WCDMA Design Handbook

Developed out of a successful professional engineering course, this practical handbook provides a comprehensive explanation of the Wideband CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) air interface of third-generation UMTS cellular systems. The book addresses all aspects of the design of the WCDMA radio interface from the lower layers to the upper layers of the protocol architecture. The book considers each of the layers in turn, to build a complete understanding of the design and operation of the WCDMA radio interface including the physical layer, RF and baseband processing, MAC, RLC, PDCP/BMP, Non-Access Stratum and RRC. An ideal course book and reference for professional engineers, undergraduate and graduate students.

Andrew Richardson has many years of experience in digital communication systems, having worked for Philips, Nokia and Simoco on both second- and third-generation mobile phone systems. Since 1999 he has run his own consultancy, Imagicom Ltd, offering design and training services in telecommunication systems technology.

WCDMA Design Handbook

Andrew Richardson
Imagicom Ltd

PUBLISHED BY THE PRESS SYNDICATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK
40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011–4211, USA
477 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, VIC 3207, Australia
Ruiz de Alarcón 13, 28014 Madrid, Spain
Dock House, The Waterfront, Cape Town 8001, South Africa

http://www.cambridge.org

© Andrew Richardson 2005

This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception
and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements,
no reproduction of any part may take place without
the written permission of Cambridge University Press.

First published 2005

Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge

Typefaces Times 10.5/14 pt and HelveticaNue System LATEX 2_e[T B ]

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication data
Richardson, Andrew, 1961--
WCDMA Design Handbook / Andrew Richardson.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0 521 82815 5
1. Code division multiple access – Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Wireless communication systems – Handbooks, manuals, etc. 3. Mobile communication systems – Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Title.
TK5103.452.R53 2004
621.3845 – dc22 2003058670

ISBN 0 521 82815 5 hardback

To my wife and family, Alex, Beth, Emma and Evie, and also to my parents Peter and Marea.

Contents

Preface

The WCDMA Design Handbook addresses the subject of wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) as defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and provides a detailed review of the architecture and the operation of the system. In particular, the focus of the book is the radio interface, from the physical layer through to the upper layers of the non-access stratum. This text either offers a complete ‘end-to-end’ explanation of the system operation, or alternatively allows the reader to focus on any aspects of the system which are of specific interest and relevance. For this reason, the material is presented in a modular fashion, with the overlap and interlinking of the chapters kept to a minimum to allow the chapters to be as self-standing as possible in order to facilitate a ‘pick and mix’ approach to the book where required.

   The structure of the book is intended to provide a solid introduction to the basic principles for the operation of the complete system and then to focus on the specific details in each of the relevant chapters. The major principles for the operation of the WCDMA system are considered throughout the different chapters, including the use of codes and multiplexing in the physical layer, the procedures for transport format combination control in layer 2 and the radio interface control procedures either within the radio resource control (RRC) protocol in the access stratum, or within the mobility management and service management protocols in the non-access stratum. One of the key methods of examining the system is the use of examples to demonstrate the operation of specific procedures or processes.

   At the lower layers, the book focuses on the FDD mode of the WCDMA system. The use of the TDD mode is considered to a greater degree as the higher layer protocols are considered. The emphasis is on the first release of the WCDMA specifications (Release 99).

   Written for a professional audience, the book is relevant to practising engineers and managers, and graduate and undergraduate students. Like most texts at this level, it is beneficial for the reader to have had some previous exposure to cellular radio systems such as GSM. It is assumed that the reader is comfortable with the technical nature of the information in this technical book.

   The book can be considered as being in four parts. Part 1 comprises Chapters 1–3 and is a general introduction; Part 2, Chapters 4–7, covers mainly the physical layer; Part 3, Chapters 8–12, covers layers 2 and 3 in the access stratum; and Part 4, Chapters 13 and 14, covers the non-access stratum protocols. The reading of these four parts will depend upon the specific interests of the reader. For RF, DSP, ASIC and hardware engineers Parts 1 and 2 are recommended. For protocol designers/software designers and protocol test engineers who are focussing on the operation of the access stratum of the WCDMA system, Parts 1 and 3 are the most appropriate. Both protocol designers/ software designers and protocol test engineers concentrating on the operation of the non-access stratum of the WCDMA system should read Parts 1 and 4. Finally, for an interested reader, or for a graduate or undergraduate course, the chapters can be taken in order. The book closely follows the 3GPP specifications; for completeness the relevant specifications are outlined in the Appendix.

   The WCDMA Design Handbook is based on the experience and knowledge gained over a 20-year period by the author. The detail has been honed during the process of presenting the material in the form of a number of training courses on WCDMA, from layer 1 through to the non-access stratum. It is the first in what is planned to be a series of books by the author following the development of the UMTS and wireless cellular market place, with an emphasis on a detailed understanding of the design and operation of the technology. Dr Richardson is a director of the established training and consultancy company Imagicom Ltd (www.imagicom.co.uk), which specialises in delivering regular advanced level technical training courses, the material for which is constantly updated and presented both via a range of scheduled public courses usually held in Cambridge UK and to major players in the telecommunications industry on an in-house basis.

Acknowledgements

I would like to give special thanks to my wife Alex for her enduring support over the many hours that it has taken to bring this volume from conception into existence; without her this book could not exist. I love her deeply.

Abbreviations