Geran Ur13 Zgo-04-05-Xxx Vamos Feature Guide (v4) - v1.0
Geran Ur13 Zgo-04-05-Xxx Vamos Feature Guide (v4) - v1.0
Geran Ur13 Zgo-04-05-Xxx Vamos Feature Guide (v4) - v1.0
Feature Guide
ZGO-04-05-xxx VAMOS
ZGO-04-05-xxx VAMOS
Version Date Author Reviewer Notes
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 Feature Attribute ............................................................................................... 5
2 Overview ............................................................................................................ 5
2.1 Feature Introduction ............................................................................................. 5
2.2 License Control .................................................................................................... 8
2.3 Correlation with Other Features ........................................................................... 9
4 Parameters....................................................................................................... 24
7 Abbreviation .................................................................................................... 41
8 Reference Document....................................................................................... 42
FIGURES
TABLES
Table 2-1 License Control List ............................................................................................ 8
Table 4-1 Parameters List ..................................................................................................24
Table 5-1 Counter List .......................................................................................................33
1 Feature Attribute
BSC version: [ZXUR 9000 GSM (V6.50.20)]
Attribute: [Optional]
Involved NEs:
NE Name Related or Not Special Requirement
MS/UE
BTS
BSC
iTC -
MSC -
MGW -
SGSN -
GGSN -
HLR -
: Involved, -: Not involved
2 Overview
Voice services over Adaptive Multi-user Channels on One Slot (VAMOS) refers to that an
ARFCN multiplexes several voice service users in one timeslot, enhancing the network
capacity.
Because one timeslot is able to bear one common FR voice service or two common HR
services, the following channel combinations might exist in VAMOS mode:
When two users share one timeslot, ARFCN and TDMA frame numbers make up one
VAMOS pair where each channel is a VAMOS sub-channel. In a VAMOS pair, the only
difference between two users is their different training sequence.
The following figure shows how two users are multiplexed. Each user takes one VAMOS
sub-channel, which is differentiated by the training sequence.
MS1
MS2
For the traditional CS voice service, one user takes one timeslot. Both uplink and
downlink adopt the GMSK (Gaussian Minimum Shift-frequency Keying) modulation
scheme. For VAMOS mode, there are two users in one timeslot. The BTS sends an
a-QPSK (Adaptive Quadrature Phase Shift Keying) signal, and then the mobile station
eliminates other signals as interference through the training sequence and interference
cancellation to demodulate its own signals. For the uplink, the multiplexed two MSs still
use the GMSK modulation to send signals in the timeslot, and the BTS uses the
enhanced demodulation algorithm to demodulate the signals and differentiate the users
by training sequence.
The VAMOS technology enables two users to use the same channel simultaneously.
When two users are using resources of the same channel, they can make calls normally
and in the meantime their mutual interference is tolerable. This is the principle of
selecting paired users. At least one member of a VAMOS pair must have the
anti-interference capability. Whether an MS supports VAMOS is reported by the MS itself,
which is carried in Classmark3. The BSC gets such information, which carries two fields,
VAMOS capability and DARP capability, from the signaling.
There are two VAMOS levels, VAMOS I and VAMOS II. Meanwhile, there are three
DARP levels, DARP 0, DARP 1 and DARP 2. The VAMOS I, VAMOS II and DARP 2
MSs can directly execute VAMOS pairing. The handset which is incapable of VAMOS but
capable of DARP 1 is the so called SAIC handset. Many SAIC handsets do not report
that they support SAIC (DARP=1) and are thus called Mute SAIC Handsets. It is
necessary for these mute SAIC handsets to execute MUTE SAIC detection. Though
some MSs such as the Nokia handsets report they support SAIC (DARP=1), they do not
actually support VAMOS due to the AFC algorithm. AFC detection (we call these
handsets the SAIC AFC handsets) is essential to check whether they support VAMOS
pairing.
License Configured
Feature ID Feature Name Unit
Control Item NE
1. Required Features
None
3. Affected Features
3 Technical Description
Before detecting the MS, first pre-check whether it is eligible for the detection. Check
whether the receiving quality and power level meet the threshold configured on the
OMCR. If the power level is not within the detection scope configured on the OMCR,
adjust it through power control. Whether to perform power control separately is
configurable. If the power level after the adjustment still fails to meet the threshold for
pre-check, the MS capability detection will not be performed during this call.
