Timer Name

Description

Value

T100 RADIOLINK-TIMEOUT

Detects the presence of the radio link by detecting

SACCH frames every 480 ms.

4 SACCH
multiframes. That is
1.92 seconds if the
SACCH is
completely absent.

T200 Data link

timer

Used for re-transmission on the data link. The value

varies depending on the message type.

155 ms for FACCH

T301 Alerting
(ringing) timer

Timer used to limit the amount of time a user has to

answer a call.

20 seconds

T303 Mobility
Management
connection timer

Time the network waits after sending a CM SERVICE

REQUEST until receiving a response. This occurs before 10 seconds
initiating call clearing procedures towards the MS.

T305 Release
timer

Time the network waits after transmitting a DISCONNECT

message until receiving a RELEASE message.
10 seconds

Time the network waits after transmitting a DISCONNECT

message while in-band tones/announcements are
T306 In-band
10 seconds
tones release timer provided, until receiving a RELEASE message.

T308 Release
timer

Time the network waits after sending a RELEASE

message until receiving a RELEASE COMPLETE
message. This occurs before re-transmitting the
RELEASE or releasing the Mobility Management
connection.

T310 Call
proceeding timer

Time the network waits after receiving a CALL

CONFIRMED message until receiving a ALERTING,
CONNECT, or DISCONNECT message before initiating
clearing procedures towards the MS.

10 seconds

10 seconds

Time the network waits after transmitting a CONNECT

T313 Connect
message until receiving the CONNECT ACKNOWLEDGE 10 seconds
acknowledge timer message before performing clearing procedures with the
MS.

T323 Modify
complete timer

Time the network waits after sending a MODIFY message

during call mode changes, until receiving a MODIFY
10 seconds
COMPLETE or MODIFY REJECT message before
initiating call clearing procedures.

T3101 Immediate Time the network waits after sending the IMMEDIATE
assignment timer ASSIGNMENT or IMMEDIATE ASSIGNMENT

1 second

Timer Name

Description

Value

EXTENDED message until the main signalling link is

established before releasing the newly allocated
channels.

T3103 Handover
timer

T3105 Physical
information
repetition timer

T3107 Channel
assignment timer

Time the network waits after transmitting a HANDOVER

COMMAND message until receiving HANDOVER
COMPLETE or HANDOVER FAILURE or the MS reestablishes the call before the old channels are released.
2 seconds
If the timer expires and the network has not received a
correctly decoded L2 (format A or B) or TCH frame, then
the newly allocated channels are released.
Time the network waits after sending the PHYSICAL
INFORMATION message until receiving a correctly
decoded L2 (format A or B) or TCH frame. This occur
before re-transmitting the PHYSICAL INFORMATION
message or releasing the newly allocated channels.
Time the network waits after transmitting an
ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message until receiving the
ASSESSMENT FAILURE message or the MS reestablishes the call before releasing the old and the new
channels.

50 ms

3 seconds

T3109 Signaling
disconnection
timer

Time the network waits after sending the CHANNEL

RELEASE message before disconnecting the signalling
link.

5 seconds

T3111 Channel
deactivation after
disconnection
timer

Time the network waits after disconnecting the signalling

link before deactivating the channel.

500 ms

T3113 Paging
timer

Time the network waits after transmitting the PAGING

REQUEST message until receiving the PAGING
RESPONSE message. This occurs before re-transmitting 5 seconds
the PAGING REQUEST (if the maximum number of retransmissions have not been exceeded).

T3212 Location
update timer

The location update timer is set to zero, periodic location

update by the MS are disabled. If the MS camps to the
zero = infinite time
BCH and decodes a new MCC or MNC from the one it
last camped on, it should perform a location update.

T3250 TMSI
reallocation timer

Time the network waits after sending the TMSI

REALLOCATION COMMAND until receiving TMSI
REALLOCATION COMPLETE. This occurs before
5 seconds
aborting the procedure and releasing the Radio Resource
connection.

