03 keysight agilent hewlett packard concepts and measurements of hspa+ evolution 5991-1333en

Keysight Technologies Concepts and Measurements of HSPA + Evolution

Application Note

For most of the 20th century, operators used the work of Danish mathematician and

engineer A.K. Erlang as the basis for network planning: essentially predicting the number

of simultaneous users a telecommunications network would have to support. As long as

networks were used mainly for voice calls, the same broad principles applied to mobile

networks, with the added flexibility of using a smaller cell size in geographic “hot spots”

where more users could be expected and cell capacity exceeded.

However, the coming of the home PC in the 1990s, particularly in its laptop form, meant a

big change in demand. Fixed-line data modems delivering up to 56 kbps data and General

Packet Radio Service (GPRS) cellular modems at up to 28 kbps gave a less-than-acceptable

user experience and gave operators a new challenge. Three main solutions emerged: Data

Over Cable Service Infrastructure Specifications (DOCSIS) modems using existing cable TV

infrastructure, Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) modems using the copper of

fixed-line telephony, and third-generation cellular networks with higher cell capacities (aka

“mobile broadband”).

Today, as the take-up of data services on mobile networks continues to increase, the

rules of network provision need to be re-written. First, data services are by their nature

discontinuous. Moving to packet rather than circuit-switched delivery allows more users to

share the same resource (though directing the data becomes more complex). Second, the

progressively smaller cell sizes needed to fully cover the needs of ubiquitous mobile phone

ownership provides additional bandwidth for both voice and data. And finally, successive

advances in technology and system specifications have provided higher cell capacity

and consequent improvements in single-user data rates – from the 384 kbps of original

Wideband Code Division Multiplex (W-CDMA) in 3GPP specification Release 99 through

High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) in Release 5 and High Speed Uplink Packet

Access (HSUPA) in Release 6 – collectively High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) – to evolved

HSPA (HSPA+), Dual Carrier HSDPA (DC-HSDPA) and Long Term Evolution (LTE) in 3GPP

Release 8, with the promise of more to come in further releases. Along with Release 8, there

is a concurrent move to the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) – the simplified all-packet network

architecture designed specifically to improve data throughput and latency. The increases

in data rates came courtesy of increased modulation density made possible by better

components, particularly in the area of digital receivers. Current HSPA networks deliver data

rates up to 14 Mbps downlink / 5.8 Mbps uplink. HSPA+ takes this to 21 Mbps downlink /

11 Mbps uplink; DC-HSDPA doubles the downlink speed and first-generation LTE starts out

at 100 Mbps downlink / 50 Mbps uplink.

Yet, these improvements have produced a “chicken and egg” conundrum for mobile

network operators: the more data capacity they make available, the more complex and

data-hungry user equipment (UEs) the device manufacturers offer, and the more sophisti-

cated the demands of end-users become. Finding the funding to keep improving network

capacity, and ways of ensuring an acceptable revenue stream from high data users are

real issues. For some operators, this means offering unlimited data plans, while others

deliberately throttle back the speed available to users who exceed their data allowance.

3

Investment Choices

While the industry hype is all about LTE, many operators have chosen HSPA+ (or evolved

HSPA) as a more cost-effective short-term upgrade strategy. For those whose networks

are based on 3GPP specifications, most of whom have already deployed HSPA, HSPA+

is a software upgrade – ideal in these days of tight budgets. HSPA+ delivers high

enough speeds to compare with most home broadband systems, so the user experience

adequately meets customer expectations.

Device manufacturers are set to provide end users with equipment for high-speed

services, with HSPA and derivatives dominating for the foreseeable future and a majority

of current installations delivering up to 7.2 Mbps downlink / 5.8 Mbps uplink.

What’s New in HSPA+ Explained

The major goals of HSPA+, as defined by the 3GPP standards organization are:

– To exploit the full potential of the CDMA physical layer before moving to the

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex (OFDM) physical layer of LTE

– To achieve performance comparable with LTE in a 5 MHz channel bandwidth

– To provide smooth interworking between HSPA+ and LTE

– To achieve co-existence of both technologies in one network

– To allow operation in a packet-only mode for both voice and data

– To be backward compatible with earlier user devices

Current W-CDMA systems are all based on a 5 MHz channel bandwidth, of which 3.84 MHz

is used and the remainder acts as a guard band between channels. New in Release 8 is the

option for dual-carrier HSDPA; that is to have the system aggregate the content of 2 contiguous

channels – doubling downlink data rates at a stroke, and further enabling HSPA to maintain its

place in the high-speed world. It is important to recognize that improving uplink performance

also helps the downlink. By providing faster acknowledgement, downlink capacity and latency

both benefit. The option to have the HSPA+ network operate fully in packet mode for both

voice and data updates the backhaul network to make future LTE deployment simpler: only the

physical (base station radio) layer would need major upgrade.

