Baicells Technical Training WISPAMERICA 2018

Transcription

1 Baicells Technical Training WISPAMERICA 2018 For full color booklet, visit our documentation page at

2 Agenda Part 1 - Installation Patrick Leary Rick Harnish Rick Harnish Panel Introduction Installing the enodeb Preparing the User Equipment Q&A Part 2 - Operation Nitisha Potti Cameron Kilton Cameron Kilton Cameron Kilton Nitisha Potti Cameron Kilton Panel LTE Overview EPC: LTE Signaling & Call Flows RF Planning & Design X2 Handoffs Troubleshooting Top Customer Issues Baicells HaloB Solution Q&A

3 Baicells Support Website Baicells Operators Support Group onfacebook Baicells CommunityForum BaicellsAddress 555 Republic Dr., #200, Plano, TX 75074, USA BaicellsPhone +1(888) Baicells / CONTACT INFORMATION 67

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5 Baicells Technical Training Part 1 - Installation Patrick Leary, President of Baicells North America Rick Harnish, Director of WISP Markets 1

6 Installation Topics Introduction enodeb Installation Preparing the User Equipment 2

7 Introduction Patrick Leary, President of Baicells North America 3

8 Baicells System Architecture 4

9 Baicells enodeb s (1 of 4) 5

10 Baicells enodeb s (2 of 4) 6

11 Baicells enodeb s (3 of 4) 7

12 Baicells enodeb s (4 of 4) 8

13 Easy Installation 9

14 Baicells User Equipment 10

15 Baicells OAM Applications enodeb (enb) GUI User Equipment (UE) GUI CloudCore Operations Management Center (OMC) CloudCore Business Operations Support System (BOSS) Local and remote internet access to each enb Local and remote internet access to each UE Configure and manage all of an operator s network enbs and UEs Subscriber management OAM: Operation, Administration, & Maintenance These apps are covered in the Baicells Configuration & Network Administration Guide 11

16 enb GUI 12

17 UE GUI 13

18 OMC & BOSS 14

19 Installing the enodeb Rick Harnish, Director of WISP Markets Installation Guides & User Manuals: 15

20 Open a Baicells CloudCore Account Open a web browser, and enter the CloudCore address: Click on the Sign up button. Complete the mandatory fields, and click Sign up You will receive an from CloudCore. In the , click on the CloudCore link to go to the login page. The default user name and password are both admin. 16

21 Out-of-Box Audit: Nova-233 Outdoor 2x1WG2 enodeb Nova-233 enb unit AC/DC power adaptor Power terminal and plug GPS antenna kit Installation bracket kit Ground terminal Cold shrink tubes Optional optical modules 17

22 Materials & Tools Item Power Cable RF Antenna Cable Optical Fiber Ethernet Cable RF Antenna Ground Cable Description Gauge: Less than AWG16 (e.g., AWG14) Length: Shorter than 330 feet (100 meters) 50-ohm feeder Single mode optical fiber Outdoor CAT6 Shorter than 330 feet (100 meters) Omnidirectional or Directional 16mm² diameter yellow-green wire 18

23 Interfaces & LEDs Interface Description PWR Power interface: +48V (+42V to +60V) DC GPS External GPS antenna, N-female connection ANT0 External RF antenna 0, N-female connector OPT Optical interface to connect to external data backhaul ETH RJ-45 Ethernet interface, used for debugging or external data backhaul ANT1 External RF antenna 1, N-female connector LED Color Status Description PWR Green RUN Green Steady on Power is on Off No power supply Fast flash: 0.125s on, 0.125s off Base station is booting up Slow flash: 1s on, 1s off Base station is booted and operational Off No power input, or board failure Green Steady on Active cell site. The transmitting channel is working normally. ACT Off Inactive cell site. The transmitting channel is not working. ALM Red Steady on Hardware alarm, e.g., VSWR alarm Off No alarm 19

24 Space Requirements 20

25 Installation Process Overview S t a g i n g Attach Mounting Bracket to enb Attach GPS Antenna to enb Attach Cables to enb Interfaces Power on enb to Check LEDs 5 Attach Antenna and enb to Support Pole if Needed 6 Install Equipment on Tower, Roof, or Other Structure 7 Connect Power and Grounding 8 Log in to enb GUI or OMC to Check Status is Active 9 Weatherproof all Connections 21

26 Attach GPS Antenna to enb 22

27 Connect Cables, Power Connector, Grounding 23

28 Power on, Check LEDs LED Color Status Description Steady on Power is on PWR Green Off No power supply Fast flash: 0.125s on, 0.125s Base station is booting up off RUN Green Slow flash: 1s on, 1s off Base station is booted and operational Off No power input, or board failure Green Steady on Active cell site. The transmitting channel is working normally. ACT Off Inactive cell site. The transmitting channel is not working. ALM Red Steady on Hardware alarm, e.g., VSWR alarm Off No alarm 24

29 Attach enb to Support Pole (if Needed) or Wall 25

30 Once Installed & Before Weatherproofing Check enb Status in Software (enb GUI) Designed for plug-and-play, enbs arrive preconfigured Before you seal and weatherproof the connections on the enb elements, log in to the local enb GUI or the cloud-based OMC to ensure the enb status is reported as Active. From the local enb MGMT port, type in using default username admin, password admin. Once the application is installed and has a WAN IP address assigned, you can log in remotely with 26

31 Once Installed & Before Weatherproofing Check enb Status in Software (OMC) Set up enb for use with CloudCore Account: Directly connect the enb s DATA port to a network routed to the internet. The enb DATA interface is set to DHCP client by default. Log in to the enb GUI from either the DATA or MGMT interface IP: Configure the enb to connect to the Baicells Cloud OMC ( BaiOMC ) Navigate to BTS Settings -> Network Management Settings Enter baiomc.cloudapp.net:48080 into Network Management IP, and then click on Save. Note: Upgrading the firmware sets the network management IP by default. 27

32 Weatherproofing Techniques All-weather electrical tape and mastic Self-fusing silicone electrical tape: Scotch 70 Black cold shrink amalgamating tape Cold shrink tubing Heat shrink tubing w/adhesive Weatherproof RF cable boots 28

