FRAME STRUCTURE

NORMAL BURST
Frame 1 (4.615 ms.)

Frame 2

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
0.577 ms.
0.546 ms.

3
Guard
Period

57 bits
Tail
Bits

Data

1
Flag
Bit

26 bits
Training
Sequence

1
FlagBit

57 bits
Data

Tail
Bit

3
Guard
Period

Normal Burst carries traffic channel and control channels BCCH, PCH,
AGCH, ADCH, SACCH and FACCH.

DESCRIPTION

Data Two Blocks of 57 Bits each. Carries speech, data or control

information.
Tail Bits Used to indicate the start and end of each burst. Three bits always
000.
Guard Period 8.25 bits long. The receiver can only receive and decode if the
burst is received in the timeslot designated for it. Since the MS are moving.
Exact synchronization of burst is not possible practically. Hence 8.25 bits
corresponding to about 30us is available as guard period for a small margin of
error.
Flag Bits This bit is used to indicate if the 57 bits data block is used as
FACCH.
Training Sequence This is a set sequence of bits known by both the
transmitter and the receiver. When a burst of information is received the
equalizer searches for the training sequence code. The receiver measures
and then mimics the distortion which the signal has been subjected to. The
receiver then compares the received data with the distorted possible
transmitted sequence and chooses the most likely one.

EQUALISER
The equaliser will mainly address the problems of intersymbol interference
the problem is that the air interface affects the signal in some way that
causes bit error on the receiving side. If it was known in which way the
signals were affected, the system could take measures to correct the errors.
In a normal burst, used for traffic there is a 26 bit training sequence in the
middle of the burst. The bit pattern in this training sequence is known to
the system. By analysing it the system will know what the air interface
looks like and how it is affecting the signal sent.
By analysing the training sequence a channel model can be built. This
channel model is like a filter affecting the transmitted bits in the same
manner that the air interface is affecting them. By running different bit
patterns through the channel model and comparing the resulting signal
with what was actually received, the system can reach a conclusion as
to what was actually sent.

SYNCHRONIZATION BURST
Frame 1 (4.615 ms.)

Frame 2

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
0.577 ms.
0.546 ms.

3
Guard
Period

39 bits
Tail
Bits

Encrypted
Bits

39 bits 3

64 bits
Synchronization
Sequence

Encrypted
Bits

Carries SCH channel

Enables MS to synchronize its timings with the BTS.

Contains BSIC and TDMA Frame number.

Tail
Bit

Guard
Period

FREQUENCY CORRECTION BURST

Frame 1 (4.615 ms.)

Frame 2

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
0.577 ms.
0.546 ms.

3
Guard
Period

142 bits
Tail
Bits

Fixed Data

3
Tail
Bit

Guard
Period

Carries FCCH channel

Made up of 142 consecutive zeros.

Enables MS to correct its local oscillator locking it to that of the BTS.

ACCESS BURST
Frame 1 (4.615 ms.)

Frame 2

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
0.577 ms.

8
Tail
Bits

41 bits

36 bits

Synchronization
Sequence

Encrypted
Bits

Tail
Bits

68.25 bits
Guard
Period

Carries RACH

Has a bigger guard period since it is used during initial access and the MS.
does not know how far it is actually from the BTS.

DUMMY BURST
Frame 1 (4.615 ms.)

Frame 2

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
0.577 ms.
0.546 ms.

3
Guard
Period

57 bits
Tail
Bits

Data

1
Flag
Bit

26 bits
Training
Sequence

1
FlagBit

57 bits
Data

Tail
Bit

Transmitted on the timeslot of the BCCH carrier in the downlink .

3
Guard
Period

HYPERFRAME AND SUPERFRAME STRUCTURE

3 h 28 min 53 s 760 ms

1 Hyper frame = 2048 super frames = 2,715,648 TDMA frames

6.12s

2045

2046

47 48 49 50

24

120 ms

0 1 2

2047

1 Super frame = 1362 TDMA frames = 51(26fr) or 26(51fr) multiframes

0 1 2
0

25

235.38 ms

23 24 25

0 1 2

Traffic 26 frame multiframe

48 49 50

Control 51 frame multiframe

4.615 ms

TDMA Frame

NEED FOR TIMESLOT OFFSET

BSS Downlink

MS Uplink

If Uplink and Downlink are aligned exactly, then MS will have to transmit
And receive at the same time. To overcome this problem a offset of 3
Timeslot is provided between downlink and uplink.

NEED FOR TIMESLOT OFFSET

0

BSS Downlink

MS Uplink

3 Timeslot
offset

As seen the MS does not have to transmit and receive at the same time
This simplifies the MS design which can now use only one synthesizer.

26 FRAME MULTIFRAME STRUCTURE

4.615 ms.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

T T T T T T T T T T T T S T T T T T T T T T T T T T
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

120 ms.
MS on dedicated mode on a TCH uses a 26 - frame multiframe structure.
Frame 0 - 11 and 13 - 24 used to carry traffic.
Frame 12 used as SACCH to carry control information from and to MS
To BTS.
Frame 25 is idle and is used by mobile to decode the BSIC of neighbour
cells.