Description

Timer Name
T3260
Authentication
response timer

Time the network waits after an AUTHENTICATION

REQUEST until receiving AUTHENTICATION
RESPONSE. This occurs before aborting the procedure
and releasing the Radio Resource connection.

Value

5 seconds

GSM Timers
Timers on the mobile station side
T3122: This timer is used during random access, after the receipt of an IMMEDIATE
ASSIGN REJECT message. Its value is given by the network in the IMMEDIATE
ASSIGN REJECT message.
T3124: This timer is used in the seizure procedure during a hand-over, when the two
cells are not synchronized. Its purpose is to detect the lack of answer from the
network to the special signal. Its value is set to 675 ms if the channel type of the
channel allocated in the HANDOVER COMMAND is an SDCCH (+ SACCH);
otherwise its value is set to 320 ms.
T3126:This timer is started either after sending the maximum allowed number of
CHANNEL REQUEST messages during an immediate assignment procedure. Or on
receipt of an IMMEDIATE ASSIGNMENT REJECT message, whichever occurs first.
It is stopped at receipt of an IMMEDIATE ASSIGNMENT message, or an
IMMEDIATE ASSIGNMENT EXTENDED message. At its expiry, the immediate
assignment procedure is aborted. The minimum value of this timer is equal to the
time taken by T+2S slots of the mobile station's RACH. S and T. The maximum value
of this timer is 5 seconds.
T3128: This timer is started when the mobile station starts the uplink investigation
procedure and the uplink is busy. It is stopped at receipt of the first UPLINK FREE
message. At its expiry, the uplink investigation procedure is aborted. The value of
this timer is set to 1 second.
T3130: This timer is started after sending the first UPLINK ACCESS message during
a VGCS uplink access procedure. It is stopped at receipt of a VGCS ACCESS
GRANT message. At its expiry, the uplink access procedure is aborted. The value of
this timer is set to 5 seconds.
T3110: This timer is used to delay the channel deactivation after the receipt of a (full)
CHANNEL RELEASE. Its purpose is to let some time for disconnection of the main
signalling link. Its value is set to such that the DISC frame is sent twice in case of no
answer from the network. (It should be chosen to obtain a good probability of normal
termination (i.e. no time out of T3109) of the channel release procedure.)

T3134:This timer is used in the seizure procedure during an RR network

commanded cell change order procedure. Its purpose is to detect the lack of answer
from the network or the lack of availability of the target cell. Its value is set to 5
seconds.
T3142: The timer is used during packet access on CCCH, after the receipt of an
IMMEDIATE ASSIGNMENT REJECT message. Its value is given by the network in
the IMMEDIATE ASSIGNMENT REJECT message.
T3146:This timer is started either after sending the maximum allowed number of
CHANNEL REQUEST messages during a packet access procedure. Or on receipt of
an IMMEDIATE ASSIGNMENT REJECT message during a packet access
procedure, whichever occurs first. It is stopped at receipt of an IMMEDIATE
ASSIGNMENT message, or an IMMEDIATE ASSIGNMENT EXTENDED message.
At its expiry, the packet access procedure is aborted. The minimum value of this
timer is equal to the time taken by T+2S slots of the mobile station's RACH. S and T
are defined in section 3.3.1.2. The maximum value of this timer is 5 seconds.
T3164: This timer is used during packet access using CCCH. It is started at the
receipt of an IMMEDIATE ASSIGNMENT message. It is stopped at the transmission
of a RLC/MAC block on the assigned temporary block flow, see GSM 04.60. At
expire, the mobile station returns to the packet idle mode. The value of the timer is 5
seconds.
T3190: The timer is used during packet downlink assignment on CCCH. It is started
at the receipt of an IMMEDIATE ASSIGNMENT message or of an PDCH
ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message when in dedicated mode.It is stopped at the
receipt of a RLC/MAC block on the assigned temporary block flow, see GSM 04.60.
At expiry, the mobile station returns to the packet idle mode. The value of the timer is
5 seconds.
Timers on the network side
T3101: This timer is started when a channel is allocated with an IMMEDIATE
ASSIGNMENT message. It is stopped when the MS has correctly seized the
channels. Its value is network dependent. NOTE: It could be higher than the
maximum time for a L2 establishment attempt.
T3103: This timer is started by the sending of a HANDOVER message and is
normally stopped when the MS has correctly seized the new channel. Its purpose is
to keep the old channels sufficiently long for the MS to be able to return to the old
channels, and to release the channels if the MS is lost. Its value is network
dependent. NOTE: It could be higher than the maximum transmission time of the
HANDOVER COMMAND, plus the value of T3124, plus the maximum duration of an
attempt to establish a data link in multiframe mode.)
T3105: This timer is used for the repetition of the PHYSICAL INFORMATION
message during the hand-over procedure. Its value is network dependent. NOTE:
This timer may be set to such a low value that the message is in fact continuously