Important features of HSPA+ are:

3GPP Release 7

– Downlink MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output)

– Higher order modulation for uplink (16QAM) and downlink (64QAM)

– Continuous packet connectivity (CPC)

4

3GPP Release 8

– Combined downlink MIMO and 64QAM – peak rate can be up to 42 Mbps

– CS over HSPA – a “circuit switched” connection in a packet-based network

– Dual Carrier HSDPA (though this cannot be combined with MIMO)

3GPP Release 9 and beyond

Releases 9 and beyond add further multi-carrier capability, including non-contiguous chan-

nels, adding supplemental downlink capacity using unpaired spectrum, enhanced MIMO

and 256QAM modulation. Current visions show “HSPA+ Advanced”, supporting over 300

Mbps downlink and almost 70 Mbps uplink, in Release 11. It remains to be seen how the

trade-offs between the further developments of HSPA+ and LTE will evolve.

Some Technical Details

16QAM in uplink

With the possibility to use 16QAM on the Enhanced Dedicated Channel (E-DCH) in the

uplink, HSPA+ can achieve uplink peak data rates of 11.5 Mbps.

64QAM in downlink

With the possibility to use 64QAM in the downlink, HSPA+ can achieve downlink data

rates of 21 Mbps. 64QAM is an optional UE capability, so not all UEs will support it.

Continuous packet connectivity (CPC)

CPC is a collection of enhancements that allow more users to be continuously connected

to the network and at the same time increase UE battery life. CPC mode avoids delays

related to state transitions, which in turn can improve the link quality, especially for low-

data-rate services like Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). In other words, it allows more

users to be in the full “on” (CELL_DCH) state for a longer period of time even when there

is no data exchanged between the UE and the base transceiver station (BTS).

To support CPC, the following uplink and downlink improvements were made:

– New UL Dedicated Physical Control Channel (DPCCH) slot format

(Helps reduce signaling overhead)

– New UL DPCCH gating/discontinuous transmission (DTx) UE to BTS

(Helps increase battery life and minimize interference)

– New DL discontinuous reception (DRx) at the UE

(Helps increase battery life and minimize interference)

– New DL High Speed Shared Control Channel (HS-SCCH)-less operation

(Helps minimize interference and reduce signalling overhead)

These features are attractive to service providers because they can increase capacity

(especially for low-data-rate services such as VoIP), and they are relatively simple

upgrades to the network and terminals.

5

Figure 1 illustrates the CPC concept with a real-world example. In this case, the user is

downloading a web page. After the web page has been downloaded they stop browsing

and read the page. During this reading time, there is no data exchange required by the

user between the mobile device and the BTS. In the upper graphic (HSPA Release 6), the

UL DPCCH is continuously transmitted and the DL channels are continuously received by

the UE while the user is reading.

The lower graphic illustrates the application of the CPC mode. In this case, after the web

page is downloaded, the UE quickly goes into the UL DPCCH gating mode (or DTx mode).

Following this, the UE receiver goes into discontinuous reception (or DRx). The scheduling

of these two events is managed by a series of rules in such a way as to maximize overlap

so that DTx and DRx happen at approximately the same time. This allows the UE to go

into a “micro-sleep mode” which significantly helps battery life. It also reduces the signal-

to-noise and interference (SIR) generated by all these channels including the HS-SCCH,

which in turn allows more users to be connected at the same time. This feature is

attractive to service providers because it increases voice capacity with VoIP and requires

relatively simple upgrades to the network and terminals. In some cases, this increase in

voice capacity can be as much as 50%. To further reduce signaling overhead, HS-SCCH

Orders are introduced to control the activation and deactivation of DRx and DTx behavior.

Transitions with HS-SCCH Orders avoid the upper layer signaling required for a traditional

reconfiguration procedure.

DRx operation is only possible when uplink DTx operation is activated. UE and BTS Tx/Rx

designers need to test how their chipsets/algorithms respond to these dynamic changes

in the signals.

Figure 1. Comparison of normal and DTx/DRx operation

User reading web page

(in Cell_DCH state)

Web page

download

HSPA R6

HSPA R7

DPCCH gating (DTx) starts

after download completes

Discontinuos reception (DRx)

is only possible when DTx is active

UL DPCCH is continuosly transmitted and

DL channels are continuosly received by

the UE during the reading phase

Some Technical Details (continued)

6

HS-SCCH-less operation

HS-SCCH-less operation is used to reduce the signaling overhead, especially for services

using relatively small packets, such as VoIP.

With HS-SCCH-less operation, the first High-Speed Downlink Shared Channel (HS-DSCH)

transmission of small transport blocks on predefined High-Speed Physical Downlink Shared

Channels (HS-PDSCHs) is performed without the accompanying HS-SCCH which contains

information to help the UE decode this and future downlink transmissions. Consequently,

UEs are required to use more complex algorithms to determine the transport format on the

HS-DSCH and to identify to which UE the HS-DSCH transmission was addressed. Three

modifications are made in the first HS-DSCH transmission with HS-SCCH-less operation to

simplify the changes required to the UE’s downlink detection algorithms. First, the number

and complexity of the HS-DSCH transport formats are reduced. In addition, a simpler

method for detecting the correct UE ID (technically referred to as the HSDPA radio net-

work temporary identifier (H-RNTI)) is defined. Finally, the first HS-DSCH transmission with

HS-SCCH-less operation always uses the same modulation format (quaternary phase-shift

keying (QPSK)) and redundancy version (zero (0)).

