. Services including Group 3 facsimile, videotext and teletex can be
supported.
One service that has grown enormously is the short message service. Developed as part of the
GSM specification, it has also been incorporated into other cellular technologies. It can be
thought of as being similar to the paging service but is far more comprehensive allowing bi-
directional messaging, store and forward delivery, and it also allows alphanumeric messages of a
reasonable length. This service has become particularly popular, initially with the young as it
provided a simple, low fixed cost.

GSM basics
The GSM cellular technology had a number of design aims when the development started:

 It should offer good subjective speech quality

 It should have a low phone or terminal cost
 Terminals should be able to be handheld
 The system should support international roaming
 It should offer good spectral efficiency
 The system should offer ISDN compatibility

The resulting GSM cellular technology that was developed provided for all of these. The overall
system definition for GSM describes not only the air interface but also the network or
infrastructure technology. By adopting this approach it is possible to define the operation of the
whole network to enable international roaming as well as enabling network elements from
different manufacturers to operate alongside each other, although this last feature is not
completely true, especially with older items.
GSM cellular technology uses 200 kHz RF channels. These are time division multiplexed to
enable up to eight users to access each carrier. In this way it is a TDMA / FDMA system.
The base transceiver stations (BTS) are organised into small groups, controlled by a base station
controller (BSC) which is typically co-located with one of the BTSs. The BSC with its associated
BTSs is termed the base station subsystem (BSS).
Further into the core network is the main switching area. This is known as the mobile switching
centre (MSC). Associated with it is the location registers, namely the home location register
(HLR) and the visitor location register (VLR) which track the location of mobiles and enable
calls to be routed to them. Additionally there is the Authentication Centre (AuC), and the
Equipment Identify Register (EIR) that are used in authenticating the mobile before it is allowed
onto the network and for billing. The operation of these are explained in the following pages.
Last but not least is the mobile itself. Often termed the ME or mobile equipment, this is the item
that the end user sees. One important feature that was first implemented on GSM was the use of
a Subscriber Identity Module.

This card carried with it the users identity and other information to allow the user to upgrade a
phone very easily, while retaining the same identity on the network. It was also used to store
other information such as "phone book" and other items. This item alone has allowed people to
change phones very easily, and this has fuelled the phone manufacturing industry and enabled
new phones with additional features to be launched. This has allowed mobile operators to
increase their average revenue per user (ARPU) by ensuring that users are able to access any new
features that may be launched on the network requiring more sophisticated phones.

GSM system overview

The table below summarises the main points of the GSM system specification, showing some of
the highlighted features.

SPECIFICATION SUMMARY FOR GSM

CELLULAR SYSTEM
Multiple access FDMA / TDMA
technology
Duplex technique FDD
Uplink frequency band 933 -960 MHz 
(basic 900 MHz band only)
Downlink frequency 890 - 915 MHz
band (basic 900 MHz band only)
Channel spacing 200 kHz
Modulation GMSK
Speech coding Various - original was
RPE-LTP/13
Speech channels per RF 8
channel
Channel data rate 270.833 kbps
Frame duration 4.615 ms

GSM MODEM: (SIM 300)

GSM SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE:

VLR

 Mobile Station (MS)

Mobile Equipment (ME)

Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)

 Base Station Subsystem (BSS): The Base Station Subsystem (BSS) section of the
GSM network architecture that is fundamentally associated with communicating with the
mobiles on the network. It consists of two elements:

 Base Transceiver Station (BTS):

The BTS used in a GSM network comprises the radio transmitter receivers, and their
associated antennas that transmit and receive to directly communicate with the
mobiles. The BTS is the defining element for each cell. The BTS communicates with
the mobiles and the interface between the two is known as the Um interface with its
associated protocols.

 Base Station Controller (BSC) : The BSC forms the next stage back into the
GSM network. It controls a group of BTSs, and is often co-located with one of the BTSs
in its group. It manages the radio resources and controls items such as handover within
the group of BTSs, allocates channels and the like. It communicates with the BTSs over
what is termed the Abis interface.

 Network Switching Subsystem(NSS): The GSM network subsystem contains a

variety of different elements, and is often termed the core network. It provides the main
 control and interfacing for the whole mobile network. The major elements within the core
network include:

 Mobile Switching Center (MSC):

The main element within the core network area of the overall GSM network architecture
is the Mobile switching Services Centre (MSC). The MSC acts like a normal switching
node within a PSTN or ISDN, but also provides additional functionality to enable the
requirements of a mobile user to be supported. These include registration, authentication,
call location, inter-MSC handovers and call routing to a mobile subscriber.
 Home Location Register (HLR):
This database contains all the administrative information about each subscriber along
with their last known location. In this way, the GSM network is able to route calls to the
relevant base station for the MS. When a user switches on their phone, the phone
registers with the network and from this it is possible to determine which BTS it
communicates with so that incoming calls can be routed appropriately. Even when the
phone is not active (but switched on) it re-registers periodically to ensure that the network
(HLR) is aware of its latest position. 

 Visitor Location Register (VLR):

This contains selected information from the HLR that enables the selected services for
the individual subscriber to be provided. The VLR can be implemented as a separate
entity, but it is commonly realised as an integral part of the MSC, rather than a separate
entity. In this way access is made faster and more convenient.