transmitted.
T3107: This timer is started by the sending of an ASSIGNMENT COMMAND
message and is normally stopped when the MS has correctly seized the new
channels. Its purpose is to keep the old channel sufficiently long for the MS to be
able to return to the old channels, and to release the channels if the MS is lost. Its
value is network dependent. NOTE: It could be higher than the maximum
transmission time of the ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message plus twice the
maximum duration of an attempt to establish a data link multiframe mode.
T3109: This timer is started when a lower layer failure is detected by the network,
when it is not engaged in a RF procedure. It is also used in the channel release
procedure. Its purpose is to release the channels in case of loss of communication.
Its value is network dependent. NOTE: Its value should be large enough to ensure
that the MS detects a radio link failure.
T3111: This timer is used to delay the channel deactivation after disconnection of the
main signalling link. Its purpose is to let some time for possible repetition of the
disconnection. Its value is equal to the value of T3110.
T3113: This timer is started when the network has sent a PAGING REQUEST
message and is stopped when the network has received the PAGING RESPONSE
message. Its value is network dependent. NOTE: The value could allow for
repetitions of the Channel Request message and the requirements associated with
T3101.
T3115: This timer is used for the repetition of the VGCS UPLINK GRANT message
during the uplink access procedure. Its value is network dependent. NOTE: This
timer may be set to such a low value that the message is in fact continuously
transmitted.
T3117: This timer is started by the sending of a PDCH ASSIGNMENT COMMAND
message and is normally stopped when the MS has correctly accessed the target
TBF. Its purpose is to keep the old channel sufficiently long for the MS to be able to
return to the old channels, and to release the channels if the MS is lost. Its value is
network dependent. NOTE: It could be higher than the maximum transmission time
of the PDCH ASSIGNMENT COMMAND message plus T3132 plus the maximum
duration of an attempt to establish a data link in multiframe mode.
T3119: This timer is started by the sending of a RR-CELL CHANGE ORDER
message and is normally stopped when the MS has correctly accessed the new cell.
Its purpose is to keep the old channels sufficiently long for the MS to be able to
return to the old channels, and to release the channels if the MS is lost. Its value is
network dependent. NOTE: It could be higher than the maximum transmission time
of the RR_CELL CHANGE ORDER, plus T3134, plus the maximum duration of an
attempt to establish a data link in multiframe mode.
T3141: This timer is started when a temporary block flow is allocated with an
IMMEDIATE ASSIGNMENT message during a packet access procedure. It is

stopped when the mobile station has correctly seized the temporary block flow. Its
value is network dependent.