Just as for standard HSDPA, an acknowledgement (ACK) is sent on the uplink High-Speed

Dedicate Physical Control Channel (HS-DPCCH) when the UE successfully detects the first

HS-DSCH transmission with HS-SCCH-less operation. If the UE’s algorithm does not suc-

cessfully detect the first HS-DSCH transmission, the UE buffers the data for retransmission

instead of sending a non-acknowledgement (NACK). When an ACK is not received, the

network re-transmits the same data once or twice (only two re-transmissions are allowed)

with specific redundancy versions (3 and 4) and the same modulation format (QPSK). In

addition, a simplified HS-SCCH (HS-SCCH type 2) is sent with the re-transmitted data to

help the UE to detect the transmission.

Once again, HS-SCCH Orders can be used to activate and deactivate HS-SCCH-less

operation thus further reducing the overhead signalling. To provide the maximum benefit,

HS-SCCH-less operation can be combined with UL DTx and DL DRx.


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DC-HSDPA

Dual-carrier or dual-cell high-speed downlink packet access (DC-HSDPA) is a W-CDMA

feature defined in 3GPP Release 8 that allows the network to transmit HSDPA data to

a mobile device from two cells simultaneously. A theoretical maximum throughput of

42 Mbps in the downlink can be achieved with this configuration.

Four new HS-DSCH UE categories, 21-24, have been added to cover a range of capabili-

ties when a DC-HSDPA connection is active. All 4 categories are capable of receiving

15 HS-PDSCH codes per transport block with an inter-TTI (transmission time interval) of

1 (for maximum HSDPA throughput), but vary in the transport block size, soft buffer size

and whether 64QAM is supported.

While operating in DC-HSDPA mode, the UE receives HSDPA transmissions from two

cells. One of the cells is known as the serving cell and the other the secondary serving

cell. The two cells transmit on separate but adjacent W-CDMA channels while potentially

generating two different cell powers. DC-HSDPA assumes that the two cells are served

by the same Node-B (from the same physical base station site). While the serving cell

has a full set of common channels (SCH, P-CCPCH, CPICH, PICH, etc.), the UE must

assume that the secondary serving cell only transmits a CPICH (the UE cannot rely on

the presence of an SCH/P-CCPCH). Both cells can transmit HS-PDSCH and HS-SCCH to

the UE simultaneously. The data content of each cell’s HS-PDSCH is different and each

cell’s HS-PDSCH is configured independently. As with single-carrier HSDPA (SC-HSDPA),

the UE monitors up to 4 HS-SCCHs from each cell, although it can only be configured to

monitor a total of 6 HS-SCCHs across both cells.

On the uplink, the UE transmits a single HS-DPCCH to the serving cell. This HS-DPCCH

carries either 1 or 2 ACK/NACK bits depending on how many HS-PDSCH transmis-

sions the UE attempted to decode. The HS-DPCCH also carries 2 CQI (channel quality

indicator) reports, one for each cell. Despite the presence of more information on the

HS-DPCCH in DC-HSDPA than for SC-HSDPA, the underlying physical channel remains

unchanged. Instead, more code points are added to the ACK/NACK and CQI fields.

In the physical layer, the nominal radio frame timing in a secondary serving HS-DSCH cell

is the same as for the serving HS-DSCH cell.

To the MAC-ehs (medium access control - enhanced high speed) layer (MAC-hs is not

supported) the two cells essentially look like two HS-DSCH transport channels. Each of

these HS-DSCH channels is controlled by its own independent HARQ (hybrid automatic

repeat request) process entity, with each entity containing a unique set of HARQ pro-

cesses. Each of the two HARQ process entities is fed by a common priority queue, which

means the rest of the stack from MAC-d upwards is unaware that two carriers are being

used to transmit data to the UE. Some limitations have been added to HARQ memory

partitioning to restrict the amount of soft memory that can be allocated to a single HARQ

process and, thus, limit the amount of data that has to be transferred across the UE’s

internal data buses.


8

DC-HSDPA continued

With upper layer signaling, the UE indicates whether it supports DC-HSDPA using a flag

(multi-cell support) in the RRC (radio resource control) Connection Setup Request message,

and then signals its DC-HSDPA category in the RRC Connection Setup Complete message.

The network enables and activates DC-HSDPA at call setup in the RRC Connection Setup

or RB Setup message. Once on a connection, DC-HSDPA can be enabled or disabled by

all the reconfiguration messages (Radio Bearer Reconfiguration (RBR), Transport Channel

Reconfiguration (TCR) and Physical Channel Reconfiguration (PCR)), or by using the RB

Release or Active Set Update message. The Release 8 versions of all these messages

contain a new information element (IE), Downlink Secondary Cell Info FDD, to signal the

configuration of the secondary serving cell in terms of its downlink UARFCN, primary

scrambling code, HS-SCCH channelization codes, 64QAM support, and other parameters.

For a reduction in signaling overhead, the secondary serving cell can be activated or

deactivated using HS-SCCH Orders sent on either the serving or secondary serving cell

(the UE’s behavior is undefined if it receives conflicting orders).