Suppose the system supports MUTE SAIC detection. When a newly admitted speech
user reports his/her MS as a traditional one (DARP=0, VAMOS=0) and no record of the
MS capability is found on the BSC, it is necessary to inform the BTS to check the SAIC
capability of the MS.
Upon receiving the message that carries MUTE SAIC performance test indication, the
BTS begins to detect SAIC performance and sends detection signals to the MS
periodically. It adds some DL interference when the DL RQ runs good, and determines
whether the MS supports SAIC through the RQ value the MS reports.
When the detection finishes, the BTS sends a message to inform the BSC of the MS
SAIC capability. The BSC records the MS capability for the reference of VAMOS pairing.
Whether to enable this feature depends on the cell-level switch If support MUTE SAIC
detection. Figure 3-1 shows the flow chart.
MS BTS BSC
ClassmrakChange:DARP=0,VAMOS=0
Access TCH
Measure Report
Suppose the system supports SAIC AFC detection. When a newly admitted speech user
reports his/her MS capability as DARP=1 and no record of the MS capability is found on
the BSC, it is necessary to inform the BTS to check the SAIC AFC capability of the MS.
Upon receiving the message that carries SAIC AFC detection indication, the BTS begins
to detect SAIC AFC performance and sends -QPSK signals to the MS periodically.
Some interference is added during the detection. The RQ and frequency deviation
should be considered.
When the detection finishes, the BTS sends a message to inform the BSC of the MS
SAIC capability. The BSC records the MS capability for the reference of VAMOS pairing.
Whether to enable this feature depends on the cell-level switch If support SAIC AFC
detection. Figure 3-2 shows the flow chart.
MS BTS BSC
ClassmrakChange:DARP=1,VAMOS=0
Access TCH
Measure Report
VAMOS not only brings the mutual interference among users, it also affects other users
in the system. If the network has sufficient channel resources, VAMOS pairing is not
considered in order to achieve better communication performance. VAMOS pairing can
be used only when the channel resource load reaches two thresholds.
The two load thresholds are The load of start VAMOS FR pairing and The load of start
VAMOS HR pairing.
When the channel load of a certain cell exceeds The load of start VAMOS FR pairing,
two FR users in the cell can be selected for pairing. If no FR user fits, the pairing fails. As
the channel load exceeds The load of start VAMOS HR pairing, both the FR users and
HR users can be selected for pairing.
There are many countermeasures to handle the increasing load. According to their
respective gain, the values of the thresholds should follow the following principle:
dynamic HR conversion load threshold < FR to HR handover threshold (a single user is
first considered, and then a VAMOS user) < the load for starting VAMOS pairing.
Before VAMOS pairing, it is necessary to detect the MS capability and save the result in
the database. If no MS capability record is found in the database, the MS cannot be
paired. It is recommended to enable MUTE SAIC detection and SAIC AFC detection
before enabling VAMOS.
After VAMOS is enabled and the conditions to trigger VAMOS pairing are met, the
VAMOS pairing algorithm flow starts. Users are selected for pairing according to the user
priority, speech version, wireless quality and path loss. Neither the users with high
priority nor the users with poor wireless quality or serious path loss are selected as the
candidates for VAMOS pairing.
The BTS power is a fixed value. After the candidates are selected, it is necessary to
check whether the power of the two candidates to be paired meet the BTS power
requirements and the SCPIR restriction.
Is neither of them a No
high-priority user?
No
Then, the two users start the pairing flow. The following six sections describe the details
on the pairing algorithm.
Pairing of the following speech versions is supported: FR, EFR, AMR FR, AMR HR and
FR_AMR_WB.
Pairing means that two users share resources of the same channel. In this case, the
mutual interference is inevitable and there needs to be requirements on the priority of
users to be paired. High-priority users are not paired to ensure their voice quality. Only
some low-priority users are paired.