33 RF Antenna Selection & Installation Considerations Define the desired coverage area and demographics Estimate the potential subscriber capacity of the coverage area Number of subscribers Bandwidth per subscriber (packages) Oversubscription Model: 10:1 Consider reuse models, spectrum availability, and channel size Omni versus sectors Vertical beamwidth Electrical versus mechanical downtilt Horizontal beamwidth and overlap Use downtilt calculator Height above average terrain Accurate azimuth settings Dual slant versus horizontal and vertical polarization 29

34 Basic Configuration of enb enb GUI: Log in to the local enb MGMT port: Default user name and password: admin/admin 30

35 Quick Settings (North America) Country Code: FCC Band: 41, 42, 43, or 48 - Note: CBRS will be Band 48 Channel Size: 10 or 20 MHz Frequency: This enb s EARFCN SubFrame Assignment: 1 or 2, where 1 = 2:2 DL/UL transmission ratio 2 = 3:1 DL/UL transmission ratio (default) Special Subframe Pattern: 5 or 7 (default) Pertains to synchronization of timing between DL and UL Physical Cell Identification (PCI): Allocated by the operator 31

36 WAN/LAN Settings Select Network/WAN/LAN. Select Static IP, DHCP, or PPPOE (not recommended). Assign Static IP address. Enter Subnet Mask. Enter Default Gateway. Enter DNS Servers ( default). LAN address is used only for initial configuration and should not need to be changed. 32

37 Upgrade Firmware via enb GUI Select System/Upgrade. To check for recent firmware releases, go to: /welcome/announcements. Download firmware to computer. Select Firmware File. Check Attempt to Preserve Settings. Select Upgrade Now. 33

38 Upgrade Firmware via OMC Go to enb/strategy/upgrade. Click on + sign in top right corner. Check enb(s) to upgrade. Click right arrow. Name the task at the top of the page. Select Upgrade Time/Date under Execute Type. Select Next. Select upgrade firmware file. Select Finish. 34

39 Management Server Management Server: 80/smallcell/ or IP address Cloudkey: Unique Operator Identifier Entering Cloudkey enters device into the OMC Operator s account automatically 35

40 Mobility Management Entity (MME) and IPSec Tunnels The LTE MME is responsible for initiating paging and authentication of LTE devices. The operator may have more than one MME in the network. Upgrading firmware sets the defaults: - IKE Port can be 4500 or Note IPSEC Gateway addresses - Note MME IP addresses 36

41 Local Gateway (LGW) LGW fields allow you to enable or disable the gateway Select an LGW Mode of Network Address Translation (NAT), router, or bridge If Router, make sure there is a default route to the assigned subnet If Bridge, make sure there is a DHCP server feeding the subnet to the enb WAN port NAT is default 37

42 Preparing the User Equipment Rick Harnish, Director of WISP Markets 38

43 Plan Subscriber Information You need 2 pieces of information before adding a new subscriber: SIM card IMSI number Service Plan 39

44 Import SIM Card IMSI s Open a blank Excel sheet*, and paste the SIM card IMSI numbers in it, e.g., Save the file. Go to BOSS > Network > Sim Card. To activate up to 100 SIM cards, select SIM Card and enter the activation code. Click on Import > Import SIM Card File. Navigate to the Excel file you saved, and select Import. *An example template is available in BOSS for you to download. 40

45 Add Service Plans Go to BOSS > System > Service Plans. Select Add Service Plan. Enter the required information, and click on Enable. System prompts you to be sure you want to enable the scheme. Select OK. 41

46 Add Subscribers Go to BOSS > Subscriber. Select New to add a new subscriber. Enter subscriber information, and click on the search icon in the SIM card field. Select the respective IMSI number. Select Service Plan (default is wide open). Click on Save to add a new subscriber and activate the SIM card. 42

47 Basic Configuration of UE Log in to the UE GUI: - Note: Older firmware versions used Default Username and Password: admin/admin 43

48 Overview Fields 44

49 Overview Fields, Cont. 45

50 Overview Fields, Cont. 46

51 Overview Fields, Cont. 47

52 Network Mode on the Atom UEs Select the network mode as either Network Address Translation (NAT), Router, or Bridge. NAT is default. Warning: Selecting Bridge mode will pass the assigned IP address to the customer router. Remote management of the UE will no longer be possible. This will hopefully be corrected in a future firmware upgrade. 48

53 LTE Settings 49

54 Scan Mode Settings FullBand The UE will routinely scan all channels in the band. PCI Lock Allows you to select the specific E-UTRA Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (EARFCN) and Physical Cell Identifier (PCI). Band/Frequency Preferred You can specify which band(s) the UE will scan. 50

55 TR069 Settings Navigate to System -> TR069 Check Enable ACS URL: 80/smallcell/AcsService Periodic Inform Interval: 60 Enter Cloudkey Click on Submit 51

56 PCI Lock Settings Select PCI Lock in Scan Mode Add EARFCN and PCI numbers, and then click on Add. You can add multiple PCI lock entries The UE will scan the list for enbs with the PCI and EARFCN combination 52

57 Upgrade UE Firmware via Web GUI Select System/Version Manager Go to m/c/welcome/announcements for recent firmware releases. Download firmware to computer Select Firmware File Click on Submit 53

58 Upgrade UE Firmware via OMC Go to CPE/Strategy/Upgrade Click on + sign in top right corner Check CPE(s) to upgrade Click right arrow Name the task at the top of page Select Upgrade Time/Date under Execute Type Select Next Select upgrade firmware file Click on Finish 54

59 Contact and Support Baicells Support Website - Baicells Operators Support Group on Facebook - /baicellsoperatorsupportgroup/ Baicells Community Forum 55

60 Q & A 56

61 Baicells Technical Training Part 2 - Operation Nitisha Potti, Level 2 Technical Support Engineer Cameron Kilton, Director of Engineering Services 57

62 Operation Topics LTE Overview EPC: LTE Signaling & Call Flows RF Planning & Design X2 Handoffs Troubleshooting Top Customer Issues Baicells HaloB Solution 58