DC-HSDPA can be combined with CPC, but HS-SCCH-less operation can only be used on

the serving cell. In Release 8, MIMO and DC-HSDPA cannot be active at the same time,

and the serving and secondary serving cells must operate on adjacent W-CDMA channels

in the same band.

Radio bearer (RB) test mode

RB test mode is a special defined-channel configuration, designed to simplify the testing

environment. Since W-CDMA and its extensions are incredibly flexible, defined radio

bearers called RMCs (reference measurement channels) simplify which configurations

need to be tested for standards compliance. This is the typical test environment that is

used throughout the lifecycle of a device’s design and manufacturing process. New RMCs

(called fixed reference channels or FRCs) have been specified to test the new features of

HSPA and HSPA+, including the new modulation types, MIMO and UL DTx/DL DRx.


9

Adding new capability to an existing UE platform involves a huge amount of validation

testing before the product’s initial development is completed. Thereafter, the cycle of

external testing may find interactions that require changes to the design and mean the

entire process has to be repeated. The final arbiter of product success is the court of

public opinion – is the user experience a delight, or a focus of customer complaint?

Today’s handsets, be they low-cost feature phones, smartphones, tablets, or laptop data

cards, typically already support legacy 2 and 2.5G as well as standard and enhanced

3G functionality: GSM, GPRS, EGPRS, W-CDMA, and HSPA. In adding Release 7 and

8 HSPA+ capability, developers must ensure they correctly interpret and implement the

required new features, and at the same time make sure the behavior of the existing

base product does not change. DC-HSDPA requires developing the additional receiver

capability and ensuring there are no adverse interactions. Test labs, either independent or

part of a manufacturer or network operator, use automated systems such as the Keysight

Technologies, Inc. GS-8800 (see Figure 2) to run exhaustive suites of tests (known as

“campaigns” in the industry) to prove the designs meet requirements.

Table 1, in the following pages, shows the list of required tests that have been added for

HSPA, HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA. For test details, see 3GPP TS 34.121-1 V10.1.0 (2011-12)

UE Conformance Specification; Radio Transmission and Reception (FDD), at

http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/archive/34_series/34.121-1/34121-1-a10.zip.

New test requirements for HSPA+ (3GPP Release 7 and 8)

Figure 2. A typical conformance test system, Keysight GS-8800

10

In Table 1, there are tests for both physical attributes of the equipment (characteristics)

and expected behaviors (performance requirements). The former are traditional tests,

and while they may be modified by evolving technology, they are relatively familiar to

those working in the industry. They measure parameters such as output power and

receiver sensitivity that may change from device to device, so they are performed over the

expected environmental range of the device during the design phase. A subset of these

essential tests will form the basis of testing in manufacturing. Performance characteristics

deal with the operation of the device as a network component, and are tied closely to the

design of the device’s type and control software rather than to the physical attributes of

an individual device. The enhanced performance characteristics listed refer to classes of

UE that have more than one receive antenna and support either receive diversity (multiple

antennas feeding a single receiver) or MIMO. These characteristics are verified by the

manufacturer during development and are subject to extensive testing for conformance

and interoperability by external test houses, national conformance test labs and operators

before the device is passed as fit for use on a network. Devices are required to be

completely re-tested if any part of their control software is modified in any way.

Here is an example of a specific type of requirement. W-CDMA and its evolutions are

code-domain-multiplex systems – simplistically, each user makes use of the entire chan-

nel with user separation through an assigned scrambling code which is known to the

transmitter and receiver. Other transmissions in the same channel use different codes and,

therefore, just look like wideband noise. Figure 3 shows a conceptual block diagram of

how a base station transmitter output is constructed.

New test requirements for HSPA+ (3GPP Release 7 and 8) (continued)

Figure 3. W-CDMA base station transmitter block diagram

11

To keep the base station receiver operating at maximum efficiency, the power transmitted

from each UE is monitored and raised or lowered continuously to maintain a target error

ratio at the base station receiver, while providing minimum interference to other users.

This “closed loop power control” is a key UE performance requirement which becomes

more important as the modulation density increases. Less space between the constel-

lation points means signal-to-noise ratio must be improved to maintain the same error

ratio. See Figure 4 below.

The Keysight 8960 Wireless Communications Test Set supports W-CDMA and all its evolu-

tions, and its Lab Application gives keyboard control of the power increase and decrease

messages, allowing developers to thoroughly test the functionality of a new or revised

device, Figure 5.


Figure 4. Noisy 64QAM constellation vector diagram

12

In terms of RF conformance testing, DC-HSDPA receiver test cases have been added to

3GPP TS 34.121-1 s6 and the HSDPA performance test cases in 3GPP TS 34.121-1 s9.2 also

have new DC-HSDPA requirements. Reference sensitivity levels have been raised by 4 dB for

DC-HSDPA tests. Throughput under various conditions and BLER must be measured indepen-

dently for each cell. Two new Reporting of CQI tests verify the UE’s ability to accurately report

CQI for both cells.