To ensure that the two users who multiplex the same timeslot can be served properly and
do not affect other users after being paired, requirements on the receiving quality and
power level of the paired users must be specified.
According to the simulation result, two MSs paired in similar wireless conditions shows
the best VAMOS performance. A pair of MSs in greatly different wireless conditions is
very likely to be depaired finally.
Pairing two users with the similar receiving quality and power level will lead to a better
result. Figure 3-3 shows VAMOS user classification by nine-rectangle-grid.
As shown in Figure 3-3, the horizontal axis indicates the receiving quality of the MS (bit
error rate) while the vertical axis represents the receiving power level of the MS.
Figure 3-3 User Classification According to the Receiving Quality and Power Level
A B Increase Power
High Level
C D Decrease Power
Margin
Low Level
Keep Power
Level HO
Threshold
Low High
Bit Erro Rate Bit Erro Rate Quality Handover
Threshold
The users in A, B, C and D are regarded to have higher wireless quality, which enables
them to be candidates for VAMOS pairing.
After some candidates for pre-pairing are selected after their receiving quality and power
level are evaluated, the BSC will calculate their path loss. Users with similar path loss will
be considered for pairing. The UL and DL path losses of a user are almost the same, so
calculating the path loss of one direction is enough.
If the path loss of two users is similar and their path loss difference is less than the path
loss ratio threshold, they are regarded to meet the path loss requirements for pairing.
Besides selecting the users with similar path loss, initial power calculation is important.
The initial power must satisfy the preset target power level. The real pairing will not start
until the two calculations are completed. The following describes the calculations.
Since the max DL transmitting power of the BTS is fixed, when two users are multiplexed
over one channel, the total power of the two users must not exceed the max DL power.
According to the path loss decision, we assume that their path losses are similar. For the
In addition, the preset target power level must be satisfied. In other words, it is the
minimum DL power level expected after the pairing. Pairing will not be considered as
successful unless the DL power level is higher than this threshold. The two users DL
transmitting power must be greater than their respective path loss + target power level.
When assigning a TCH to a user, make the user a candidate. Select another user for
pairing within the cell. The two users must satisfy the conditions for triggering VAMOS
pairing. For details on how to select a user, refer to the VAMOS pairing algorithm above.
When the database is applying for channels, execute the VAMOS pairing algorithm in the
cell to select two suitable users who have already occupied the TCH to start the pairing
process. The two users must satisfy the conditions for triggering VAMOS pairing and
support pairing through intra-cell handover.
Pairing methods can be controlled by a switch. The switch values are as follows:
For VAMOS users, the communication quality might degrade after pairing due to the
mobility of the MS and the interference among users or from the environment. In this
case, de-multiplexing and handover should be performed according to users actual
conditions to ensure the VAMOS users normal communication.
When the network determines that pairing is no longer suitable for the two users
according to any algorithm, the two users have to be de-paired. The intra-cell handover
can be initiated for one user. The following sections describe the major De-pairing
algorithms.
The BTS performs power control over two users after the VAMOS pairing. But the total
DL power of the two users must not exceed the maximum DL power. So if the total DL
power exceeds the maximum DL power, the two users are allocated with the calculated
power. If the total DL power exceeds the threshold for P times after N times of power
control, the power is considered to have exceeded the threshold.
This kind of algorithm is similar to that described in section 3.6.1. Determine whether the
UL SCPIR exceeds the threshold during power control. If the UL SCPIR exceeds the
threshold for P times after N times of power control, the UL SCPIR is considered to have
exceeded the threshold.
The process is similar to that described in section 3.6.2. The only difference is to
calculate and decide the DL SCPIR. If the DL SCPIR exceeds the threshold for P times
after N times of power control, the DL SCPIR is considered to have exceeded the
threshold.
When the UL quality of the paired users gets worse and reaches the threshold of
de-pairing, the de-pairing process will start. If the P out of N UL quality exceeds the
threshold, the UL quality is considered to have exceeded the threshold, which triggers
de-pairing.
When the DL quality of the paired users gets worse and reaches the threshold of
De-pairing, the De-pairing process will start. If the P out of N DL quality exceeds the
threshold, the DL quality is considered to have exceeded the threshold, which triggers
De-pairing.