63 LTE Overview Nitisha Potti, Level 2 Technical Support Engineer 59

64 LTE Overview What is LTE? Long-Term Evolution A standardized wireless broadband technology evolution project begun in 2004 by a telecommunications body known as 3GPP. Why? With the rapid increase of mobile data usage and the emergence of new applications, 3GPP worked on LTE on the way towards 4G mobile. Main goals and benefits of LTE: - FDD and TDD capable in the same platform - Seamless connection with legacy systems - Higher throughput - Lower latency - Superior end-user experience, e.g., optimized signaling 60

65 LTE Network Architecture 3 main components: User Equipment (UE) Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) - The E-UTRAN handles the radio communications between the mobile and the evolved packet core (EPC) and has just one component, the evolved base stations, called enodeb (enb). Evolved Packet Core (EPC) - Baicells hosts an EPC called CloudCore E- Evolved Packet Core 61

66 Terms UE: These terms all refer to the same thing regarding subscriber equipment, and are used interchangeably: User Equipment (UE) Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) Subscriber Station (SS) Terminal enb: These terms all refer to the same thing regarding the radio access network (RAN) equipment, and are used interchangeably: enodeb (enb) Base Station Base Transceiver Station (BTS) Radio Access Network (RAN) Access Point (AP) Cell 62

67 Key Features of LTE Frequency Range UMTS Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) and UMTS Time Division Duplexing (TDD) bands MHz: 1.4 MHz 3 MHz 5 MHz 10 MHz 15 MHz 20 MHz Channel Bandwidth Modulation Schemes Multiple Access MIMO Technology Peak Data Rate Resource Blocks: 1 resource block = 180 KHz Downlink (DL)/Uplink (UL): QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM (64QAM optional for terminal device) DL: Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) UL: Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) DL: Maximum 4 antennas at enb and terminal device. Wide choice of options regarding transmit diversity, spatial multiplexing, and cyclic delay diversity. UL: Multi-user collaborative MIMO DL: 150 Mbps user equipment (UE) category 4, 2x2 MIMO, 20 MHz 300 Mbps UE category 5, 4x4 MIMO, 20 MHz UL: 75 Mbps 20 MHz 63

68 Orthgonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) Advantages: Efficient multi-access scheme that partitions different subcarriers among multiple users (OFDM-A) Robust against intersymbol interference (ISI) and fading caused by multipath Reduced computational complexity using Fast Fourier Transforms (FFT) Easily adapts to severe channel conditions Robust against burst errors caused by portions of spectrum undergoing deep fades Robust against narrowband interference Disadvantages: Adapts to severe channel conditions Robust against burst errors caused by portions of spectrum undergoing deep fades 64

69 Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) Basics LTE incorporates MIMO, which uses two or more antennas and related receive and transmit circuitry to achieve higher speeds within a given channel. MIMO divides the serial data to be transmitted into separate data streams that are then transmitted simultaneously over the same channel. This technique mitigates the multipath problem and adds to the signal reliability because of the diversity of reception. One common arrangement is 2x2 MIMO, where the first number indicates the number of transmit antennas and the second number is the number of receive antennas. Standard LTE can accommodate up to a 4x4 MIMO. 2x2 MIMO 65

70 Frequency & Time Division Duplexing (FDD/TDD) 2 types of LTE radio frame structures: FDD (Type 1) and TDD (Type 2) FDD TDD Two different frequencies One frequency, different timing 66

71 LTE-FDD Frame Structure FDD systems: 1 frame = 10 ms (comprised of ten 1-ms subframes) 1 subframe = 2 consecutive time slots (1 time slot = 0.5 ms) Therefore, 1 frame = 20 time slots (0-19) 67

72 LTE-TDD Frame Structure TDD systems: - 1 frame = 10 ms (comprised of two 5-ms half frames) - 1 frame = 10 subframes - 1 subframe = 2 time slots - Subframe configuration is divided between downlink/uplink, e.g., 2:2, 3:1 ratio - Subframes 0 and 5 are special subframes (SS) used by the downlink and carry downlink pilot time slot, guard period, and uplink pilot time slot information that cause the DL/UL transmission switch 68

73 LTE-TDD Downlink/Uplink Switch Points 69

74 Baicells LTE-TDD Frame Structure 70

75 Carrier Aggregation (CA) The most straightforward way to increase capacity is to add more bandwidth. Each aggregated carrier is referred to as a component carrier. A component carrier can have a bandwidth of 1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, or 20 MHz. A maximum of five component carriers can be aggregated. Hence, the maximum bandwidth is 20 MHz x 5 = 100 MHz. The number of aggregated carriers can be different in DL and UL; however, the number of UL component carriers is never larger than the number of DL component carriers. f DL f UL 71

76 LTE Network Identifiers Public Land Mobile Network Identity (PLMN-ID) identifies each operator s unique network number. PLMN is a combination of the Mobile Country Code (MCC) and Mobile Network Code (MNC). Tracking Area Code (TAC) identifies a tracking area within a particular network (e.g., could be geographical). E-UTRAN Cell Identity (ECI) identifies a cell site within the operator s network. Physical Cell Identity (PCI) distinguishes a specific cell from its immediate neighbors. PCI-1A2 ECI-1A PCI-1A1 Operator s PLMN-ID TAC-1 TAC-2 TAC-3 PCI-1A3 PCI-1B2 ECI-1B ECI-2A ECI-2B ECI-3A ECI-3B PCI-1B1 ECI-2A2 PCI-1B3 ECI-2A1 ECI-2B2 ECI-2A3 ECI-2B1 ECI-2B3 ECI-3A2 ECI-3A1 ECI-3B2 ECI-3A3 ECI-3B1 ECI-3B3 72

77 LTE User Equipment Identifiers International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) is a unique ID used to identify a specific subscriber. The IMSI is programmed on the USIM card. International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) is a unique ID that globally identifies 3GPP UE hardware. In LTE, IMEI is equivalent to a MAC address in other technologies. 73

78 LTE Signal Measurements RSSI, RSRP, RSRQ Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) measures the total received wide-band power. Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) is the average power of the LTE reference signals over the entire bandwidth. [RANGE]: -44 to -140dBm RSRP does a better job of measuring signal power from a specific sector while potentially excluding noise from other sectors. Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) indicates the quality of the received reference signal. [RANGE]: -3 to -19.5dB RSRQ Formula: RSRQ = N x RSRP / RSSI N = Number of Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs) Basically, RSRQ depends on serving cell power and the number of Tx antennas. 74