Engineering Field Options Menu

The "Eng Field Options" menu is supported in the 8200/6200 ver. 1.7 (37.62.39),
7500 ver. 2.1 (58.62.15) and all later revisions - The software on the 3200 / 5200 /
7200 does not include the menu but it is present in all the newer models like d460,
8700, 8900, StarTAC (70, 85, 130), SlimLite, cd160/920/930 & d520 (The models
mentioned here are the European / Asian GSM-900/1800 digital units). Unfortunately
the menu is never enabled from the factory but with some special tools, it is possible
to activate it. What follows here is the description of the menu, look at the menu
customization page for instructions on how to enable it.
The Engineering menu will provide you with detailed information about the
connection between the MS and the network. This is all information that the MS can
measure by itself or decode from the BCCH which is transmitted from the BTS. The
menu only gives readout of parameters, you are not able to change a thing with it,
and consequently you can't do any harm to your phone - it's perfectly safe to use the
menu. On the latest software revisions, the menu is available in several languages. In
german it will show as "Eng Felder Optionen", "Aktive Zelle", "Nachbar-zellen" and
"System-Parameter"
It is easier to understand these terms if you have an idea about what the BCCH
actually is: When powering on your GSM phone, it doesn't know what frequency to
tune into in order to communicate with the cell, therefore it will start scanning all 125
GSM frequencies (GSM-900), looking for a Frequency Correction Burst. Once this is
found and the frequency has been adjusted, it will "stay tuned" and listen for a
Synchronization burst and decode it in order to synchronize (time wise) to the
network. After successfully synchronizing frequency and time, the BCCH channel can
be received and decoded, providing network identification and information about how
the mobile should "behave" on the net. The BCCH is on timeslot 0 - the remaining 7

timeslots are used for traffic. The BCCH never frequency-hops - it stays put all the
time, like a beacon, transmitting information to the mobiles. The mobile will continue
to search for BCCH's and keep a list of the 6 strongest BCCH in the area.
The "Eng Field Options" menu appears in the top level of the menus and consists of
three sub-menus:
Active Cell:
Displays what Channel the BCCH (Broadcast Control CHannel) is received on (If
available).
During idle you can view the parameters : RxLev, RxLevAM, NCC, BCC, MSTxPwr,
C1. Dualbanders will also provide: CRO, TO, C2, 2ter, 2bis & ECSC
During dedicated mode you can view the parameters : RxLev, RxLevFull,
RxLevSub, RxQualFul, RxQualSub, Timeslot, TimeAdv and PwrLev.
Dualbanders will also provide: Vocoder, 5bis, BSIC, MBReport, MeasValid.
The ActCh (Active Channel) may read "Hopping" during a call. The GSM system can
use slow frequency hopping where the mobile station and the base station transmit
each TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) frame on a different carrier frequency
(The hopping rate is 217 hops/second which corresponds to one hop per. TDMA
frame). The frequency hopping algorithm is decoded from the Broadcast Control
Channel which the mobile station continuously decodes. Since multipath fading is
dependent on carrier frequency, slow frequency hopping help mitigate the problem.
Frequency hopping is operator optional down to the individual cell.
When communicating with the BTS (for the reasons below) you can see how the
SDCCH (Standalone Dedicated Control CHannel) is mapped. The DCCH (Dedicated
Control CHannels) are used for registration, location updating, authentication and call
set-up. This channel can be mapped in two different ways: SDCCH8 ( 1/8 rate
channel) if combined is of and SDCCH4 ( 1/4 rate channel) if combined is on. See
also Combined, below.
Adjacent Cells:
Lets you scroll through the 6 nearby cells with the highest C1 criterion and view the
information transmitted on their corresponding BCCH carriers (If they can be
decoded). Pressing (OK) Will let you view the data transmitted on the selected BCCH
(some of thse are only available on dualband units): RxLev, BCCH decode status,
RxLevAM, CRO, TO, NCC, BCC, MSTxPwr, C1, C2, CBA & CBQ.
System Parameters:
During idle you can view the parameters :Combined, AcsClas, MCC, MNC, LAC,
CellID, T3212, BS-PA-MFRM and XZQTY.
During dedicated mode you can view the parameters :Combined, DTX, MCC, MNC,
LAC, CellID
Pressing (OK) while in the Eng Field Opt menu, will toggle refresh on and off. When
refresh is enabled, the phone will continuously measure and display the strength of

the signal and try to decode the BCCH. If you disable the refresh the phone will
remember and show the last set of values until the refresh is enabled again. If you
are driving around and the info changes real fast, you can "freeze" the values so you
can examine them before they change again.
KEY TO THE READOUTS:

ActCh: Displays the Active Channel on which the BCCH is received. GSM-900
has 124 (001-124) channels and GSM-1800 has 374 (512-885). The channels
are split between the operators - HERE is how it is done in Denmark (GSM900)
Combined: Describes the channel organization in the 51-frame multiframe :
of uses SDCCH/8 and on uses SDCCH/4. The logical channels can be
mapped differently : Of: BCCH+CCCH and SDCCH are on different channels.
On: BCCH, CCCH and SDCCH are combined on the same channel - confused
about all the channels ? Take a look at the GSM channel structure section
below
AcsClas: Access Control Class . The Access Control class is a parameter to
control the RACH (Random Access CHannel) utilization. 15 classes are split
into 10 classes randomly allocated to normal subscribers and 5 classes
allocated to specific high priority users. This way, the operator can cut out
users when the net is getting clogged-up. Denied classes can by cycled so
that in extreme loading you may be denied for 10 minutes or so, but then
you'll have service. Other classes are reserved for the emergency
services/operators so they can be excluded and have priority calling. What
networks does use this RACH regulation ???
RxLev:(7bits) The strength of the received BCCH signal (000 to 127 dBm),
normally between -55 to -90 - the MS will look for another BCCH carrier when
the signal drops to RxLevAm* ( RxLev and RxQual are sent regularly to the
BSC during a call - )
RxLevAm: Rx Level Access minimum - Minimum Rx signal strength threshold
(usually around -100 dBm to -110 dBm). This is related to the minimum signal
that the operator wants the network to receive when being initially accessed
by an MS.
CRO:(6 bits) Cell Reselect Offset. Applies an offset to the C2 reselection
criterion. 0 - 126 dB in 2 dB steps, i.e. 0=0dB, 1=2 dB, etc.
TO:(3 bits) Temporary Offset. Applies a negative offset to C2 for the duration
of PENALTY_TIME. 0 - 60 dB, 10 dB steps i.e. 0=0dB, 1=10 dB, etc. and 7 =
infinity
BCC:(3 bits) Base-station Color Code (0-7)- This is used to distinguish
neighboring cells of the same operator broadcasting BCCH on the same
FDMA (Frequency Division Multiple Access) channel from each other
(Different channel "sets" are used by GSM operators in the same country, so
their BCCH will always be on different FDMA channels). A set of cells that
covers all the channels available for a specific operator is called a "cluster".
BCC has the same value in all the cells of a cluster, because of each cell, in
the cluster, transmits on different channels. NCC+BCC is called BSID (Base
Station Identity)
NCC:(3 bits) Network Color Code (0-7) - this is used to distinguish neighboring
cells between operators of different countries broadcasting BCCH on the same
FDMA channel from each other. The NCC is equal within a PLMN (Public Land
Mobile Network). It's a 3 bit value.
MSTxPwr: The maximum power level that the MS (Mobile Station) is allowed
to access the RACH - this means that even though you have a 8W unit, you

