HARQ PROCESS IN LTE:In this scenario we have techniques that basically checks, or verify if the information sent by the

transmitter correctly arrived in the receiver. In the following example, we have a packet being sent from
the transmitter to the receiver.

If the information arrived properly (complete), the receiver is ready to receive (and process) new data. If
the information arrived with some problem, corrupted, the receiver must request that the transmitter sent
the packet again (retransmission).

Error Checking and Correction

One of the most common methods of error checking is the CRC, or Cyclic Redundancy Check, where
bits (CRC) are added to a group of information bits. The CRC bits are generated based on the contents of
the information bits. If an error happens with the information bits, the CRC bits are used to verify and help
recover the degraded information.

And the CRC is directly connected to the Error Correction methods. There are various ways of Forward
Error Correction (FEC), but the main idea is, given a level of quality in the link, try to get the lowest
number of required retransmissions.
Minimizing the number of retransmissions we ended up having a more efficient data flow result, including
mainly the Throughput.
In simplified way: the CRC lets you know if a package arrived OK or NOT OK. Every packet that is sent
has a CRC, or a Signature. As an analogy, its like when we send a letter to someone, and in the end we
sign: My Name. When the other person receives this letter (information), he checks the signature: My
Wrong. In this case, he tells the Messenger: I dont know My Wrong, this information has some
problems. Please ask sender to send it again!.

HARQ in FDD
UE and eNodeB sends data to each other in the form of Transport Block. If transport block receives
correctly, ACK is sent otherwise NACK. PHICH physical channel is used to carry HARQ in the downlink

direction for the received uplink data. Similarly, PUSCH/PUCCH are used to carry HARQ in the uplink
direction for the received downlink data.
What happens when there are error packets received on UE or eNB. Of-course, there would be some sort
of mechanism applied on the devices to rectify the errors. Therefore, in LTE two mechanisms are followed
to detect and correct the errors. A mechanism (HARQ) is implemented to correct the error packets in the
PHY layer. Furthermore, there might be a chance that some packets are still left with errors and might be
acceptable to some applications. Hence, these are passed to upper layers. The second mechanism
(ARQ) is implemented in RLC layer which takes care of these residual errors. It either fixes those errors
or discards the packets.
A little bit different mode of HARQ process is used depending on whether it is for FDD or TDD and
whether it is for Uplink and Downlink. But I will talk only about FDD case.
In FDD, we are using 8 HARQ process.
Difference between ARQ and HARQ
ARQ:

Works at RLC layer

If the received data has an error (as detected by ARQ) then it is discarded, and a
new re-transmission is requested from the sender

HARQ:

Works at PHY layer but controlled by MAC layer

If the received data has an error then the Receiver buffers the data and requests
a re-transmission from the sender.

When the receiver receives the re-transmitted data, it then combines it with
buffered data prior to channel decoding and error detection. This helps the
performance of the re-transmissions.

Two Types of HARQ

1. Synchronous for UL ( Uplink Data transmission Processor or UL-HARQ )
2. Asynchronous for DL ( Downlink Data transmission Process or DL HARQ)
(1) Synchronous for UL ( Uplink Data transmission Processor or UL-HARQ )

UE sends data to eNodeB in the form of Transport Block. If transport block

receives correctly, ACK is sent otherwise NACK. PHICH physical channel is used to
carry HARQ in the downlink direction for the received uplink data.

Re-transmissions are scheduled at fixed time intervals.

Uses the specific process in a specific subframe. Every 8 subframes UE repeats

the process id. As a result, eNB knows exactly when each HARQ process comes.

UL HARQ Process ID = (SFN x 10 + subframe) modulo 8

Always works in cycle even if no resources are allocated during a specific sub
frame; which means that the 1st process will repeat itself after every 8 ms.

Since UE have to use specific HARQ process ID at specific subframe, the reciever
(eNode B) knows exactly which HARQ process comes when. And eNodeB can also
knows about RV because UL Grant (DCI 0) from eNodeB can specify RV using MCS
field.

As mentioned, above HARQ is synchronous in the UL. Whenever, a retransmission occurs in UL, it can be either Adaptive and Non-adaptive.