79 RSSI vs RSRP RSSI measures the power of the entire resource block symbol containing the Reference Signal (RS). RSRP measures the power of a single resource element. 75

80 LTE Signal Measurements SINR, CINR Signal-to-Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR) is the ratio of the average received demodulated signal power to the sum of the average co-channel interference power and the noise power from other sources. Carrier-to-Interference plus Noise Ratio (CINR) is the ratio between the power of the RF carrier bearing the wanted signal and the total power of interfering signals and noises. 76

81 TDD Configuration Options Supported subframe assignments 1 - DL:UL = 2:2 2 - DL:UL = 3:1 Peak data rates 20 MHz, 1-7 = 82 Mbps DL / 20 Mbps UL 20 MHz, 2-7 = 112 Mbps DL / 10 Mbps UL Supported special subframe patterns Format 5: Long guard period (~46 miles / 75 km limit) Format 7: Short guard period (~11 miles / 18 km limit) 77

82 MCS Chart Modulation and Coding Max troughtput [Mbps] SINR (db) Receiver Sensitivity (dbm) Scheme rank 1 rank 2 rank 1 rank 2 DL MCS UL MCS DL (Rank 2) UL DL UL DL DL UL DL 0-QPSK 0-QPSK 3.07 Mbps 1.07 Mbps QPSK 1-QPSK 3.99 Mbps 1.40 Mbps QPSK 2-QPSK 5.01 Mbps 1.71 Mbps Channel Bandwidth = 20 MHz Subframe Assignment = 1 (2:2) Special Subframe Patterns = 7 Category 4 UE 2rx 1tx 3-QPSK 3-QPSK 6.35 Mbps 2.22 Mbps QPSK 4-QPSK 7.92 Mbps 2.79 Mbps QPSK 5-QPSK 9.69 Mbps 3.40 Mbps QPSK 6-QPSK Mbps 3.96 Mbps QPSK 7-QPSK Mbps 4.73 Mbps QPSK 8-QPSK Mbps 5.41 Mbps QPSK 9-QPSK Mbps 6.11 Mbps QAM 10-QPSK Mbps 6.80 Mbps QAM 11-16QAM Mbps 6.80 Mbps QAM 12-16QAM Mbps 7.63 Mbps QAM 13-16QAM Mbps 8.86 Mbps QAM 14-16QAM Mbps 9.80 Mbps QAM 15-16QAM Mbps Mbps QAM 16-16QAM Mbps Mbps QAM 17-16QAM Mbps Mbps QAM 18-16QAM Mbps Mbps QAM 19-16QAM Mbps Mbps QAM 20-16QAM Mbps Mbps QAM 21-16QAM Mbps Mbps QAM 22-16QAM Mbps Mbps QAM Mbps QAM Mbps QAM Mbps QAM Mbps QAM Mbps QAM Mbps

83 MCS Chart, Cont. Channel Bandwidth = 20 MHz Subframe Assignment = 2 (3:1) Special Subframe Patterns = 7 Category 4 UE 2rx 1tx Modulation and Coding Max troughtput [Mbps] SINR (db) Receiver Sensitivity (dbm) Scheme rank 1 rank 2 rank 1 rank 2 DL MCS UL MCS DL (Rank 2) UL DL UL DL DL UL DL 0-QPSK 0-QPSK 4.19 Mbps 0.53 Mbps QPSK 1-QPSK 5.44 Mbps 0.70 Mbps QPSK 2-QPSK 6.85 Mbps 0.85 Mbps QPSK 3-QPSK 8.64 Mbps 1.11 Mbps QPSK 4-QPSK Mbps 1.39 Mbps QPSK 5-QPSK Mbps 1.70 Mbps QPSK 6-QPSK Mbps 1.98 Mbps QPSK 7-QPSK Mbps 2.37 Mbps QPSK 8-QPSK Mbps 2.71 Mbps QPSK 9-QPSK Mbps 3.05 Mbps QAM 10-QPSK Mbps 3.40 Mbps QAM 11-16QAM Mbps 3.40 Mbps QAM 12-16QAM Mbps 3.82 Mbps QAM 13-16QAM Mbps 4.43 Mbps QAM 14-16QAM Mbps 4.90 Mbps QAM 15-16QAM Mbps 5.48 Mbps QAM 16-16QAM Mbps 5.86 Mbps QAM 17-16QAM Mbps 6.34 Mbps QAM 18-16QAM Mbps 7.03 Mbps QAM 19-16QAM Mbps 7.58 Mbps QAM 20-16QAM Mbps 8.12 Mbps QAM 21-16QAM Mbps 8.12 Mbps QAM 22-16QAM Mbps 9.07 Mbps QAM Mbps QAM Mbps QAM Mbps QAM Mbps QAM Mbps QAM Mbps

84 Physical-Layer Cell Identity (PCI) Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) 3 different sequences called Physical-Layer ID (0 to 2) Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS) 168 different sequences called Physical-Layer Cell ID Group (0 to 167) 3x168 = 504 available PCIs. Once a UE knows the PCI, it also knows the location of the cell reference signals. 80

85 Summary LTE Overview FDD/TDD is same platform, based on OFDM multi-access technology 3 main architectural components: UE, enb, EPC Channel bandwidth MHz MCS QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM MIMO multi-antenna technology at enb and UE CA increases bandwidth Network identifiers: PLMN, TAC, ECI, PCI UE identifiers: IMSI, IMEI RF measures: RSSI, RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, CINR 81

86 EPC: LTE Signaling & Call Flows Cameron Kilton, Director of Engineering Services 82

87 Signaling in Basic LTE Network Architecture HSS: MME: PCRF: PGW: SGW: Home Subscriber Server Mobility Management Entity Policy & Charging Rule Function Packet Gateway Serving Gateway 83

88 E-UTRAN Network Interfaces X2 Interface Used to interconnect enodebs. It is where handoff related and load or interference related information is exchanged. S1 Interface Connects the enodeb to the EPC. It is split into two interfaces: Control plane (S1-MME) and User plane (S1-U) 84