When the cell load decreases and reaches the threshold of De-pairing, the paired users
will be de-paired to enhance network performance.
The VAMOS power control switch operates in the same way as the common power
control switch. When the switch is set to off, the UL and DL power keeps the power of
pairing. When the switch is set to on, the two paired users should perform the common
power control as well as the VAMOS power control. The details are described as follows.
After the VAMOS pairing, the two MSs which are in the same channel cause serious
mutual interference. The interference rejection capability of different MSs differs, and
different algorithms lead to different interference rejection capabilities. The power
difference between two users is called SCPIR, which reflects the power difference one
MS can bear. For example, if the SCPIR of an SAIC MS is -4, it indicates that this MS can
operate at the power of at most 4dB lower than the other MS. To guarantee the normal
communication of the two users, SCPIR should be considered besides the common
power control. In addition, since the two users share the DL power, the total power is
limited by the maximum power, which should also be considered in VAMOS power
control.
When a timeslot is multiplexed, the UL and DL power of the two users have to be
adjusted by power control, ensuring better quality. VAMOS pairing users use AQPSK
modulation in the DL. Two users take I and Q respectively. Different Alpha values make
the two users power different, namely, the SCPIR is different. Then the DL power control
is achieved by adjusting the Alpha value.
The principle of VAMOS power control is as follows: The system obtains the expected
value after the power control decision, and then decides whether it satisfies the VAMOS
power control requirement. For DL VAMOS power control, if the expected value after
power control separately satisfies the condition that SCPIR does not exceed the
threshold (SCPIR thresholds of various MSs are preset on the OMCR) or the sum of two
users power does not exceed the total DL power (decided by P/N principle, P and N can
be set on OMCR), the expected power value is used to transmit signals. If any one of the
two above mentioned parameters exceeds the threshold, VAMOS DL power control
should be performed. The SCPIR and the sum of power are guaranteed not to exceed
the threshold. The system then uses the adjusted power level to transmit signals. For UL
VAMOS power control, if the expected value after two users power control separately
satisfies the condition that SCPIR does not exceed the threshold, then the expected UL
value is sent to the MS. If not, UL VAMOS power control is adjusted. In this case, only
SCPIR is guaranteed not to exceed the threshold.
Since the max DL transmit power of BTS is fixed, when two users are multiplexed over
one channel, the total power of the two users cannot exceed the max DL power. The
BSC estimates the initial power according to the path loss + target power level of the two
paired users. After estimating the initial power, the system pairs two users who satisfy
the requirement.
VAMOS paired users might be in three power adjustment states after their power is
determined separately: Power stay, Decrease, and Increase. For VAMOS paired users,
there are nine types of power adjustment methods (PowerControlState[User 0][User 1]).
For details, refer to the following table.
PowerControlState [User 0] [User 1]
2 Increase Increase
4 Decrease Increase
6 Decrease Decrease
8 Increase Decrease
Because the DL power of VAMOS users is restricted by the total power and SCPIR,
besides the 9th adjustment method, the other eight might appear in the following three
states:
The total power exceeds the threshold. The total power counts.
The SCPIR and total power exceed the threshold. The SCPIR counts with a higher
priority.
The above table shows that two types of adjustment cause the max total power to
exceed the threshold.
If two users are in Increase state in DL, check whether the total power exceeds the
threshold. If yes, adjust the power level and make it count.
How to adjust: Adjust the weak user. Increase the power level of the weak user, and
check whether the strong user meets the requirement of VAMOS power control after
power adjustment. The requirement is that SCPIR and the total power exceed the
thresholds. If the requirement is satisfied, the system then starts searching for the
proper power level for VAMOS power control. If no proper power level is found, the
current level is adopted.
If one user is in Increase state and the other in Decrease, check whether the total
power exceeds the threshold. If yes, adjust the power level and make it count.
How to adjust: Decrease the power level of the user in Decrease state, and check
whether the power level satisfies the requirement of VAMOS power control. If not,
calculate the available power level according to the max total power and SCPIR
thresholds.
