ZXG10 System

Handover
and
Power Control

Hand-over
Hand-over is a process that transfers a MS that is in setting
up or busy status to a new traffic channel. Generally, handover will occur under the following two conditions:
1. A busy MS which is moving from a cell into another;
2. A MS is making a call at overlapping area of two cells,
one of which is very busy in traffic. BSC notify MS to
measure signal intensity and channel quality of adjacent
cells. This call will be handed over to the cell which is not
busy in traffic. This kind of hand-over is occurred to
balance inter-cell traffics.

Causes Resulting Hand-over

1 Weak signal level

2 Bad signal quality

3 Severe interference, i.e., the channel a MS
is occupying is interfered suddenly and therefore is
forced to use another channel of the same cell;
4 The MS is far away from the BS;
5 A more appropriate cell exists. This handover is based on the whole system consideration
aiming to reduce the overall system interference;

Purpose of Hand-over
1 Save the calls in progress bad
quality)
2 Cell-boundary handing over to improve
ongoing calls (weak signal)
3 intra-cell hand-over reducing
interference within a cell (severe interference)
(4) Compelled hand-over to balance traffic
distribution of inter-cells.

Types of Hand-over
1 Intra-cell hand-over: hand-over occurs in the same
cell. Controlled independently by the BSC the cell attached
to.
2 Inter-cell hand-over of the same BSC: involving by
MSC is not needed.
3 Inter-BSC hand-over of same MSC: Before and after
hand-over, the two cells belong to different two BSCs which
are controlled by the same MSC. All the MSC and BSCs are
involved.
4 Inter-MSCs hand-over: Before and after hand-over,
the two cells belong to different two MSCs. All the relevant
MSCs and BSCs are involved.

Hand-over inside BSC

M
BTS

BSC
M
BTS

In this case, BSC should set up a new link with new BTS and
assign a TCH in the new cell for MS.

Hand-over between Different BSCs

BSC

M
S

Old Link
New Link

MSC/VLR
BSC

M
S

1) The old BSC make a hand-over request to MSC which then

establish new link with new BSC and new BTS, and retain an idle
TCH in the new cell for MS.
2) MSC is responsible for releasing the old link.
3) After the call is completed, MS should originate location
updating because of the change of LAI.

Inter-MSC Hand-over
MSCA

BSC

New Link

5
2 3 4 4

MSCB

3
3

BSC
B

Old Link

M
S

Hand-over Procedures
1 BSCA sends hand-over request to MSCA when deemed necessary
according to MSs measurement report.
2 MSCA sends this request to MSCB which is responsible for setting
up links with BSCB and BTSB.
3 MSCB sends back radio channel acknowledgement to MSCA.
4 Communication links are established between MSCA and MSCB
according to Hand-over Number(HON).
5 MSCA send hand-over command to MS who then handed over to a
new TCH.
6 BSCB send to MSCB, then to MSCA the command of hand-over
completion.
7 MSCA controls BSCA and BTSA to release the old TCH.

Hand-over Classification
1 Synchronous: MS use the same TA both in destination

and target cell. This usually applies to hand-over of same cell

or different sectors within the same cell. This is the hand-over
with highest speed.
2 Asynchronous: MS dont know the TA to be used in
target cell. When either of the two cells doesnt synchronize
with BSC, this mode should be used. The hand-over speed is
low.
3 Pseudo-synchronous: MS is able to calculate out the
TA it should use in the target cell. When both cells have
synchronized with BSC, this mode may be used. The handover speed is fast.

Hand-over flow chart

MS

BTS1

BSC

BTS2

MEAS REP

MEAS RES
CH ACT
CH ACT ACK
DRHO CMD

HO CMD
HO ACCESS

HO DET

PHY INFO
SABM

EST IND

UA
HO COM

RF CH REL
RF CH REL ACK

DIHO COM

DT1HO PERF

MSC

Queuing and Forced Disconnection

1 Queuing: To increase the successful rate of hand-over,

when no radio resource is available, the applicant of handover may be put into queuing and wait for release of radio
resources.
2 Forced disconnection: when in emergency and no radio
resource is available, some subscribers with lower priority
may be disconnected, or handed out forcibly to ensure that the
subscribers with higher priority could keep their calls
continuously.

Base Station Preprocessing

The base station receives the following

meas_rpt:
1 Meas_rpts made by MS and reported from SACCH
Downlink RXLEV
Downlink RXQUAL(BER)
Other adjacent cells downlink RXLEV less than 6,
designated by BA list)
Interference strip

 2 Measurement report made by BTS

Uplink RXLEV
Uplink RXQUAL
TA

Base Station Preprocessing 2

Processing of BTS measurement data

1 RXLEV_XX XX DL or UL
For each connection, at least 32 sampling data
are retained and the average of RX level is
calculated out by BSS in each SACCH period.

 2 Adjacent cells BCCH carrier receiving

level RXLEV_NCELL(n)
For each connection and each cell, the latest 32
sampling data are stored by BSS to calculate
out the adjacent cells BCCH carrier receiving
level.