New RF tests use new Fixed Reference Channel (FRC) configurations, namely H-Set 3A,

H-Set 6A, H-Set 8A, H-Set 10A, and H-Set 12. H-Set 12 is 60 kbps, uses one HS-PDSCH

code with QPSK modulation, and is transmitted identically on both serving and secondary

serving cells. H-Set 3A, H-Set 6A, H-Set 8A, and H-Set 10A are essentially the same

as H-Sets 3, 6, 8 and 10, defined for use with HSDPA. The only difference is that for

DC-HSDPA, the H-Set is transmitted on both cells.

3GPP TS 34.108 s7.3.13 defines a call setup procedure for DC-HSDPA RF conformance

testing that is almost identical to the typical HSDPA call setup procedure with the excep-

tion that the loop is not always closed on the 12.2 kbps reference measurement channel

(RMC). Instead, each test is required to specify loopback conditions.

A new additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) configuration is defined for DC-HSDPA

having a minimum bandwidth of 11.52 MHz (3GPP TS 34.121-1 sD.1.1).

Figure 5. 8960 power control screen


13


Table 1. Additional test list for HSPA, HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA

3GPP TS 34.121-1 V10.1.0 (2011-12) Section 5 Test for Transmitter Characteristics

3GPP TS 34.121-1 V10.1.0 (2011-12) Section 6 Test for Receiver Characteristics

3GPP TS

34.121-1 Test Description HSDPA HSUPA HSPA+ DC-HSDPA

6.2A Reference Sensitivity Level for DC-HSDPA X

6.2B Reference Sensitivity Level for DB-DC-HSDPA X

6.3A Maximum Input Level for HS-PDSCH Reception (16QAM) X

6.3B Maximum Input Level for HS-PDSCH Reception (64QAM) X

6.3C Maximum Input Level for DC-HSDPA Reception (16QAM) X

6.3D Maximum Input Level for DC-HSDPA Reception (64QAM) X

6.4B Adjacent Channel Selectivity (ACS) for DC-HSDPA X

6.5A Blocking Characteristics for DC-HSDPA X

6.6A Spurious Response for DC-HSDPA X

6.7A Intermodulation Characteristics for DC-HSDPA X

6.7B Intermodulation Characteristics for DC-HSDPA X

3GPP TS


5.2A Maximum Output Power with HS-DPCCH (Release 5 only) X

5.2AA Maximum Output Power with HS-DPCCH (Release 6 and later) X

5.2B Maximum Output Power with HS-DPCCH and E-DCH X X

5.2C UE Relative Code Domain Power Accuracy X

5.2D UE Relative Code Domain Power Accuracy for HS-DPCCH and

E-DCH

X X

5.2E UE Relative Code Domain Power Accuracy for HS-DPCCH and E-

DCH with 16QAM

X X X

5.7A HS-DPCCH Power Control X

5.9A Spectrum Emission Mask with HS-DPCCH X

5.9B Spectrum Emission Mask with E-DCH X X

5.10A Adjacent Channel Leakage Power Ratio (ACLR) with HS-DPCCH X

5.10B Adjacent Channel Leakage Power Ratio (ACLR) with E-DCH X X

5.13.1A Error Vector Magnitude (EVM) with HS-DPCCH X

5.13.1AA Error Vector Magnitude (EVM) and Phase Discontinuity with HS-

DPCCH

X

5.13.1AAA EVM and IQ origin offset for HS-DPCCH and E-DCH with 16 QAM X X

5.13.2A Relative Code Domain Error with HS-DPCCH X

5.13.2B Relative Code Domain Error with HS-DPCCH and E-DCH X X

5.13.2C Relative Code Domain Error for HS-DPCCH and E-DCH with 16QAM X X

14


3GPP TS 34.121-1 Section 7 Performance Requirements

3GPP TS


7.8.5 Power Control in the Downlink for F-DPCH X

7.13 UE UL Power Control Operation with Discontinuous UL DPCCH

Transmission Operation

X

3GPP TS 34.121-1 V10.1.0 (2011-12) Section 9 Performance Requirements for HSDPA

3GPP TS


9.2.1 Demodulation of HS-DSCH (Fixed Reference Channel): Single Link

Performance

9.2.1A QPSK/16QAM, FRC H-Set 1/2/3 X

9.2.1B QPSK, FRC H-Set 4/5 X

9.2.1C QPSK/16QAM, FRC H-Set 6/3 X

9.2.1D Enhanced Performance Requirements Type 1 - QPSK/16QAM, FRC

H-Set 1/2/3

X

9.2.1E Enhanced Performance Requirements Type 1 - QPSK/16QAM, FRC

H-Set 6/3

X

9.2.1F Enhanced Performance Requirements Type 2 - QPSK/16QAM, FRC

H-Set 6/3

X

9.2.1FA Enhanced Performance Requirements Type 2 - QPSK/16QAM, FRC

H-Set 6A/3A

X

9.2.1G Enhanced Performance Requirements Type 3 - QPSK/16QAM, FRC

H-Set 6/3

X

9.2.1GA Enhanced Performance Requirements Type 3 - QPSK/16QAM, FRC

H-Set 6A/3A X

9.2.1H Enhanced Performance Requirements Type 2 - 64QAM, FRC H-Set

8

X

