4-days Instructor-led training

Participants will be able to evaluate their own systems’ performance, armed with the knowledge and confidence necessary to identify and solve most common problems after completion of this course. The course is an effective pathway for engineers and technical personnel, those who are working in CDMA technology and want to come up to speed quickly in CDMA Optimization.

This four-day course builds competence in the principles and present-day practices used to improve the operating performance of CDMA systems. Core CDMA performance indicators are thoroughly explored and desirable healthy CDMA operating conditions are identified. Both system-side and mobile-side performance-monitoring tools are introduced. The main CDMA operating parameters are identified along with the considerations necessary to properly set them in real systems.

“Signatures” of specific problems (including several deadly but innocent-appearing failure mechanisms) are identified, along with their common solutions. Real-life captured drive-test examples are studied and solved by the class. Special attention is given to multiple-carrier and intersystem handoff issues, system determination algorithms commonly used by mobiles, and data communication, and a glimpse of future issues.

After completing this course, Participants will be able to evaluate their own systems’ performance, armed with the knowledge and confidence necessary to identify and solve most common problems. At the conclusion, the attendees will be familiar with the CDMA optimization tools and techniques.

Introduction to Wireless RF Engineering Course or equivalent background and technical mathematics; one to two years exposure to communications systems or general electronics.

Engineers and Technicians responsible for designing, maintaining, monitoring, and/or optimizing performance of CDMA systems.

CDMA CORE PRINCIPLES REVIEW

• CDMA Spread Spectrum Principles
  
  • The Code Dimension
  • Direct-Sequence Spreading
  • Spreading Gain and its Usefulness

• The Codes Used in CDMA
  
  • Walsh Codes and how we use them
  • Short PN Code, its offsets and how we use it
  • Long PN Code, its offsets, and how we use it
  • Offsets used for access and traffic channels

• Channels of the CDMA Air Interface
  
  • Forward Link
  • Pilot, Sync, Paging, Traffic Channels
  • Reverse Link
  • Access Channel, Traffic Channels
  • More Forward Channels – 1xRTT
  • Fundamental Channels, Supplemental Channels
  • Quick Paging Channel
  • Phase II Channels
  • F-BCH, F-CACH, F-CPCCH, F-CCCH, F-DCCH
  • Auxiliary Pilots
  • More Reverse Channels – 1xRTT
  • Fundamental Channels, Supplemental Channels
  • R-EACH, R-DCCH, R-CCCH

• Additional CDMA Processes
  
  • Vocoding, Multiplexing, Power Control

• Basic CDMA Network Architecture and Elements
  
  • MSC, CBSC, BTS, PCF and PDSN
  • Voice Call circuit-switched elements and network path
  • 1xRTT Data session elements and network path

• 1xRTT Key Differences
  
  • Radio Configurations
  • Power Control Improvements, OTD, Auxiliary Pilots, others
  • Generation of the Channels, Turbo and Convolutional Coding

• Variable Length Walsh Codes
  
  • Dependencies between Walsh Codes in different families
  • Quasi-Orthogonal Functions

• 1xRTT Data Network Elements and Operation
  
  • Network Elements: PCF, PDSN, RP-Interface, AAA, HA, FA
  • Simple IP, Mobile IP features and tradeoffs

CDMA CALL PROCESSING AND LAYER-3 MESSAGES

• Call Processing Perspective
  
  • Call Processing Events and States driven by messaging
  • Call Processing Environment visible from RF parameters
  • Troubleshooting perspective: following procedural steps

• Layer-3 Messaging
  
  • Basic format and structure; acknowledgment processes
  • Messages of each CDMA Channel, Idle and Call States

• Streamlined Visual Tour of Call Processing
  
  • Handset functional elements and their roles
  • System Acquisition process
  • PRL operations for preferred system selection
  • Overhead Messages and Paging Channel Operation
  • Registration
  • Slotted Mode Paging – Regular and Quick Paging Channels
  • Idle Mode Handoff – criteria and special considerations
  • Receiving an Incoming Call
  • Making an Outgoing Call
  • 1xRTT Power Controlled Reservation Access Mode
  • Forward Supplemental Channel operation for 1xRTT data bursts
  • Reverse Supplemental Channel operation for 1xsRTT data bursts
  • End of a Call – normal and failure mode examples
  • Feature Notification – voicemail delivery
  • Soft Handoff

• Pilot Sets and Pilot Set Management
  
  • Search Windows and Timing

• Field Performance Indicators
  
  • FER, Received Power, Ec/Io, Mobile TXPO, Closed Loop TXGA
  • Ec/Io interference implications, pilot pollution, interference management

• Signatures of specific CDMA Situations
  
  • Normal Call, Dropped Call in Poor Coverage, Forward Link Interference, Reverse Link Interference

• PN Offsets
  
  • PN Planning and Pitfalls
  • Setting Search Windows

CDMA PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION AND OPTIMIZATION TOOLS

• Performance Optimization Overview
  
  • Activities and Phases
  • Environment for Good Performance
  • Catalog of Performance Problems
  • Fundamental Optimization Practice and Phases

• Troubleshooting Common Problems
  
  • Access Failures
  • Dropped Calls

• Sources of Performance Optimization Data
  
  • MSC, CBSC, Air-Interface, Mobile-collected

• Analyzing System-Side Data
  
  • Tracking and Trending for Analysis
  • Near-Realtime screening and alarming

• Autonomous Data Collection
  
  • By Subscriber handsets with embedded software
  • By Operator-configured mobile collectors

• Field Optimization Tools
  
  • Handset-based collection devices and software
  • PN scanners
  • Andrew, Willtech, Agilent, Comarco, others
  • Post-Processing Tools and call processing examples
    • Dropped calls for several reasons
    • Access failures
    • In-class Analysis of student-provided examples, if available
  • Handset Maintenance Mode Displays and applications

MULTI-CARRIER OPERATION, TRANSITIONS BETWEEN CARRIERS AND NETWORKS, AND 1XRTT DATA PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION

• Multicarrier Operation and Transitions

• Drivers and Necessitating Factors
  
  • Types of Boundaries and Transitions in Multicarrier Environment

• Foundation for Transition Troubleshooting

• Mobile Behavior and Transition Techniques

• Environments, Transitions and Trigger Techniques
  
  • Adjoining Networks without Soft Handoff
  • Adjoining Networks with Soft Handoff
  • Avoiding Unwanted Acquisition of Adjacent CDMA Carriers

• Interfrequency Hard Handoff Trigger Methods
  
  • Pilot Beacons
    • When feasible, when not feasible, pitfalls, techniques
  • Round Trip Delay triggers
    • When feasible, when not feasible, pitfalls, techniques
  • Ec/Io and other triggers

• System Boundary Transition Planning
  
  • Idle Mode
  • In-Call Mode

• CDMA2000 1xRTT Data Performance Optimization
  
  • The Multi-Element Network Environment
  • Voice vs. Data RF Environment Demands
  • Basic Forward Link Physical Capacity – air interface and hardware
  • Data Performance Indicators: Latency and Throughput

• System-Side 1xRTT Tools

• Data Flow Management
  
  • Connection States – Phase I and Phase II
  • Forward Link SCH Scheduling
    • Forward Link Events in Typical User Session

• 1xRTT Data Troubleshooting, from Mobile end:
  
  • Is mobile device mis-configured?
  • Is RF environment corrupted?
  • Is BTS congested?
  • Is local IP network congested? (PCU, R-P, PDSN FA?)
  • Is operator’s backbone network congested?
  • Is PDSN HA congested?
  • Is Outside-world IP network or Internet congested?
  • Is the distant destination site congested?