Base Station Preprocessing 3

3 Power Budget PBGT
For each connection and each allowable cell, BSS
calculates PBGT as follows
PBGT(n) =(Min(MS_TXPWR_MAX,P) RXLEV_DL
PWR_C_D) (Min(MS_TXPWR_MAX(n),P)
RXLEV_NCELL(n))

Where,
RXLEV_NCELL(n) and RXLEV_DL are got by above
definitions.
PWR_C_D is the difference of cell-allowed downward
maximum power with actual power
MS_TXPWR_MAX(current traffic channel)
MS_TXPWR_MAX(n) (adjacent cell n traffic channel)
P is the maximum transmission power of MS

Base Station Preprocessing 4

4 TA
For each connection, BSS calculate the TA
using parameters Hreqt and Hreqave
5 Interference strip
BSS averages interference ( using INTAVE) on
idle time-slots and maps to five classes called
strips.

Parameters in connection with

hand-over
1 UpLevTh N P upward level threshold
2 UpQualTh N P upward quality threshold
3 DwLevTh N P downward level threshold
4 DwQualTh N P downward quality
threshold
5 UpIntfTh N P upward interference
threshold
6 DwIntfTh N P downward interference
threshold
7 MsDistTh N P distance threshold same unit
with TA)
8 HoMargin n Adjacent cells hand-over margin

Threshold Comparison (1)

1. Hand-over will occur if at least P out of
are lower than UpLevTh.
2. Hand-over will occur if at least P out
levels are lower than DwLevTh.
3. Hand-over will occur if at least P out of
are higher than UpQualTh.
4. Hand-over will occur if at least P out
levels are higher than DwQualTh.

N upward levels
of N downward
N upward levels
of N downward

Threshold Comparison (2)

5. Hand-over will occur if the latest P out of N upward levels are
higher than UpIntfTh and condition 3 is met at the same time.
6. Hand-over will occur if the latest P out of N downward levels are
higher than DwIntfTh and condition 4 is met at the same time.
7. Hand-over will occur if the latest P out of N TAs are higher than
MsDistTh.
8. Hand-over will occur if PBGT of some adjacent cell is higher
than its corresponding HoMargin.

Hand-over Algorithm
The hand-over algorithm BSC adopts is based on
the following equation:
RXLEV_NCELL(n) > RXLEV_MIN(n) + Max (0,
Pa)
(1)
where: Pa = (MS_TXPWR_MAX(n) P)
PBGT n HO_MARGIN(n) > 0
(2)

BSS selects from all adjacent cells that both

meets equation (1) and (2) and queue them
from large PBGT to small ones and serves as
candidate adjacent cells.

Power Control
Purpose of Power Control
BTS Power Control Strategy

Purpose of Power Control

Lower interference within a cell
Save power
Premises: Call quality or data
transmission quality be guaranteed

Power Control Procedures

Save measured data

Average measured data

Power control decision

Send power control command

Measured data correction

Relation of Level and Power Control

63
Fast power control zone

High
Upper limit

Normal
Lower limit

Low
Fast power control zone

Relation of BER with Power Control

0
Fast power control zone

Low
Upper limit

Normal
Lower limit

High
Fast power control zone

BTS Power Control Strategy

Keep current transmission power when received level is
normal.
Lower the transmission power when received level is high.
Increase the transmission power when received level is
low.
Keep current transmission power when BER is normal.
Increase the transmission power when BER is high.
Lower the transmission power when BER is low.

Corresponding Relation between RXQUAL

and BER
RXQUAL
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

BER (%)
BER<0.2
0.2<BER<0.4
0.4<BER<0.8
0.8<BER<1.6
1.6<BER<3.2
3.2<BER<6.4
6.4<BER<12.8
12.8<BER

Typical(%)
0.14
0.28
0.57
1.13
2.26
4.53
9.05
18.10

MS Power Control Strategy

Normal Level LEVECAUSE = 0
Low Level LEVELCAUSE = 1
High Level LEVECAUSE = 2
0
1
1
1
2
2
2

Normal BER QUALCAUSE = 0

Low BER QUALCAUSE = 1
High BER QUALCAUSE = 2
2
0
1
2
0
1
2

INCREASE
STAY
STAY
INCREASE
DECREASE
DECREASE
INCREASE

Range of Power Control

1 BTS Power Control
BTS has 6 classes of static power configured by network, each class has 15 levels of dynamic
power which can be configured by network.
2 MS Power Control
GSM900 class A MS power capability 43dbm 20W
GSM900 class B MS power control 39dbm 8W
GSM900 class C MS power capability 37dbm 5W
GSM900 class D MS power capability 33dbm 2W
GSM900 class E MS power capability 29dbm 0.8W
GSM900 power control range of MS is 43dbm ~ 5dbm at least 2dbm one step
DCS1800 class A MS power control capability 30dbm 1W
DCS1800 class B MS power control capability 24dbm 0.25W
DCS1800 class C MS power control capability 36dbm 4W
DCS1800 class D MS power control range 36dbm ~ 0dbm 2dbm one step