9.2.1HA Enhanced Performance Requirements Type 2 - 64QAM, FRC H-Set

8A X

9.2.1I Enhanced Performance Requirements Type 3 - 64QAM, FRC H-Set

8

X

9.2.1IA Enhanced Performance Requirements Type 3 - 64QAM, FRC H-Set

8A X

9.2.1J Enhanced Performance Requirements Type 2 - QPSK/16QAM, FRC

H-Set 10

X

9.2.1JA Enhanced Performance Requirements Type 2 - QPSK/16QAM, FRC

H-Set 10A X

9.2.1K Enhanced Performance Requirements Type 3 - QPSK/16QAM, FRC

H-Set 10

X

9.2.1KA Enhanced Performance Requirements Type 3 - QPSK/16QAM, FRC

H-Set 10A X

15


3GPP TS 34.121-1 V10.1.0 (2011-12) Section 9 Performance Requirements for HSDPA continued

3GPP TS


9.2.1L Enhanced Performance Requirements Type 3i - QPSK, FRC H-Set 6 X

9.2.1LA Enhanced Performance Requirements Type 3i - QPSK, FRC H-Set

6A X

9.2.2 Open Loop Diversity Performance



9.2.2C Enhanced Performance Requirements Type 1 – QPSK/16QAM, FRC

H-Set 1/2/3

X

9.2.2D Enhanced Performance Requirements Type 2 – QPSK/16QAM, FRC

H-Set 3

X

9.2.2E Enhanced Performance Requirements Type 3 – QPSK/16QAM, FRC

H-Set 3

X

9.2.3 Closed Loop Diversity Performance



9.2.3C Enhanced Performance Requirements Type 1 – QPSK/16QAM, FRC

H-Set 1/2/3

X

9.2.3D Enhanced Performance Requirements Type 2 – QPSK/16QAM, FRC

H-Set 6/3

X X

9.2.3E Enhanced Performance Requirements Type 3 – QPSK/16QAM, FRC

H-Set 3

X

9.3 Reporting of CQI

9.3.1 Single Link Performance - AWGN Propagation Conditions X

9.3.1A Single Link Performance - AWGN Propagation Conditions, 64QAM X

9.3.1B Single Link Performance - AWGN Propagation Conditions, DC-

HSDPA Requirements X

9.3.1B Single Link Performance - AWGN Propagation Conditions, DC-


9.3.1C Single Link Performance - AWGN Propagation Conditions, Periodi-

cally Varying Radio Conditions

X X

9.3.2 Single Link Performance - Fading Propagation Conditions X

9.3.2A Single Link Performance - Fading Propagation Conditions, DC-


9.3.2B Single Link Performance – Fading Propagation Conditions, 64QAM X

9.3.3 Open Loop Diversity Performance - AWGN Propagation Conditions X

9.3.4 Open Loop Diversity Performance - Fading Propagation Conditions X

9.3.5 Closed Loop Diversity Performance - AWGN Propagation Conditions X

16

New test requirements for HSPA+ (3GPP Release 7 and 8) (continued)3GPP TS 34.121-1 V10.1.0 (2011-12) Section 9 Performance Requirements for HSDPA continued

3GPP TS


9.3.6 Closed Loop Diversity Performance - Fading Propagation Condi-

tions

X

9.4 HS-SCCH Detection Performance

9.4.1 Single Link Performance X

9.4.1A Single Link Performance - Enhanced Performance Requirements

Type 1

X

9.4.2 Open Loop Diversity Performance X

9.4.2A Open Loop Diversity Performance - Enhanced Performance Re-

quirements Type 1

X

9.4.3 HS-SCCH Type 3 Performance X

9.5 HS-SCCH-Less Demodulation of HS-DSCH (FRC)

9.5.1 Requirement QPSK, FRC H-Set 7 X

9.5.1A Requirement QPSK, FRC H-Set 7 – Enhanced Performance Require-

ments Type 1

X

9.6 HS-DSCH and HS-SCCH Reception in CELL_FACH State

9.6.1 Single Link HS-DSCH Demodulation Performance in CELL_FACH

State

X

9.6.2 Single Link HS-SCCH Detection Performance in CELL_FACH State X

3GPP TS 34.121-1 V10.1.0 (2011-12) Section 10 Performance Requirement (E-DCH)

3GPP TS


10.2 Detection of E-DCH HARQ ACK Indicator Channel (E-HICH), Single

Link Performance

10.2.1.1 10 ms TTI X X

10.2.1.1A 10 ms TTI, Type 1 X X

10.2.1.2 (2 ms TTI X X

10.2.1.2A (2 ms TTI, Type 1 X X

10.2.2 Detection in Inter-Cell Handover Conditions

10.2.2.1 RLS Not Containing the Serving E-DCH Cell

10.2.2.1.1 10 ms TTI X X

10.2.2.1.1A 10 ms TTI, Type 1 X X

10.2.2.1.2 2 ms TTI X X

10.2.2.1.2A 2 ms TTI, Type 1 X X

10.2.2.2 RLS Containing the Serving E-DCH Cell

10.2.2.2.1 10 ms TTI X X

10.2.2.2.1A 10 ms TTI, Type 1 X X

10.2.2.2.2 2 ms TTI X X

10.2.2.2.2A 2 ms TTI, Type 1 X X

10.3.1 Detection of E-DCH Relative Grant Channel (E-RGCH), Single Link

Performance

10.3.1.1 10 ms TTI X X

10.3.1.1A 10 ms TTI, Type 1 X X

10.3.1.2 2 ms TTI X X

17


3GPP TS 34.121-1 V10.1.0 (2011-12) Section 10 Performance Requirement (E-DCH) continued