89 EPC Elements Mobility Management Entity (MME): Responsible for user authentication (by interacting with HSS), idle mode location tracking, paging, roaming, handovers, bearer activation and deactivation process, and selecting gateways for UE. Home Subscriber Server (HSS): Central database that contains user-related and subscription-related information. Serving Gateway (S-GW): Gateway which terminates the interface towards E-UTRAN, serving a large number of enodebs. Responsible for handovers with neighbor enodebs and data transfer across the user plane. Packet Data Network Gateway (P-GW): Controls IP data services, routing, allocates IP addresses, enforces policies, and provides access for non-3gpp access networks such as WiMAX and 3GPP2. Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF): Interfaces with PGW and supports service data flow detection, policy enforcement, and flow-based charging. 85

90 User Plane UE to PGW IP packets in the core network are encapsulated in an EPC-specific protocol and tunneled between the PGW and the enodeb. GPRS Tunnel Protocol (GTP) is used on the S1 and S5/S8 interfaces. The protocol stack between the enodeb and UE consists of the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), Radio Link Control (RLC), and Medium Access Control (MAC) sublayers. 86

91 Control Plane UE to MME The control plane additionally includes the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer, which is responsible for establishing the radio bearers (carriers) and configuring the lower layers. Control plane handling of radio-specific functionality includes: Cell selection and reselection procedures UE information on the downlink channel quality and neighbor cell information 87

92 EPS Bearer Part 1 Evolved Packet System (EPS) Bearer is defined between the PGW and UE, and maps to a specific set of QoS parameters such as data rate, latency, and packet error rate. Bearer Classes: Guaranteed Bit Rate (GBR) bearer Non-GBR bearer 88

93 EPS Bearer Part 2 Access Point Name (APN) is a gateway the UE attaches to and which identifies the Packet Data Network (PDN). QoS Class Identifier (QCI) identifies 9 different QoS performance characteristics. Allocation and Retention Priority (ARP) indicates the priority of the bearer. Guaranteed Bit Rate (GBR) is used for GBR type bearers, and indicates the bit rate to be guaranteed in the uplink and in the downlink. Maximum Bit Rate (MBR) is used for GBR type bearers, and indicates the maximum bit rate allowed in the uplink and in the downlink. APN-AMBR (UL/DL) is used for non- GBR type bearers, and indicates the maximum bit rate allowed for all bandwidth in a PDN. UE-AMBR (UL/DL) is the same as APN- AMBR, but is the maximum bit rate allowed for all non-gbr type bearers associated to the UE. 89

94 EPS Bearer Part 3 90

95 EPS Bearer Part 4 (SDF) Service Data Flow (SDF) is a group of IP flows of user traffic associated with a type of service. Each SDF that matches the packet filters of a Traffic Flow Template (TFT) (DL TFT) is mapped by the P-GW to an EPS bearer that satisfies its QoS requirements. 91

96 EPS Bearer Part 5.1 (QoS) QoS parameters are defined at service level and bearer level. Both QCI and ARP are the basic QoS parameters applied to all SDFs and EPS bearers. GBR, MBR, and AMBR are the rate limiting related QoS parameters. QoS authorization is handled by the Policy Control and Charging Rules Function (PCRF), which dynamically manages and controls data sessions. QoS parameters: SDF QoS parameters: QCI, ARP, GBR and MBR EPS bearer QoS parameters: QCI, ARP, GBR, MBR, APN-AMBR and UE-AMBR 92

97 EPS Bearer Part 5.2 (QOS) 93

98 EPS Bearer Part 6.1 (QoS Provisioning) EPS Bearer QoS Provisioning QoS parameters applied to a default bearer are provisioned by the HSS, which is downloaded by the MME when the default bearer is activated. These QoS rules can be modified by the PCRF. The PCRF is also responsible for provisioning QoS parameters for dedicated bearers. SDF QoS Provisioning All the QoS parameters for SDFs are provisioned by the PCRF. 94

99 EPS Bearer Part 6.2 (QoS Provisioning) 95

100 EPS Bearer Part 7 (QoS Enforcement) QoS rules are applied to each detected SDF and EPS bearer upon detection of user traffic (IP flows). IP flows arriving at a P-GW are filtered into different SDFs. Enforcement of QoS for EPS bearers are done in EPS entities (UE, enb, S-GW, and P- GW) 96

101 Baicells CloudCore Design 97

102 LGW NAT Mode URL access to UE: Address]:[Port] [IP Address] = enb IP [Port] = 5xxxx where xxxx = last 4 digits of UE s IMSI 98

103 LGW Router Mode Requires a static route entry to access the LGW subnet 99

104 LGW Bridge Mode MAC address of UE is generated from the IMSI to hex To calculate the UE MAC address, convert the last 12 digits of the IMSI number to hex, and then prefix it with 8A. For example, if the IMSI is , you would take the last 12 digits " " and convert them to hex, which would equal "E42C8D5366. The resulting MAC address would be 8A:E4:2C:8D:53:

105 RF Planning & Design Cameron Kilton, Director of Engineering Services 101

106 Challenges? How do we develop a business model with so many parameters? The three C s to planning: Coverage, Capacity, & Cost Vertical assets: Towers, Buildings, Utility Poles, etc. What are the challenges to be overcome? Data accuracy - clutter Site selection 102

107 Propagation Modeling Software 103

108 PCI Planning - Why it s Important Two synchronization signals transmitted once every 5 ms: Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) Subframe #0 and #5 Mapped on 72 subcarriers in the middle of the band OFDM symbol #6 Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS) Subframe #0 and #5 Mapped on 72 subcarriers in the middle of the band OFDM symbol #5 104

109 Cell Sizes Macro cells cover 1-30 km, e.g., cellular networks Small cells typically to improve cellular service and cover dead zones in a building: o Micro covers meters o Pico covers meters o Femto user-installed local wireless o Atto optical Light Fidelity (Li-Fi) vs RF, as small as light bulbs Heterogeneous network (HetNet) a combination of different cell types, sizes, and access technologies Small cells increase user capacity at a lower power 105

