UMTS

An introduction

Agenda
Different entities in WCDMA network
-UE, UTRAN, CN
Interfaces: Uu, Iub, IuR, Iu-CS, Iu-PS
UMTS Protocol Architecture (Circuit
switched)
UMTS Protocol Architecture (Packet
switched)

Interconnection & Interfaces

3 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

Release 99 UMTS
Architecture

4 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

UMTS Network Architecture

5 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

UMTS Network Architecture

UTRAN

6 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

NodeB

Channel coding/decoding and interleaving

Modulation and spreading/de-spreading
Rate adaptation
Frequency and time synchronization
Inner loop power control
RF processing and carrier power
amplification
Macrodiversity / combining
Termination of Iub interface from RNC
Termination of Uu interface from the UE

7 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

Radio Network Controller

RNC is a network element responsible for the
control of Radio resource of UTRAN (logically
similar to GSM BSC)
Interfaces the CN by IuCS and IuPS for MSC/VLR
and SGSN respectively
RNC Roles: Controlling RNC, Serving RNC, Drift RNC
Call admission Control
Dynamic Bearer Control
Congestion Control
Code management: Channelisation & Scrambling
codes
Power control
Handover
8 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

HLR & VLR

HLR Home Location Register
Database of subscription information (MSISDN,
IMSI)
Services subscribed
Subscriber status (current location, registration
status)
VLR Visitor Location Register
Local database of subscribers currently in the MSC
service area (visitors and home users)
Keeps track of active mobiles in location area
served by MSC
Often integrated with MSC
9 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

AUC & EIR

AuC Authentication Center
Stores a unique authentication key for
each subscriber
Supports ciphering for voice or data
Often integrated with HLR
EIR Equipment Identity Register
Database of IMEIs
Database of stolen or defective phones
10 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

UTRAN Radio Interface

Reference Model

11 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

UTRA Radio Interface A

deeper look

12 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

Physical Layer

13 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

MAC (R99)

14 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

MAC Functions

15 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

RLC

16 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

RLC Functions

17 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

RRC

18 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

RRC Functions

19 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

RRC Functions Contd..

20 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

PDCP

21 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

BMC

22 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

General UTRAN Interface

Radio
Network
Layer

Control Plane

User Plane

Application
Protocol

Data
Stream(s)

Transport Transport Network

User
Plane
Network
Layer

Signalling
Bearer(s)

Transport Network
Control Plane

ALCAP(s)
Signalling
Bearer(s)
Physical Layer

23 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

Transport Network
User Plane

Data
Bearer(s)

IuB Interface

Radio Network
Control Plane

Q.2150.2

Transport
Layer

SSCF-UNI

SSCF-UNI

SSCOP

SCTP

SSCOP

AAL5

IP

AAL 5

ATM

Data Link Layer

ATM

UDP
IP

AAL2

IP

Data Link Layer

ATM

Data Link Layer

Physical Layer
24 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

TFCI2 FP

Q.2630.2

CPCH FP

ALCAP

USCH FP

DSCH FP

HS-DSCH FP

PCH FP

FACH FP

RACH FP

Node B
Application Part
(NBAP)

User Plane

DCH FP

Radio
Network
Layer

Transport
Network
Control Plane

NBAP NodeB Application

Part
Signaling between RNC and NodeB (Iub
interface)
Cell configuration and common channel mgmt
Max transmit power per channel and per cell
Broadcast system parameters and Broadcast channel
information
Random access channel

Dedicated channel procedures

Softer combining
Inner loop power control activity
Radio link management of dedicated and shared
channel
25 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

RANAP Radio Access Network

Application Part
Signaling between CN and RNC to
Setup, modify and release RABs (Radio Access
bearer)
Managing all the RABs
Paging an idle user from the CN
Setup Iu signaling connection for an active user
Controlling handover from one RNC to another RNC
Transport of NAS Signalling Information
Iu User Plane Management
Controlling overload of Iu Interface

26 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

UMTS Protocol Architecture

(Circuit switched) - The
complete picture
Uu

Node
NodeBB

CM
SM
MM
MM
codec
RRC
RRC
RLC
codec
RLC
MAC
MAC
Phy-up
Phy-up

Iucs

RNC
RNC

3GMSC
3GMSC

CM
MM
MM
SM
codec

RRC
RRC
RLC
RLC
ALCAP
AA
STC.2 NBAP
FP

PHY
PHY

Iub

PHY

SSCF-UNI
SSCOP

AAL2

AAL5
ATM
E1

Control
Control Plane
Plane

27 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

User
User Plane
Plane

ALCAP
NBAP
NBAP STC.2
ALCAP
SSCF-UNI
SSCF
SSCF
SSCOP
SSCOP SSCOP
AAL5 AAL5
AAL5

MAC
MAC
Phy-up
Phy-up

RANAP

ALCAP

ALCAP
Iu UP

FP
FP

STC.1

SCCP

MTP3-b
SSCF-NNI

SSCOP
AAL2
AAL2 AAL2
ATM
ATM
STM-1
E1

Transport
Transport Plane
Plane

RANAP

AAL5

Common
Common

Iu UP
SCCP STC.1
SCCP Q2150.1 Iu UP
MTP3B
MTP3B MTP
SSCF-NNI
SSCF
SSCF
SSCOP
SSCOP
AAL5
AAL2
AAL5 AAL5
AAL2
ATM
ATM
STM-1
E1

UMTS Protocol Architecture

(packet switched) - The
complete picture
Uu

Node B
Node B

Iub

Iups

RNC
RNC

SM
SM
IP

PMM
MM

PDCP

RRC
RRC

GGSN
GGSN

SM
MM
IP

PMM
SM
RRC
RRC

RLC
codec
RLC

PDCP

RLC
RLC

MAC
MAC

MAC
MAC

Phy-up
Phy-up

ALCAP
STC.2
NBAP
ALCAP
NBAP
FP
FP

PHY
PHY

Gn

SGSN
SGSN

PHY
PHY

ALCAP
NBAP
NBAP

SSCF-UNI
SSCF
SSCF

SSCOP
SSCOP SSCOP

SSCOP
SSCOP SSCOP

AAL5
AAL5
AAL5

AAL5
AAL5
AAL5

AAL2
AAL2

ATM
ATM
E1/ STM-1
E1

Control
Control Plane
Plane

28 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

User
User Plane
Plane

UDP

Phy-up
Phy-up

STC.2
ALCAP

SSCF-UNI
SSCF
SSCF

GTP-U

FP

FP

AAL2
AAL2
AAL2
ATM
ATM
STM-1
E1

Transport
Transport Plane
Plane

GTP-U
RANAP
FP

SCCP
SCCP
IP

RANAP

SCCP
SCCP

MTP3-b

MTP3-b
MTP3B

SSCF-N
SSCF

SSCF-N
SSCF

SSCOP

SSCOP
SSCOP

AAL5
AAL5
AAL5

GTP-C

Q2150.1
UDP

UDP

Q2150.1
MTP3BIP

Q2150.1
Iu UP

SSCF

ATM
STM-1

Common
Common

ATM
E1

MTP3BIP
SSCFQ2150.1

SSCOP

AAL5
AAL5
AAL5

Q2150.1
GTP-U

GTP-C

SSCOP
L2
AAL2
L1

AAL5

L2
L1

Iur Interface

29 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

RNSAP Radio Network

System Application Part
Control signaling over Iur interface
One signaling connection per DRNC
Radio link management using
dedicated resources in DRNS
Relocation execution
Information transfer (CCCH/GERAN
signaling, Paging
30 | UMTS | Jyne 2010

31 | UMTS | Jyne 2010