 Authentication Center (AUC):

. The AuC is a protected database that contains the secret key also contained in the user's
SIM card. It is used for authentication and for ciphering on the radio channel.

 Equipment Identity Register (EIR) :

The EIR is the entity that decides whether a given mobile equipment may be allowed
onto the network. Each mobile equipment has a number known as the International
Mobile Equipment Identity. This number, as mentioned above, is installed in the
equipment and is checked by the network during registration. Dependent upon the
 information held in the EIR, the mobile may be allocated one of three states - allowed
onto the network, barred access, or monitored in case its problems

AT Commands :
AT commands are used to control MODEMs. AT is the abbreviation for Attention. These
commands come from Hayes commands that were used by the Hayes smart modems. The
Hayes commands started with AT to indicate the attention from the MODEM. The dial
up and wireless MODEMs (devices that involve machine to machine communication)
need AT commands to interact with a computer. These include the Hayes command set
as a subset, along with other extended AT commands.

AT commands with a GSM/GPRS MODEM or mobile phone can be used to access

following information and services:

 Information and configuration pertaining to mobile device or MODEM

and SIM card.

 SMS services.

 MMS services.

 Fax services.

 Data and Voice link over mobile network.

The Hayes command set can subdivide into four groups:

1. basic command set - A capital character followed by a digit. For example, M1.
2. extended command set - An “&” (ampersand) and a capital character followed by a digit.
This extends the basic command set. For example, &M1. Note that M1 is different from
&M1.
3. proprietary command set - Usually starting either with a backslash (“\”) or with a percent
sign (“%”); these commands vary widely among modem-manufacturers.
 4. register commands - Sr=n where r is the number of the register to be changed, and n is
the new value that is assigned.

General structure of Command Line:

The Basic Hayes Command set :

Command Description Comments

A0 or A Answer incoming call  

Don't preface with AT, don't follow with

A/ Repeat last command
carriage return. Enter usually aborts.

D Dial Dial the following number and then

handshake

P - Pulse Dial
 T - Touch Tone Dial
W - Wait for the second dial tone
R - Reverse to answer-mode after dialing
@ - Wait for up to 30 seconds for one or more
ringbacks
, - Pause for the time specified in register S8
(usually 2 seconds)
; - Remain in command mode after dialing.
! - Flash switch-hook (Hang up for a half
second, as in transferring a call.)
L - Dial last number

E0 or E No Echo Will not echo commands to the computer

Will echo commands to the computer (so one
E1 Echo
can see what one types)
On hook. Hangs up the phone, ending any call
H0 Hook Status
in progress.
Off hook. Picks up the phone line (typically
H1 Hook status
you'll hear a dialtone)
This command returns information about the
model, such as its firmware or brand name.
Each number (0 to 9, and sometimes 10 and
Inquiry, Information, or above) returns one line of modem-specific
I0 to I9
Interrogation information, or the word ERROR if the line
isn't defined. Today, Windows uses this
for Plug-and-play detection of specific
modem types.
Speaker Loudness. Supported only
by some modems, usually external
ones. Modems lacking speakers, or
L0 or Ln(n=1
with physical volume controls, or Off or low volume
to 3)
ones whose sound output is piped
through the sound card will not
support this command.
Speaker off, completely silent M3 is also common, but different on many
M0 or M
during dialing brands
Speaker on until remote carrier detected (i.e.
M1
until the other modem is heard)
 Speaker always on (data sounds are heard
M2
after CONNECT)
Returns the modem back to the normal
O Return Online connected state after being interrupted by the
"+++" escape code.
Off - Displays result codes, user sees
Q0 or Q Quiet Mode
command responses (e.g. OK)
On - Result codes are suppressed, user does
Q1 Quiet Mode
not see responses.
Sn Select register n as the current register

Select current register Select register n as the current register, and

Sn? query its value. Using ? on its own will query
Note that Sn, ? and =r are actually whichever register was most recently selected.
three separate commands, and can
Select register n as the current register, and
be given in separate ATcommands. store r in it. Using =r on its own will store
Sn=r
into whichever register was most recently
selected.
V0 or V Verbose Numeric result codes

English result codes

V1
(e.g. CONNECT, BUSY, NO CARRIER etc.)

Hayes Smartmodem 300 compatible result

X0 or X Smartmodem
codes
Usually adds connection speed to basic result
X1
codes (e.g. CONNECT 1200)
Usually adds dial tone detection (preventing
X2
blind dial, and sometimes preventing ATO)
X3 Usually adds busy signal detection.
Usually adds both busy signal and dial tone
X4
detection
Reset modem to stored configuration.
Use Z0, Z1etc. for multiple profiles. This is
Z0 or Z Reset the same as &F for factory default on
modems without NVRAM (non volatile
memory)

GSM Testing :
 Before Connecting to 8051 it is good to test GSM modem on PC using HyperTerminal. We
will test basic AT commands on GSM modem and try to send SMS & read SMS

HyperTerminal setup :

Sending SMS using HT :

Reading SMS:
 Use the following command to read the list of all messages on the phone:

 AT+CMGL="ALL"
+CMGL: 123,"REC READ","+123456789"
Hello World 
OK

 Use the following command to read a message with has index of 123:

AT+CMGR=123
+CMGR: "REC READ","+919986111439","02/04/10,17:46:49-12"
Hello World