During VAMOS power control, if the SCPIR or total power exceeds the threshold, the
number of times is counted. The sliding window N/P decision mechanism determines
whether the number is greater than the threshold preset on the OMCR. Then it decides
whether to continue the VAMOS pairing. If the number of times exceeds the threshold,
the BSC is requested to depair the VAMOS pair.
Under the condition that users are multiplexed in the same timeslot, the UL power control
process is the same as that of DL. First, perform the power decision synchronization.
VAMOS paired users also have nine types of adjustment methods (PowerControlState).
The UL VAMOS power adjustment will not be made unless the SCPIR exceeds the
threshold (the UL SCPIR threshold is set on the OMCR). The number of times is counted.
After being decided by the sliding window decision mechanism, the BSC is requested to
depair the VAMOS pair.
When one of the paired MSs is an AFC MS, AFC power control is implemented. Whether
to enable the AFC power control can be configured on the OMCR.
The SCPIR threshold of the AFC MS differs from that of the SAIC MS. Sometimes the
RQ is bad and call dropping occurs though the AFC MS is paired under a high SCPIR. If
one of the paired MSs is an AFC MS, AFC power control improves this situation.
AFC power control depends on the periodic SCPIR change of the paired users. The
change period and SCPIR value can be set on the OMCR. The other paired user with an
SAIC MS is driven to change. Each of the paired users performs their own power control.
Their power control merely helps to adjust the total power.
This feature shifts the SACCHs of the two VAMOS sub-channels. The SACCH of one
sub-channel is always multiplexed with the TCH of the other sub-channel. When the
other user starts DTX, the SACCH performance is improved.
The mutual interference is serious when the two paired users map SACCH in an identical
way. During a call, the mute period takes a big proportion. Shifted SACCH effectively
improves the performance gain of the SACCH. When the SACCH of one user meets the
mute period, the SACCH is hardly affected.
When a VAMOS II MS uses the TSC of TSC set 2, its SACCH is mapped by Shifted
SACCH. The position of the shifted SACCH frame among the 26 frames is as follows:
For TCH/F, the shifted SACCH frame is the thirteenth frame (even-numbered timeslot) or
the twenty-fourth frame (odd-numbered timeslot). For TCH/H, the shifted SACCHs of the
st nd
1 and 2 sub-timeslot are the thirteenth frame and the twenty-fourth frame respectively.
SACCH
FS
TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH TCH IDLE
FS FS FS FS FS FS FS FS FS FS FS FS FS FS FS FS FS FS FS FS FS FS FS FS
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Subchannel 0
TCH/HS TCH/HS TCH/HS TCH/HS TCH/HS TCH/HS TCH/HS SACCH TCH/HS TCH/HS TCH/HS TCH/HS TCH/HS
HS
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 13 15 17 19 21 23
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
TCH/HS TCH/HS TCH/HS TCH/HS TCH/HS TCH/HS TCH/HS TCH/HS TCH/HS TCH/HS TCH/HS SACCH TCH/HS
HS
1 3 5 7 9 11 14 16 18 20 22 24 25
Subchannel 1
3.10 DL Signaling
good as that of an SAIC one. Therefore, when a VAMOS II MS is in single user mode, an
SAIC receiver is recommended to ensure the performance.
When the VAMOS II MS operates in another mode, the system informs the MS of its
current state through DL signaling. The MS then selects a JD/SIC receiver or an SAIC
receiver.
When a VAMOS II MS is in VAMOS paired mode and single user mode, an SAIC
receiver is recommended to ensure the performance. The system informs the MS of its
current state through DL signaling. The MS then selects a JD/SIC receiver or an SAIC
receiver.
When the channel state changes, the MS will be informed of the change through the
channel mode modify message, which is marked by the field channel mode.
4 Parameters
Recom
Managed Value Default
Logic Name Parameter Description Unit mended
Object Range Value
Value
Cell 0: Not
support
VAMOS
1: Support
intra-cell
handover
and pair
This parameter indicates
2: Support
If support whether the cell supports
assigning None 0 0
VAMOS VAMOS. Enable the VAMOS
pair
when operator requires.
