Question # 1
Compare AMPS with GSM
Way of communication: The major differences between AMPS(Advanced Mobile
Phone System) and GSM(Global System For Mobile Communication) is that AMPS uses
analog technology while GSM uses digital technology.
Data format: AMPS is the old analog mobile phone format where GSM is digital phone
and data.
Bandwidth and Cost: AMPS was costly, a bandwidth hog, had larger phones whereas
GSM is bandwidth effective and use small feature phones
Transfer rate: AMPS has poor performance for data transfer while GSM has higher data
transfer.
SIM vs HLR: GSM features a subscriber identity module (SIM) smart card, which holds
all of a subscriber’s personal information (including his phone number) and phone settings, in
AMPS only its HLR contain that data.
Rooming: AMPS and GSM support roaming, but GSM allows for different system
compatibility, hence a user can travel from one system to the other.
Control channel: Both systems use control channels to initiate calls, AMPS uses 21
control channels while GSM uses 3 control channels.
Security: AMPS is less secure than GSM.
Question # 2
Cell Structure
Cell is the basic service area. The cell is the area given radio coverage by one base transceiver
station. The GSM network identifies each cell via the cell global identity (CGI) number assigned
to each cell. In a cellular system, the communication area of the service provider is divided
into small geographical areas called cells. Each cell contains following components:
•An antenna
•Solar or AC power network station.
•The solar or AC powered network station is called the Base Station (BS).
The power level of a transmitter within a single cell must be limited to reduce the interference
with the neighboring cells.
Shapes of Cell Structure: Hexagonal, Circular, irregular shape.
TYPES OF CELLS:
*Macro cells (3 to 35 km) *Pico cells (0.01 to 1 km)
*Micro cell (0.1 to 1 km) * umbrella cells (covers many micro cells).
*Selective Cells (two sectors and two frequencies)
a) Macro Cells:
A macro cell is a cell in a mobile phone network that provides radio coverage served by a
power cellular base station (tower). Generally, macro cells provide coverage larger than microcell.
b) Micro Cells:
A micro cell is a cell in a mobile phone network served by a low power cellular base station
(tower), covering a limited area such as a mall, a hotel. A micro cell is usually larger than a Pico cell.
c) Pico Cells:
Pico cells are small cells whose diameter is only few dozen meters; they are used mainly
indoor applications.
d) Umbrella Cells:
A layer with micro cells is covered by at least one macro cell, and a micro cell can in turn cover several
Pico cells, the covering cell is called an umbrella cell.
e) Selective Cells:
The full coverage of the cells may not be required in all sorts of applications, but cells with limited
coverage are used with a particular shape.
Question # 3
B.S.C
B.S.C stands for Base Station Controller The GSM base station controller (BSC) provides the
control functions and physical links between the mobile services switching center (MSC) and the
base transceiver station (BTS). It provides functions such as handover, cell configuration data and
control of radio frequency (RF) power levels in base transceiver stations. A number of base station
controllers (BSCs) are served by a single mobile services switching center (MSC).
Question # 4
M.S.C
MSC stands for mobile switching center. It connects calls by switching the digital voice
data packets from one network path to another (also called routing). The MSC (Mobile Switching
Centre) is a part of a GSM network that is the equivalent of an exchange in a fixed network, plus
everything extra needed to handle mobile stations. The MSC also provides the information that is
needed to support mobile service subscribers, such as user registration and authentication
information.
Question # 5
HandOff
Handoff can be classified into two different types.
i) Hard handoff
ii) Soft handoff
Soft Handoff
The feature of soft handoff is that two base stations are connected to the same mobile station during
the handoff. Soft handoff can be used only in CDMA. In CDMA, the same channel is used in all the
cells, if the code is not orthogonal to other codes being used in the next BS, the code could be
changed. It is possible for an MS to communicate simultaneously with the prior BS as well as the
new BS for some short duration of time, during the process of handoff.
Hard Handoff
Hard handoff is also known as break before make and is characterized by releasing current radio
resources from the prior BS before acquiring resources from the next BS. Both FDMA and TDMA
employ hard handoff.
Question # 6
Frequency Reuse
The ability to use the same frequencies repeatedly across a cellular system, made possible by the
basic design approach for cellular. Since each cell is designed to use radio frequencies only within its
boundaries, the same frequencies can be reused in other cells not far away with little potential for
interference. The reuse of frequencies is what enables a cellular system to handle a huge number of
calls with a limited number of channels.
Concept
The concept of cellular systems is the use of low power transmitters in order to enable’s the
efficient reuse of the frequencies. If the transmitters of high power are used, there will be
interference between the user at the boundaries of the cells. So, the set of available
frequencies is limited and that is why there is a need for the reuse of the frequencies.
The elements that determine frequency reuse are the reuse distance and the reuse factor.
The reuse distance, D is calculated as
where R is the cell radius and N is the number of cells per cluster.