Students Name

P1

P2

P3

P4

Student ID

Mark

Mobile Communications examination paper (set 2012.d)

1

Complete the diagram so that it explains call setup sequence from Explain acronyms that you use to
PSTN/ISDN to MS.
annotate the diagram:

Annotate the diagram with GSM/PSTN permanent and temporary

numbers. Indicate (in empty circles) the order in which they are used.

Explain the acronyms:

MSISDN

MSRN

IMSI
TMSI
3

Complete the diagram so that it explains call setup sequence from a) Explain acronyms that you use to
PSTN/ISDN to MS.
annotate the

b) Describe main functions of EIR and

VLR:
diagram.

a) With the use of the following diagram explain the timing advance technique.

b) What would be the results of not using this technique?

c) How this technique can be used for location services?

d) Indicate propagation delay time tp on the diagram. How this tp time is related to timing advance TA

e) What is the maximum distance between a base station and a terminal for which a successful
communications is possible. Explain.

(Explain timing advance technique:)

a) Explain benefits of using sectorisation of cells in cellular radio. Show the mathematical equation which
explains this quantitatively. Illustrate sectorisation using the following figure.

b) Draw new type 3/9 cell configuration.

How path attenuation in the two-ray model depends on the distance d? What properties of the ground are
typically assumed in this model, and how phase and amplitude of the wave reflected from it change?

F(50,50)
[dBV/m].
land route;
50% time,
h=50 m.

field
strength
curves
Halfwave dipole at 1kW;
frequency 450-1000 MHz;
50% locations; h0=10 m;

Problem: Calculate field strength at

distance d = 100 km at h0 = 10 m,
transmitter antenna height 100 m and
gain of 12 dBi. The transmit power is
100 W. All other parameter values are
as for the curves.
(Problem: Calculate field strength at
distance d = 100 km for the receiver
antenna height h0 = 10 m, transmitter
antenna height 150 m and gain of the
transmitting antenna 12 dBi.
The
transmit power is 100 W. All other
parameter values are as for the curves.)

Sketch the GSM normal burst. Name its components, duration, and number of bits.

Explain GSM authentication procedure. Draw a suitable diagram.

10

Which techniques used in the GSM allow to save energy in Mobile Stations:

11

Explain GSM the GSM encryption procedure. Draw a suitable diagram.

12

Classify GSM control channels.

13

Explain time-division duplex in GSM. Why is it used?

14

Explain power control in GSM. Why is it used? How fast power can be changed?

15

Explain speech/data ciphering (encription) process in GSM. Sketch a suitable block diagram.

16

Explain speech transmission stages in GSM system (signal amplification, analog to digital conversion,
sampling, compression, channel coding, interleaving).

17

Explain: a) time division duplex method used in GSM.

b) normal burst structure used in GSM (numbers of bits, duration, etc.)

18

Explain terminal transmit power control technique used in GSM. Why is it used?

19

Explain GPRS and GSM resource sharing.

20

Explain GPRS mobility management strategies:

21

Explain multipath propagation. How does it influence the channel impulse response and field strength?
Draw suitable plots.

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23

In free space there is a transmitting and a receiving antenna, both with gain GT = GR = 0 dBi. The antennas
are located d = 1000 km one from another. Transmit power is PT = 1 W and carrier frequency f = 300 (30)
MHz. What is the received power in W, dbW, dBm?

In free space there is a transmitting antenna with gain GT = 4 dBi and a receiving antenna with gain
GR = 3 dBd. The antennas are located at distance d = 1 km. Transmit power is PT = 1 W and carrier
frequency f = 900 MHz. a) Calculate the received power in W, dbW, dBm. b) Calculate wavelength.

24

Calculate the minimum number of cells in a cluster to achieve the C/I ratio of 9 (12) dB for the path
attenuation exponent n=3(4). Consider two cases, i.e. with and without 120 sectorisation. Use simplified
formulas for C/I ratio.

25

Calculate the minimum number of cells in a cluster to achieve the C/I ratio of 9 dB with 60 sectorisation
for the path attenuation exponent n=4. Use simplified formulas for C/I ratio.

26

An antenna with VSWR = 1.25 is connected to the transmitter with a flexible cable of attenuation L1=1 dB
and reflection coefficient r1 = 0.05 and a main feeder cable of the length l = 50 m, unit attenuation
Lu2 = 0.02dB/m, and reflection coefficient r2 = 0.01. Calculate VSWR of this setup.

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28

Consider a one-way microwave LOS radio link operating at 3 GHz carrier frequency. The TX has 100 mW
transmit power, TX feeder losses are 1,5 dB. The sensitivity of the RX is -75 dBm, RX feeder losses are
1,5 dB. Each of the antennas has 16 dBi gain.
a) Find the maximum admissible propagation loss for the system.
b) Calculate the maximum range of the system using the free space loss formula.
c) Assume fade margin of 6 dB. How this assumption will constrain the maximum range calculated in b)?

Explain atmospheric refraction (make a sketch). What is standard atmosphere?

29

What is handover? What are the various types of handovers?

30

i. What high frequency methods of propagation modelling do you know?

ii. What empirical methods of propagation modelling do you know?

31

Characterize high frequency methods used in radio wave propagation modelling. When such methods can
be used? Which physical phenomena do they take into account?

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33

34

35

Explain what Subscriber Identity Module is. What type of information does it contain? How its contents
can be updated?

Time delay

Minimal power of stations if cellphone is... given threshold and strengthening of antenna
Adding and subtracting decibels in notation of watts and multiwatts

What is Time-Division Duplex?