3GPP TS


10.3.1.2 2 ms TTI X X

10.3.1.2A 2 ms TTI, Type 1 X X

10.3.2 Detection in Inter-Cell Handover Conditions X X

10.3.2A Detection in Inter-Cell Handover Conditions (Type 1) X X

10.4 Demodulation of E-DCH Absolute Grant Channel (E-AGCH)

10.4.1 Single Link Performance X X

10.4.1A Single Link Performance (Type 1) X X

18

SystemVue design libraries

There are two SystemVue design libraries for HSPA+ design work. They both include func-

tional Tx and Rx models, including features specific to DC-HSDPA, so it is possible to make

a system-level closed-loop bit error ratio (BER) or packet error ratio (PER) measurement.

SystemVue’s W1916 3G library is an algorithmic reference for Baseband PHY design,

which also interacts with Keysight signal generation and analysis test equipment and RF

EDA platforms. It already includes CDMA, cdma2000®, W-CDMA, and HSPA.

The W2364 2G/3G Cellular Library is a component of the Keysight Advanced Design

System, used for simulation-based pre-compliance/verification of RF/analog designs. It

can be used to measure DC-RF efficiency, spectral regrowth of power amplifiers, receiver

characteristics, and generally to speed the design verification process. Figure 6 shows one

of the SystemVue measurements.

Figure 6. DC-HSDPA receiver sensitivity test using SystemVue

Keysight design and test products for HSPA+

19

Signal generation and Signal Studio waveform creation software

N7600B Signal Studio for 3GPP W-CDMA FDD is PC-based software that simplifies

creation of standard-compliant 3GPP W-CDMA arbitrary waveform (ARB) test signals. It

is compatible with the ESG, PSG and MXG Vector Signal Generators and PXB Baseband

Generator and Channel Emulator.

For component testing, N7600B generates UL and DL W-CDMA, HSPA and HSPA+

signals with standard-compliant physical layer configurations.

For BTS receiver testing, N7600B generates transport-channel coded W-CDMA, HSPA

and HSPA+ UL signals, including flexible HARQ and CQI patterns for dual-cell and MIMO

testing and FRC configurations for conformance testing. See Figure 7 below.

For UE receiver testing, N7600B generates transport-channel-coded W-CDMA and

HSDPA DL signals and includes pre-defined RMC and H-Set 1-5 configurations.

Figure 7. Signal Studio user interface

Keysight design and test products for HSPA+ (continued)

20

Vector signal analysis

On the signal analysis side, the 89600 VSA supports the new Release 7 and 8

features, including MIMO and the analysis of the uplink transmission to the

serving cell of the dual-cell HS-DPCCH ACK/NACK and CQI report decodes. The

software also provides superior general-purpose and standards-based signal

evaluation, and troubleshooting tools that engineers can use to view signals

and gather the data they need to successfully troubleshoot physical layer signal

problems. Moreover, it supports both two- and four-channel MIMO and is com-

patible with over 30 Keysight signal analyzers, scopes and logic analyzers.

Figure 8 shows the composite EVM and relative code domain power of a 64QAM

downlink signal in both tabular and graphical form using VSA.

Figure 8. VSA display of 64QAM downlink signal


21

8960 Wireless communications test set

The updated 8960 (E5515E) supports DC-HSDPA connections for all defined HS-DSCH

categories that support DC-HSDPA: 21, 22, 23, and 24. Both FDD test mode and active

cell DC-HSDPA connections are supported. In active cell, both RB test mode and packet-

switched (PS) data DC-HSDPA connections are supported. The maximum data rates for

DC-HSDPA connections are 42 Mbps in the downlink and 11 Mbps in the uplink. The serving

cell and secondary serving cell are generated on adjacent 5 MHz channels in any band

supported by the 8960, Bands I through XIV and XIX through XXI. The data throughput

monitor and HSDPA BLER measurement report results for the serving cell, the secondary

serving cell and the combination of both cells. For testing 3GPP TS 34.121-1 test cases, all of

the new H-Sets defined for use with DC-HSDPA are supported.

Figure 9 below shows a DC-HSPA-capable USB device under test. The PC on the left of the

picture is a server running “IPERF,” a utility developed as a method for measuring maximum

TCP and UDP bandwidth performance. In this case, the server is sending a 42 Mbps bit-

stream via the ethernet port of the 8960. The 8960 emulates DC-HSDPA transmission (i.e. it

transmits the primary and secondary serving cells via its front panel RF output to the device.)

