1. General Description
1-1 GSM System
1-1-1 Calls
GSM¨is an acronym for Global System for Mobile communications©, using TDMA for wide-area cellular
operation. The GSM system consists of the sub-systems shown;
The Mobile Station (MS) talks to the Base Station System (BSS) via an RF air interface. The Base Station System
(BSS) consists of Base Transceiver Station (BTS) and a Base Station Controller (BSC). The microwave link
between BTS and BSC is called an Abis interface. Generally one BSC controls 20 to 30 BTSs, and a Mobile
Switching Center (MSC) controlling the traffic among different cells would be reported back from a number of
BSSs. A Visitor Location Register (VLR) will be allocated to one MSC to find the mobiles out of their home cell
by listing them to VLR. The MSC would also be connected to the Home Location Register (HLR), the
Authentication Center (AC) and the Equipment Identity Register (EIR) So the system verify that the users and
equipment are legal subscriber.
1-1-2 Channels
Channels used in the GSM system can be divided into two classes - Logical and Physical channel. Physical
channels can be described in terms of their frequency and time domain characteristics. They are the actual
frequencies and timeslots the MS and BS transmits or receives on. The logical channels are mapped onto these
physical channels logically. Any particular and instant, physical channels may be control or traffic channels,
which determines the function of a physical channel at a particular point in time.
1-1-3 Airinterface of ARFCN (Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number)
Samsung Electronics 1-1
1 2 3 ... ... ... ... ... 123 124
890.2 MHz 914.8 MHz
935.2 MHz
P-GSM: TX: Fl(n) = 890 + 0.2*n (1≤n≤124)
RX: Fu(n) = Fl(n) + 45
< Fig. 1 ARFCN Diagram >
959.8 MHz
1 2 3 ... ... ... ... ... 123 124
1-2 Samsung Electronics
General Description
1-1-5 Logical Channel
TCH (Traffic CH) is used mainly for transferring the speech information, and the BCH (Broadcast CH) is
related to control information.The major function of BCH is transferring information on the downlink for MS
synchronization, identification, paging, and controll. BCH is always radiated from every cells and the MS tries
to find the BCH which has highest level soon after turned on. The organization of BCH is shown belows;
FCCH (Frequency Correction Channel), SCH (Synchronization Channel), and BCCH (Broadcast Control
Channel). CCCH (Common Control Channel) will play a role like a message board, and is divided into two
control channels - PCH (Paging Channel) and AGCH (Access Grant Channel). SACCH (Slow Associated
Control Channel) exists every 12 frames, controlling and controls the TX power level and timing advance of
MS, transferring cell information to MS on downlink, transferring the information about RX level, Quality, and
RX level of adjacent cell on uplink. FACCH (Fast Associated Control Channel) steals and changes the TCH
when needing a Handover. SDCCH (Stand-alone Dedicated Control Channel) and RACH (Random Access
Channel) operate during the call setup procedure.
1-1-4 GSM TDMA Timeslots, Frames, and Multiframes
0 1 2 3 4 ... ... ... ... ... ... 24 25
TCH
Multiframe
0 1 2 3 4 ... ... ... ... ... ... 49 50
01234567
BCH
Multiframe
TDMA
Frame
T Information F Midamble F Information T Guard
Timeslot
< Fig. 2 Concept of Frames and Timeslots >