110 Capacity Planning The challenge of macro and HetNet planning is ensuring capacity is provided where the demand is located. The cell spectral efficiency is critical if there is to be an effective increase in network capacity. In the presence of traffic hotspots, an adaptive modulation and coding scheme means the difference between users sharing.5 Mbps and 100 Mbps. The location of traffic hotspots determines whether there will be a return on investment or not, and maximizes profit margins. 106

111 PCI Planning TDD Sync signals Sync signals are transmitted by the enb to UEs to obtain cell identity and timing 2 synchronization signals are transmitted once every 5 ms, and mapped on 72 subcarriers in the middle of the band Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) Subframe #1 and #6 OFDM symbol #2 Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS) Subframe #0 and #5 OFDM symbol #13 107

112 PCI Planning - Priority Orders When planning PCIs, the following priority orders are recommended: 1. The same PCIs should be avoided within the same site and as neighbors. 2. PCIs with conflicting k values should be avoided within the same site and as neighbors. 3. PCIs with conflicting m0 and m1 values should be avoided within the same site and as neighbors. Reasons for not following these rules strictly: Will not work in an irregular pattern (see previous slide) Will cause a lot of limitations on neighbors, and neighbor lists will have to be shortened 108

113 PCI Planning Calculator Example formula using Excel to calculate PCI usage: =SUM(3*E2+D2) 109

114 Antenna Choice - Coverage vs Interference Which antenna you choose is very important when designing an LTE site. The next few slides provide examples of some DO s and some DO NOT s. 110

115 Antenna Choice: Three 120-degree Sectors (DO NOT) 111

116 Antenna Choice: Three 90-degree Sectors (Acceptable) 112

117 Antenna Choice: Four 90-degree Sectors (DO NOT) 113

118 Antenna Choice: Four 65-degree Sectors (DO!) 114

119 Antenna Choice: Six 45-degree Sectors (Best use) 115

120 Antenna Basics Down Tilt Need to know: Desired coverage area (radius from tower) Antenna mounting height above average terrain Vertical beamwidth Electrical down tilt Use down tilt calculator before ordering antennas qdowntilt.aspx Most antennas fall in a range of 6-8 degree vertical beamwidth Use 7 as an average starting point 116

121 Antenna Down Tilt Electrical vs Mechanical Need to know: With mechanical tilt, the coverage area is reduced in the central direction, but the coverage area in side directions is increased. With electrical tilt, the coverage area suffers a uniform reduction in the direction of the antenna azimuth; that is, the gain is reduced uniformly. Tilt is used to reduce and control interference with other sites Tilt is used to concentrate the RF pattern in the desired coverage area Mechanical down tilt may worsen CINR levels from neighboring sectors 117

122 Baicells Antenna Selection Once you know the target antenna specifications for your deployment, search for the best antenna to fit your deployment. Baicells has approved: Alpha Antennas KP Performance Antennas MTI Antennas Fixed vs Adjustable Electrical Downtilt F/B Ratio - The front-to-back ratio denotes the sensitivity of an antenna to radio waves in the region of 180 ±40 degrees from the main beam direction - the area of space behind the antenna. F/B Ratio of db is considered good. Less than that is not, but may be acceptable under certain small cell scenarios. The higher the number, the better. 118

123 Baicells Antenna Selection, Cont. Polarization: Dual Slant Horizontal/Vertical Benefits of dual slant: Improved noise immunity Improved Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) Improved coverage in congested environments Vertical polarization generally maintains a stronger receive signal than horizontal polarization (inequality) Slanting both polarities 45 degrees improves receive sensitivity equality 119

124 Baicells Antenna Selection, Cont. Find a few antennas that may fit your deployment Run down tilt calculations again using the correct vertical beamwidth specifications Choose as much electrical down tilt as possible to meet your desired down tilt. Reduced mechanical down tilt reduces pattern skew. Total Down tilt (DT) = Electrical DT + Mechanical DT Install antenna with accurate mechanical down tilt, per calculations Test and adjust if needed 120

125 RF Cables PIM - defined as the unwanted signal or signals generated by the nonlinear mixing of 2 or more frequencies High PIM means poor reception and limited bandwidth to the end user, which in turn means lost customers. Low PIM means strong signals with more bandwidth for more users, which means happy customers and higher revenues. Extensive testing by LTE providers determined that legacy LMR braided cables may test perfectly in a Return Loss or VSWR test, but generally possess only average PIM performance. PIM lowers the reliability, capacity, and data rate of LTE systems. It does this by limiting the receive sensitivity. 121

126 RF Cables, Cont. PIM shows up as a set of unwanted signals, created by loose or corroded connectors, nearby rust, medium or high PIM braided cable products, and other variables listed below. Other names for PIM include the diode effect and the rusty bolt effect. Connectors made for LTE usage are non-ferrous and plated with coatings such as silver, white bronze, and gold. Over-tightening, insufficient contact pressure, distorted contact surfaces, foreign material in the mating surfaces, or corrosion can cause excessive PIM. Other causes of PIM: Poorly manufactured antennas, nearby corrosion, lightning arrestors 122

127 RF Cables, Cont. Following are a few datasheet links for Low PIM cables from various manufacturers: RFS Cellflex49 Superior Essex HSFC Series23 Commscope Heliax Sureflex27 Times Microwave LMR-SW49 123

128 Power Levels Range in power can vary greatly, from the smallest to the largest components. Increasing power can swamp the smaller components and render them inoperable; they must be planned carefully with new levels of accuracy. Environment modeling such as clutter data must be reconsidered, with accuracy the main focus, due to the range in power levels. Deployments in significant numbers result in an exponential growth in the planning complexity. 124

129 Coverage Prediction Clutter data accuracy recommendations: Macro : < 32 feet / 10 meters Pico/SmallCell : < 8 feet / 2.5 meters Femto/Wi-Fi : < 3 feet / 1 meter Atto : <.8 feet / 0.25 meters Network Capacity Provide capacity where demand is located Spectral efficiency is critical if there is to be an effective increase in network capacity. It may mean the difference between users sharing 5 Mbps and 50 Mbps. Location, Location, Location Adaptive modulation works to achieve maximum performance of the link High Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) means more spectrum efficiency, which in turn maximizes ROI 125