Adaptive Transmission :

Triggered when NDI bit is not toggled relative to the previous transmission. This
information should be present in the PDCCH DCI0.

MCS and RBs may change as per resources allocated by the eNB on PDCCH
DCI0 transmission

UE does Adaptive retransmission if it detects PDCCH(DCI 0 and NDI nottoggled). UE does not care about HARQ feedback (PHICH), it just retransmits
based on DCI 0 information

Non-adaptive Transmission:

Triggered when NACK is received on PHICH.

Use same resources as per the previous transmission i.e. MCS and RBs remains
unchanged

Retransmission occurs only in predefined time after previous trx/retx using the
same resources.

Advantage is only NACK has to be signalled back to start a retransmission.

UE figures out that it is using Non-Adaptive retransmission if it got HARQ

feedback (PHICH=NACK) but does not get DCI 0 over PDCCH and instead
uses predefined sequence.

Q. How UE decide if it is supposed to do Adaptive retransmission and NonAdaptive retransmission ?

Adaptive retransmission by UE if it detect DCI 0 and NDI is not toggled. In this

scenario, UE does not care about HARQ feedback (PHICH), it retransmit based
on DCI 0 information.

UE do Non-Adaptive retransmission if it got HARQ feedback (PHICH=NACK)

but does not get DCI 0.

Important Points:

If ACK is there on PHICH and PDCCH carriers the NDI bit as not toggled then NONADAPTIVE re-transmission will occur.

If NACK is there on PHICH and no PDCCH is received then UE will store the data in
the HARQ buffer and no re-transmission will occur

(2) Asynchronous for DL ( Downlink Data transmission Process or DL HARQ)

eNB provides instructions to the UE regarding which HARQ process to use during
each sub-frame for which resources are allocated. (The HARQ process identity is
included within the PDCCH transmission)

Asynchronous HARQ increases signalling overhead because it includes the HARQ

process Identity within the DCI.

Asynchronous HARQ increases flexibility because re-transmissions doesnt have to

be scheduled during every sub-frame.

Network sends these (Process ID, RV) in PDCCH DCI0 message. UE doesnt know
which Process ID to look for until it gets the DL data.

At Network side ( RRC->MAC) Transmit the data toward the lower layer.

Network send to UE and data is Transmitted via PDSCH

Now UE receive PDSCH data.

UE check CRC error for the PDSCH data.

Now here two scenario is exist ,

If UE has some data to transmit to the network, UE send the result of CRC
check(ACK/NACK) via PUSCH

If UE does not have any data to transmit to the network, UE sends the
result CRC check via PUCCH

Network receives CRC check result from UE and does one of the following steps.

If it receives ACK, Network transmit the next data (new data)

If it receives NACK, Network HARQ process retransmit the exisiting data

(with different revision)

Query_1 : What is SAW process?

1. Also referred as HARQ Process. In LTE FDD there are 8 SAW process.

2. Once a packet is send from a particular process, it waits for an ACK/NACK. Till it
receives ACK/NACK, the process will be in-active state and will not process other
packets. This significantly reduces the round trip time and does impact
throughput. Therefore, multiple SAW processes are used.
3. When the 1st process is waiting for an ACK, the 2nd SAW process will send data
and so on with the eight processes.
4. MAC layer manages these HARQ (SAW) processes.
Each transmission in LTE corresponds to 1 TTI (Transmission Time Interval). Therefore each SAW
process should process the data within 1 ms or 1 sub frame. As we know that there are 8 SAW process
hence each process will have to wait for 8 ms before sending another chunk of data or a retransmission over the Air Interface.
The sending entity buffers the transmitted data until an ACK is received, because if NACK is received
then it has to re-transmit the data.
Query_2: When the data is removed from the buffer?
Ans:
Data is removed when:
a. ACK is received
b. Max number of re-transmission has reached
New data can then be send by the same HARQ process once its transmit buffer is empty.
Query_3: With some differences in UL and DL HARQ process, they use parallel
HARQ process.
Ans: Please see above..
Query_4: UL HARQ is synchronous while DL HARQ is asynchronous.
Ans: Please see above..