3: Support
intra-cell
handover
and pair
and
assigning
pair
Recom
Managed Value Default
Logic Name Parameter Description Unit mended
Object Range Value
Value
When system enables VAMOS,
only pair the users in low
priority.
If operator has no special
requirements, all users are
allowed to be paired. If operator
has some requirements, adjust
the priority of users to be
paired.
Recom
Managed Value Default
Logic Name Parameter Description Unit mended
Object Range Value
Value
impacts on other users.
The higher the value, the
requirements imposed on
users level are higher, which
makes the pairing more difficult.
The higher the value, the
requirements imposed on
users level are lower, which
makes the pairing easier. While
the probability of pair release or
call drop is higher.
Recom
Managed Value Default
Logic Name Parameter Description Unit mended
Object Range Value
Value
are lower, which makes the
pairing easier. While the
probability of pair release or call
drop is higher due to the
different radio environment.
Recom
Managed Value Default
Logic Name Parameter Description Unit mended
Object Range Value
Value
MS the pairing more difficult.
The lower the value, the
requirements imposed on
users
SCPIR are lower, which makes
the pairing easier. While the
probability of pair release or call
drop is higher.
Recom
Managed Value Default
Logic Name Parameter Description Unit mended
Object Range Value
Value
MS the pairing more difficult.
The lower the value, the
requirements imposed on
users
SCPIR are lower, which makes
the pairing easier. While the
probability of pair release or call
drop is higher.
Recom
Managed Value Default
Logic Name Parameter Description Unit mended
Object Range Value
Value
process value of two users who satisfy
pairing conditions.
Cell Downlink
This parameter refers to the
receive
downlink receive quality of
quality of 0..70 None 39 39
pair-release threshold after
pair-release
pairing.
threshold
Recom
Managed Value Default
Logic Name Parameter Description Unit mended
Object Range Value
Value
quality
Cell N value of
This parameter refers to the N
pair-release
value of pair-release downlink 1..20 None 8 8
downlink
quality after pairing.
quality
Cell P value of MS
P value of MS capability
capability 3..15 None 5 5
pre-detect
predetect
Cell N value of MS
N value of MS capability
capability 3..20 None 5 5
pre-detect.
predetect
Recom
Managed Value Default
Logic Name Parameter Description Unit mended
Object Range Value
Value
power control parameter. In places with DL 1: On
switch of MS power control disabled, the
capability switch controls whether to
detect perform power control on the
detected MS, helping the level
to reach the value between the
high and low detection
threshold.
Counter ID Name
6 Engineering Guide
This feature is applicable to the area with heavy traffic. Check network KPIs before using
the feature. This feature is considered for the heavily congested cell. In addition, the
feature has a requirement on the MS capability, the network is required to have enough
VAMOS pairing capable MSs to achieve the expected expansion effect. The number of
capable MSs can be obtained after enabling SAIC AFC and MUTE SAIC detection.
It is recommended to set If support MUTE SAIC detection and If support SAIC AFC
detection to Support first, and check the UE capability in the cell to be commissioned. If
there are enough SAIC capable MSs, set If support VAMOS to Support VAMOS. The
load related parameters can be adjusted according to the actual needs. The default
values are recommended for the other parameters.
The TSC2 has to be configured for TRX when comissioning VAMOS. The value
combinations of (0, 2); (1, 7); (3, 4); and (5, 6) are recommended for TSC and TSC2.
1. Pairing and De-pairing are implemented through intra-cell handover. Therefore, this
feature increases the number of intra-cell handover times.
2. Pairing reduces the cell load to a certain degree, so the congestion rate drops and
the appointment success rate improves.
3. The mutual interference between MSs increases during pairing, which may degrade
the RQ and increase the call drop rate.
7 Abbreviation
Abbreviation Full Name
rd
3GPP 3 Generation Partnership Project
FR Full Rate
HR Half Rate
MS Mobile Station
RQ Receive quality
TS Time Slot
8 Reference Document
ZXUR 9000 GSM (V6.50.20) Base Station Controller Performance Counter Reference
ZXUR 9000 GSM (V6.50.20) Base Station Controller Radio Parameter Reference