130 Network Capacity Network capacity is sensitive to the cell spectral efficiency. An adaptive modulation and coding scheme means that user locations determine the capacity of the serving cell. A commuting, dynamic population means that residential or business census falls short of the actual population distribution in modern cities. Components are sensitive to the mobility of the demand. Fast moving demand cannot be served by small cells such as picos. Different components are suited to different environments. Femto and Wi-Fi are designed primarily for indoor; macros and picos work effectively outdoors. 126

131 Interference 1. The power of a distant macro can often be at a similar value to the power of a small cell s serving area. 2. The interference potential of a macro is increased considerably for a small cell due to the greater powers of the macro. 3. Complex interplays between the macro and small cells should be modeled. 4. Modeling entire cities, it may be necessary to extend the signal predictions to much farther distances in order to compute a site s capacity. How do we address this? 1. Reduce power, increase gain 2. Tilt - Focus your antenna for your planned coverage, and stick to it. 127

132 Planning Summary Use deployment-ready business case studies for cell planning. Use good clutter data, as available. Design for capacity with coverage as the second most important factor. Remember: Clutter data is not cheap, but neither is putting a site in the wrong spot. Various techniques are required to understand the ROI on each new site. 128

133 X2 Handoffs Cameron Kilton, Director of Engineering Services NOTE: The terms handoff and handover are used interchangeably in LTE. You will see both terms used in Baicells. 129

134 X2 Handoffs (LTE to LTE) X2 Interface Logical interface for signaling between enbs. When attached to the same MME, the serving and the target enbs can communicate directly without going through a radio network controller (RNC). X2 starts buffering on the target enb in advance of a handoff. X2 is disabled by default. EPC 130

135 X2 Handoff Configuration Configure Neighbor Frequencies Configure Mobility Parameters Examine Advanced Settings 131

136 X2 Handoff Configuration, Cont. Neighbor Frequency & Neighbor Cell Tables 1 Configure Neighbor Frequencies 132

137 X2 Handoff Configuration, Cont. Mobility Settings 2 Configure Mobility Parameters 133

138 X2 Handoff Configuration, Cont. Mobility Settings, Cont. 2 Configure Mobility Parameters 134

139 X2 Handoff Configuration, Cont. Advanced > X2 3 Examine Advanced Settings 135

140 X2 Handoff Config., Cont. Real-World Example Neigh Freq & Neigh Cell Tables 136

141 X2 Handoff Config., Cont. Real-World Example, Cont. Mobility: Event A1: The serving cell becomes better than the absolute threshold. Event A2: The serving cell becomes worse than the absolute threshold. Event A3: The neighbor cell becomes x amount of offset better than the serving cell. Event A5: The serving cell becomes worse than the absolute threshold 1 AND the neighbor cell becomes better than another absolute threshold

142 X2 Handoff Configuration, Cont. Real-World Example, Cont. Mobility & X2 138

143 Troubleshooting Top Customer Issues Nitisha Potti, Level 2 Technical Support Engineer 139

144 enb Status Shows Inactive 140

145 OMC Status Check 141

146 IPSEC Status Check 142

147 MME Status & Quick Settings 143

148 UE Connect/Reconnect Problems Check SIM status: - For a new install, first check the USIM card status. USIM Normal is expected. - If you find it displays SIM not ready, please check if the SIM card is firmly installed. 144

149 UE Connect/Reconnect Problems, Cont. Check if the UE can hear a cell: - Try adjusting the orientation of the UE so that it faces the enb s antenna in order to get better RF quality. - If it cannot, maybe the UE is out of RF coverage of an enb. Adjust the height and/or down tilt of the enb s antenna. 145

150 UE Connect/Reconnect Problems, Cont. - Check if the user status in BOSS is activated: If you cannot find the UE in BOSS, contact BaiCells support to add it in. - If the PC cannot get an IP from the UE, then restart the UE; it may be that the LAN is not working. - If the UE S PCI lock feature is enabled, make sure the frequency and PCI information are correct. - Make sure the enb power settings are correct. An enb s reference signal may be set incorrectly, so the UE will receive lower RSRP and have difficulty attaching. - Make sure the enb is activated. - If all of the above checked OK but the UE still fails to gain access, collect logs from the enb and report it to Baicells support. 146

151 UE or enb not showing up in OMC Add the UE or enb in OMC: 1. Log in to the OMC. 2. Go to the Device Management menu. 3. Click on the CPE/UE or enb tab. 4. Click the plus symbol + in the top right corner. 5. Enter the serial number/mac address of the CPE/UE or enb into the box. Check that the CPE/UE or enb is active and connected to the internet. Check that the management server settings on the enb and the TR069 settings are correct on the CPE/UE. Check the DNS settings. 147

152 Speed & Latency Issues Check if there is any flow control enabled on the switch connected to the enb. Check the RF parameters on the CPE/UE, i.e., RSRP, MCS, CINR, SINR and see if they are optimum. Check to see if the backhaul is the problem. Run iperf3 between the enb and the client PC. Run iperf3 server on iperf server-tower, and try the iperf3 test on the client PC. Iperf3 TCP Test w/ 8 Parallel Connections - Download Server: iperf3 -s Client: iperf3 -c x.x.x.x -P8 -t15 -O5 -R Iperf3 TCP Test w/ 8 Parallel Connections - Upload Server: iperf3 -s Client: iperf3 -c x.x.x.x -P8 -t15 -O5 If the results are satisfactory, include the ISP and run the iperf3 test again. 148

153 LGW Modes on the enb & UE There are three LGW modes on the enb and UE: NAT, Router, Bridge. 1. NAT mode on enb To access the UE when the enb is in NAT mode, use URL: Address]:[Port] [IP Address] is the enb s IP address. [Port] is a number with format 5XXXX, XXXX with the last 4 digits of UE s IMSI. 149

154 LGW Modes on the enb & UE, Cont. 2. Router mode on enb: Use the UE s local IP address to access the Web GUI, e.g.: 150