are not always allowed to blast away at full power. Generally MSTxPwr is low
in urban areas (small cells) and high in rural areas (large cells) - See notes on
power control below
C1: The path loss criterion parameter C1 (defined as C1=(RxLev-RxLevAmMAX((MSTxPwr-MSMaxTxPwr),0)) ) used for cell selection and reselection.
This is calculated by the MS and used for deciding which cell to camp to
(selection and reselection). C1 is more useful than just RxLev, since it takes
the MSTxPwr & MSMaxTxPwr into account. MSMaxTxPwr is the phones
maximum output in dBm (for GSM normally 33 but 39 with carkit). The reason
Tx power is factored into C1 is so that an MS only camps to a cell where it has
a reasonable chance to be heard by the base station if it transmitted.
C2: Cell reselection criterion. Identical to C1 when camped in 900 band. You
will notice that the dual band units do have a preference for the 1800 band.
The C1 can be much higher than C2 but it doesn't result in the phone
switching back to the 900 band. The reason C2 is included is to handle small
cells, where an MS may select and camp to a cell but not have long enough to
do anything before loosing it completely. C2 is time varying so it can get
bigger after a certain period. If the MS can still see it then it will camp to it.
CBA:(1 bit)Control parameter Cell Bar Access. If enabled and CBQ=0 then cell
selection and reselection will be barred.
CBQ:(1 bit)Control parameter Cell Bar Qualify. If enabled, then cell selection
priority will be low, but cell reselection status (barred/normal)will be normal.
2ter: This message is sent optionally on the BCCH by the network to all
mobile stations within the cell giving information on the extension of the BCCH
allocation in the neighbour cells.. Based on this information the mobile station
is able to decide whether and how it may gain access to the system via the
current cell. The 2ter message shall be sent if and only if this is indicated in
TYPE 3 message. Can be ignored by units only capable of GSM900.
2bis: This message is sent optionally on the BCCH by the network to all
mobile stations within the cell giving information on control of the RACH and
of the extension of the BCCH allocation in the neighbour cells. Based on this
information the mobile station is able to decide whether and how it may gain
access to the system via the current cell. The 2bis message shall be sent if
and only if the EXT-IND bit in the Neighbour Cells Description IE in both the
TYPE 2 and TYPE 2bis messages indicates that each IE only carries part of the
BA. Can be ignored by units only capable of GSM900.
ECSC:(1 bit) Early Classmark Sending Control. This bit controls the early
sending of the classmark by the Mobile Stations implementing the Controlled
Early Classmark Sending option: 1= Early Sending is explicitly accepted 0=
Early Sending is explicitly forbidden.
RxLevFull:(6 bits) C1 value with continuous transmission from tower
(calculated from all the timeslots of one 51-multiframe)#
RxLevSub:(6 bits) C1 value with discontinuous transmission from tower
(subset of the timeslots in the 51-multiframe - usually from the SACCH
timeslot)#
RxQualFull:(3 bits) Received signal quality is derived from the BER (Bit Error
Rate) with continuous transmission from tower (calculated from all the
timeslots of one 51-multiframe) - see notes on BER
RxQualSub:(3 bits) Received signal quality is derived from the BER (Bit Error
Rate) with discontinuous transmission from tower (subset of the timeslots in
the 51-multiframe - usually from the SACCH timeslot) - see notes on BER
Timeslot:(4 bits) The current Ts (Timeslot) (0 through 7 - TDMA allows eight
channels to be accommodated on a single RF (Radio Frequency) carrier)