The 8960’s data monitor screen shows both single channel and overall data throughput, as

well as details of the numerical rates of the primary and secondary serving cells. The receiv-

ing PC on top of the 8960 is also running IPERF, and shows the received data rate. The same

setup can also be used to allow the receiving PC to FTP files from the server using software

such as Filezilla, and to see the difference in performance when data reception needs to be

acknowledged. For full setup and measurement configuration details, see the online user

guide at www.keysight.com/find/e5515e.

Figure 9. 8960 running DC-HSPA data throughput test


22

Keysight command expert

In the DC-HSPA example, the 8960 was set up manually via its front panel. However,

the 8960 is one of a number of instruments supported by a new Keysight utility known

as “Command Expert,” where setup details can be constructed offline and sent to the

instrument. Command Expert is free to download and combines instrument commands,

documentation, syntax checking, and command execution all in one simple interface, see

Figure 10. Using Command Expert makes repeatable testing easier as it eliminates the

possibility of missed or incorrect steps in setting the instrument manually. See product data

sheet 5990-9362EN for more information and download instructions.

Figure 10. 8960 is one of the instruments supported in Command Expert scripting


23

Manufacturing test

Throughout most of the history of cellular communications, handsets were relatively

simple single- or dual-radio devices. Manufacturing test systems emulated a network

base station, setting up device test conditions via over-the-air signaling. However, today’s

handsets must support both new and legacy cellular formats and contain numerous radios

to do this: 2G GSM/GPRS/EGPRS and cdma2000, 3G W-CDMA/HSPA and 1xEV, and 4G

LTE, plus WiMAXTM, WiFi, Bluetooth®, and NFC. At the same time, the highly competitive

handset market has created huge pressure to reduce manufacturing test times and costs.

The result has been the inclusion of test modes in handset chipsets that allow much faster

directed non-signaling test.

There are different levels to which non-signaling test modes are implemented in cellular

chipsets and the capability of the test modes influences the degree to which test-time

reductions can be made. Chipset and test equipment vendors are continually investigating

ways in which they can provide non-signaling test speed improvements to manufactur-

ers, and their efforts are leading to the development of proprietary, chipset-specific test

modes, particularly for cellular verification test. By taking advantage of test modes built

into the new chipsets, non-signaling test can eliminate costly signaling overhead from the

manufacturing test process, increasing throughput while maintaining the integrity of the

test and quality of the finished product.

Device manufacturers will continue to use signaling test methods in development and

production verification to ensure they build stability and confidence into their processes

when moving to non-signaling test. Signaling test then serves as a traceable reference

(measurement correlation) of device RF performance during design (between signaling

and non-signaling test modes) and on through the transition to manufacturing test.

The Keysight E6607B EXT wireless communications test set provides fast and accurate

measurements, flexible sequencer techniques, and works in sync with modern chipset

test modes to speed calibration and verification of the latest wireless devices. The EXT

is a one-box, non-signaling test set that integrates an innovative test sequencer, vector

signal analyzer (VSA), vector signal generator (VSG), and multi-format hardware. Fast,

standards-compliant measurements and modulation analysis capabilities are based on

proven Keysight measurement algorithms. The E6617A Multiport Adapter extends EXT to

eight fully calibrated RFIO interfaces and four GPS ports for parallel device testing. This

configuration enables simultaneous verification of DUTs’ receivers and testing of device’s

GPS receiver without extra fixturing or device handling, see Figure 11.


24

Portable tools add lexibility for network deployment

Keysight’s new range of FieldFox portable analyzers make collaboration simpler, see Figure

12. Share measurements amongst colleagues in development, manufacturing and field

service without the need to move lab-grade equipment around. Accurate measurements with

no warm-up, one-button measurements for quick and error-free setup, wide operating

temperature range and a compact, lightweight product design mean you can tackle your

measurement problem at its source rather than have to re-create conditions at your desk.

And you can archive or transfer data directly using LAN, USB and SD card.

HSPA+ offers network operators an option for the delivery of mobile broadband services.

It may be faster and less costly to implement than moving immediately to LTE, while

still meeting the expectations for the higher data rates that smartphone users demand.

Keysight has the tools and knowledge to help provide greater insight into evolving the

design and test of HSPA+ components and devices, from early simulation through design,

conformance test, interoperability test, and on into manufacturing.


Figure 12. Fieldfox portables mean you can carry precision measurements to where you need them

Figure 11. The Keysight EXT/MPA is an integrated solution for non-signaling test

Conclusion

3GPP channel and signal identifiers The

3GPP organization keeps a full and up-to-

date listing of all the technical abbrevia-

tions used in the specifications. For a full

list, see http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/html-

info/21905.htm.

http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/html-info/21905.htm

cdma2000 is a US registered certification mark of the Telecommunications Industry Association

Bluetooth and the Bluetooth logo are trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and is licensed to Keysight Technologies.

WiMAX, Mobile WiMAX Forum, the WiMAX Forum logo, WiMAX Forum Certified, and the WiMAX Forum Certifies logo are US trademarks of the WiMAX Forum.

25 | Keysight | Concepts and Measurements of HSPA+ Evolution - Application Note

This information is subject to change without notice.© Keysight Technologies, 2012 - 2014Published in USA, August 2, 20145991-1333ENwww.keysight.com

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