155 LGW Modes on the enb & UE, Cont. 3. Bridge mode on enb: In LGW L2 bridge mode, the enb will create a virtual interface for every UE that attaches. Each virtual interface will then do a DHCP request and create a 1:1 mapping between the UE IP (from Cloud EPC) and LGW IP. In L2 mode, the MAC address that the UE uses is generated from the IMSI number. To calculate the UE MAC address, convert the last 12 digits of the IMSI number to hex, and then prefix it with 8A. For example, if the IMSI is , you would take the last 12 digits " " and convert it to hex, which would equal "E42C8D5366. The resulting MAC address is 8A:E4:2C:8D:53:66. Once you know the MAC address, you can provision your networking accordingly. Use the UE s local IP address to access the Web GUI, e.g.: 151

156 CPE/UE Not Connected to Internet Check the CPE/UE SIM status. Check if the CPE/UE is connected to the enb. Check the DNS information on the CPE/UE. 152

157 CPE/UE Not Connected to Internet, Cont. Perform the ping test on the CPE/UE: Check the LGW setting on the enb and CPE/UE. Check the route between the enb and the external router. 153

158 GPS Unsynchronized When an installation unsync alarm is found: Make sure the GPS antenna on the enb was correctly mounted, per the enb Installation Guide, before it was powered on. If the GPS status appears unsynchronized in OMC after the enb is powered on for the first time, check the following items: 1. In the enb GUI, check whether the GPS switch setting is set to Enable. 154

159 GPS Unsynchronized, Cont. 2. Check whether the GPS connector is loosened. 3. Check whether the GPS antenna is operating normally by connecting it to another enb. 4. Reboot the enb to try again if the above items are normal. During normal operations an unsync alarm may be seen. Sometimes, the GPS status suddenly appears unsynchronized in OMC while the enb is operating normally. The probable cause of this situation is as below: 1. The GPS antenna may have been damaged by natural factor, such as a thunderstorm. 2. The GPS antenna has been unplugged manually. 3. The GPS connector is loosened. 4. Reboot the enb after you have checked the above items. 155

160 CPE/UE Shows Disconnected in OMC While Passing Traffic After noting the MAC address, delete the CPE/UE from the OMC. Upgrade the CPE/UE if it is not at the latest release. An upgrade will automatically cause a reboot. If no upgrade was required, reboot the CPE/UE. Add the CPE/UE back in the OMC using its MAC address. 156

161 Interference Issues The first indication there may be interference issues is when you see bad CINR and MCS values despite having good RSRP. To confirm, look at the CINR, SINR, and MCS values on the other CPE/UEs connected to this enb. If all the CPEs/UEs are facing similar problems, it could be that interference is at the enb; else, it can only be at this particular CPE/UE. To further verify this, check the BLER %. If you have a frequency scanner and know that you are not operating anywhere near the enb on the same frequency, scan and see if you are seeing signals in your operating frequency. Check the frequency configuration on your nearby enbs, and make sure there is no PCI conflict on any of your enbs. 157

162 CPE/UE Weak RF Conditions From the CPE/UE web GUI, you can monitor both RSRP0 and RSRP1 in real-time. If the values are greater than -110 dbm, it indicates that the RF is within the service scope of the enb. If the values are greater than -95 dbm, it indicates the RF is good. We strongly suggest that the RSRP of the CPE/UE should be greater than -110 dbm; otherwise, the CPE/UE will frequently be offline or not functioning properly. 158

163 CPE/UE Weak RF Conditions, Cont. The items listed below also may cause poor RF issues: 1. Problems with the RF path from the enb to the antenna, such as water in the RF cable, a bad lightning protector, a bad cable termination, or a bad cable. 2. One radiator in the antenna is defective or disconnected internally. In this case, replace with another antenna to test. 3. Bad UE hardware, e.g., one antenna radiator is defective or disconnected internally, or one transmitter is bad. Try another UE unit. 4. RF interference on one RF chain. Try changing to a different frequency. 5. Incorrect antenna down tilt, or the UE antenna is not mounted to face directly at the enb antenna. Check the enb antenna down tilt and vertical beamwidth in relation to the UE location. 6. The UE is mounted outside or at the edge of the enb antenna propagation field. Move the UE inside the antenna propagation field. 7. Bad enb hardware, e.g., one RF port is disconnected from the transmitter internally, or a bad transmitter. Replace the enb unit. 159

164 Baicells HaloB Solution Cameron Kilton, Director of Engineering Services 160

165 Problem: Unstable Backhaul Causes S1 Failure Using the internet for S1 backhaul is flexible but unstable. There are always some end-users out of service because of the unstable backhaul. An MME pool solution remits the situation but does not resolve it. And the cost is much higher. Node Failure MME-Pool APP Server LGW Internet Link Failure CPE enodeb IPSec & EPC Transmission Network SAE-GW Internet Traffic Signaling IP-Sec 161

166 Problem: Complicated Structure The complicated structure requires professional design. Centralized EPC causes heavy impact when a failure occurs. LTE is an E2E L3 network; it is hard to migrate a L2 network to LTE. End to end IP PGW SGW Traditional LTE Architecture Internet OMC&BOSS HSS PCRF MME enodeb enodeb 162

167 HaloB Overview One HaloB, One LTE Traditional LTE Architecture Internet OMC&BOSS End to end IP PGW SGW HSS PCRF MME HaloB Internet HaloB HaloB Nova Nova HaloB OMC&BOSS HaloB Nova HaloB HaloB Nova Nova enodeb enodeb Nova Nova 163

168 HaloB Highlights NAS is processed by the HaloB enb; the UE will be always online Only users under that HaloB will be affected when a failure occurs Less investment, easier for newcomers Simplified structure, no need for professional design and maintenance Self-configuration, plug-and-play, shorter TTM Decouples enodeb and core network Provides L2 scenario, such as for SME and LAN gaming Multiple APNs, isolates management from service packets HaloB Nova 164

169 HaloB Network Diagram NAS Processing OMC HaloB Local Breakout Self-configuration: PLMN EARFCN Bandwidth Self-optimization: PCI PRACH Nova Subscriber Information Management Software upgrade to get HaloB. Concise structure, concise management UI. Get active subscriber information from HSS. Cache subscriber information in local database. Cipher storage. Local Traffic Breakout Cipher Data APN1 Mgmt. APN2 DATA Subscriber Info: Synchronization Transportation Storage Verification BOSS Subscriber Info: Input Accounting