TimeAdv:(7 bits) TA (Timing Advance) (0 through 63 ) - see notes on timing

advance below
PwrLev: Reports which power step/level the phone is transmitting at - (See
section below on power control)
Vocoder: EFR (Enhanced FullRate) / FR (FullRate) / HR (HalfRate) / NA
(NotApplicable) - (How many of these are actually implemented ?)
5bis: This system information message is sent optionally on the SACCH just
after handover by the network to mobile stations within the cell giving
information on the extension of the BCCH allocation in the neighbour cells.
When received (and not ignored) this information must be used as the list of
neighbouring cells to be reported on. Any change in the neighbour cells
description must overwrite any old data held by the mobile station. The
mobile station must, with the exception stated above, analyse all correctly
received system information type 5 messages. Can be ignored by units only
capable of GSM900.
BSIC:(6 bits) Control parameter Base Station Identity Code = |NCC (3 bits)
BCC (3 bits)|
MBReport:(2 bits) MultiBand report. The number of neighbour cells (with
known and allowed NCC part of the BSID) for each frequency band supported
is included in this parameter. Possible values are: 6-0, 5-1, 4-2 & 3-3
MeasValid:(1bit) This bit indicates if the measurement results for the
dedicated channel are valid or not: 0=The measurement results are valid,
1=the measurement results are not valid.
DTX:(1 bit) Discontinuous transmission, a feature used to save battery and
reduce network traffic by powering down the mobile station transmitter when
there isn't any speech to transmit.
MCC: Mobile Country Code - This is the X.121 code for the country ( 238 =
Denmark etc.)
MNC: Mobile Network Code 1 = Tele Denmark, 2 = Sonofon, 10 = TDM GSM1800 (These are the ones for MCC 238 )
LAC: Local Area Code, Several cells are contained in a LA(Local Area). The
size is operator definable and may vary. A LU (Location Update) must take
place if the MS leaves the LA. The LAC is 2 bytes long and hence the value
between 0 and 65535. Together with MCC & MNC this gives the LAI (Local
Area Information)
CellID: A number that identifies the active cell. The CID (CellID) is unique to
the LA. For a truly unique description of a cell, the CGI (Cell Global Identity)
should be used. The CGI consists of the CID, MCC, MNC & LAC
T3212: Time between periodic LU's (0-255). The value of the T3212 timer
has to be multiplied with 6 minutes to get the LU-period : 010=1 Hour,
050=5 hours the theoretical maximum is 25.5 hours - It can be configured
independently for each cell. The Location Update Timer is much more a HLR
(Home Locaton Register) time-out. If a phone leaves the coverage area and
has no chance to send a "IMSI Detach" (to log off - please note that not all
cells allow IMSI detach/attach), then the phone would be paged in the last
known LA, which may force a lot of traffic a) on the radio channels and b)
between the BTS, the BSC (Base Station Controller) and the HLR. The LU
timer is reset if a call or SMS is sent / received.
BS-PA-MFRM: Number (2...9) of MFRMs (MultiFRaMe) between two
transmissions of the same PAging message to MSs of the same paging group.
I assume, that when we are talking about paging, the channel at issue here is
the paging channel, which is a CCH (Control CHannel)- here the length of a
multiframe is 234 ms - see note on TDMA frame structure & duration. The

value for my operator 238-01 is 9 which corresponds to 234 ms x 9 = 2.1

seconds between paging messages. The BS-PA-MFRM shows the
Discontinuous Receive (DRX) parameter of the network. DRX allows the
mobile to synchronize its listening period to a known paging cycle of the
network. This can typically reduce the standby power requirements by 90%.
The paging procedure has been designed to facilitate significant batterysaving potential in the hand portable - the larger the period between listening
periods the lower battery consumption. Unless a hand portable is used
excessively the biggest drain on its battery comes not from the time spent
using it, but from the standby cycle as it monitors the paging channel, in case
it is being called. In the GSM system the DRX allows the mobile, once it has
located the paging signal, to synchronize a clock knowing that it will not get
another signal until a specified time has elapsed. It can thus power down its
circuits for most of the time during standby. On a 8700 with a 600 mAh
battery motorola specifies 60 hours of standby with DRX=2 and 75 hours with
DRX=9
XZQTY : From disassembling the firmware, it appears as if XZQTY is not
variable at all, but simply fixed at 14.3 all the time.

* When comparing RxLev's, remember the logarithmic nature of the dB scale and
that the signal intensity decays by a factor 4 when the distance from the BST is
doubled ; Assuming line of sight to the BST, the signal will drop 6 dB when the
distance is doubled.
Comtinue here to read my description of the technical basis for the codes, BCCH
decoding status, powerlevels, bit error rate. timing advance, and TDMA channel
structure.
I would like to thank Marcello Scata, Norbert Httisch, Patrick Zandl and
Thomas Kochanek for their help in the making of this page.