CA Configuration

CA Configuration

• At attach, during reestablishment and incoming handover, either inter- or

intra-frequency,
• the eNodeB checks
• the CA license
• the CA neighbor cell configuration
• the SCell candidate
• the UE capability
• If all the conditions are fulfilled
• the CA UE is configured with one Downlink (DL) SCell in the same RRCConnectionReconfiguration
message that is needed for the attach or outgoing handover reconfiguration to complete.
CA Activation
• DL transmissions on an SCell are only possible if the secondary cell is activated.
• If the secondary cell is deactivated, although still configured, no transmissions are possible on that carrier.
• The UE does not monitor the deactivated component carrier. This results in UE battery saving.
• Dynamic activation and deactivation ensures that the SCell is only activated when there is DL data demand that
could benefit from transmitting on more than just one carrier.
• Furthermore, the activated secondary cell is only used for DL transmissions if the SCell DL channel quality is above a
certain threshold.
• The SCell is deactivated if the DL data demand drops so much that it can be handled through only one component
carrier, or when the DL channel quality of the activated SCell stays below a threshold for a certain time.
• To avoid a ping-pong effect of activation or deactivation, a timer is started whenever a state change from
deactivated to activated or from activated to deactivated is triggered. No new state change is allowed until the
timer expires.
CA Activation

• Need-based: Allow activation or deactivation of the SCell based on the amount of

data available in the Radio Link Control (RLC) buffer.
• Coverage-based: Allow deactivation of the SCell based on poor channel quality.
Note: An activated SCell is only used for transmission if it has good channel
quality.

• Prohibit Timer: Allow activation or deactivation of the SCell if the timer is not
running, to avoid a ping-pong effect. The prohibit timer must be started whenever
either activation or deactivation is triggered. No new activation or deactivation
can be triggered while the timer is running.
CA Activation

• SCell activation is achieved through the transmission of an Activation/Deactivation

Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) with the SCell index bit set to one.
• The eNodeB sends the Activation-Deactivation MAC CE on a PCell piggybacked on data.
• The eNodeB considers the activation successful when a HARQ ACK detection parameter
is received after the DL burst that carried the Activation/Deactivation MAC CE occurred.
• Because it is possible to receive a false HARQ ACK detection parameter, the
Activation/Deactivation MAC CE is repeated multiple times.
• Once activated, the UE is polled for SCell channel status information. If the SCell
channel quality is above the threshold, DL data transmissions are allowed on the SCell.
UE Deactivation

• Locking the physical cell associated with the SCell also triggers the
deactivation of the SCell.
• SCell deactivation is achieved through the transmission of an
Activation/Deactivation MAC Control Element with the SCell index bit set
to zero.
• As at activation, the MAC CE is piggybacked on PCell data and repeated
multiple times. The eNodeB considers the SCell as deactivated when the
first HARQ ACK detection parameter is received after the burst that
contained the Activation/Deactivation MAC CE occurred.
Data Transmission

• The PCell is always active, while the SCell is dynamically activated or deactivated.
• When a UE has an activated SCell and the DL channel quality on the SCell is above a
certain threshold, DL data can be transmitted over both carriers.
• The amount of data sent on each carrier is proportional to the bandwidth and the DL
channel quality of the carrier.
• Data splitting onto multiple carriers only occurs if the data to be sent exceeds a certain
threshold.
• If the amount of data sent does not exceed this threshold, the transmission only occurs
on the carrier that could potentially send more data given the constraints of carrier
bandwidth and DL channel quality on the carrier.
References

• Slide 7
• LTE carrier aggregation activation results
• https://host3.sabameeting.com:443/GP/main/00000010f6ce00000149b74ba812a012
RRC messages

• New RRC messages are introduced

• Addition, Removal and reconfiguration of Secondary
Component Carrier (SCC)
• The UE applies the system information acquisition and change monitoring procedures
for the PCell only.
• For an SCell, E-UTRAN provides, via dedicated signalling, all system information
relevant for operation in RRC_CONNECTED when adding the SCell.
• Upon change of the relevant system information of a configured SCell, E-UTRAN
releases and subsequently adds the concerned SCell, which may be done with a
single RRCConnectionReconfiguration message.
Rrc messages
• After having initiated the initial security activation procedure, E-UTRAN may configure
a UE that supports CA, with one or more SCells in addition to the PCell that was
initially configured during connection establishment.
• The PCell is used to provide the security inputs and upper layer system information
(i.e. the NAS mobility information e.g. TAI).
• SCells are used to provide additional downlink and optionally uplink radio resources.
RRc messages
3GPP TS 36.331 Rel 10
• Section 5.3.10.3a SCell release
• The UE shall:
• 1> if the release is triggered by reception of the sCellToReleaseList:
• 2> for each sCellIndex value included in the sCellToReleaseList:
• 3> if the current UE configuration includes an SCell with value sCellIndex:
• 4> release the SCell;

• 1> if the release is triggered by RRC connection re-establishment:

• 2> release all SCells that are part of the current UE configuration;
RRC messages
3GPP TS 36.331 Rel 10
• Section 5.3.10.3b SCell addition/ modification
• The UE shall:
• 1> for each sCellIndex value included in the sCellToAddModList that is not part of the
current UE configuration (SCell addition):
• 2> add the SCell, corresponding to the cellIdentification, in accordance with the
received radioResourceConfigCommonSCell and radioResourceConfigDedicatedSCell;
• 2> configure lower layers to consider the SCell to be in deactivated state;
• 1> for each sCellIndex value included in the sCellToAddModList that is part of the
current UE configuration (Scell modification):
• 2> modify the SCell configuration in accordance with the received
radioResourceConfigDedicatedSCell;