MAC: Medium Access Control

The MAC layer is responsible for logical channel multiplexing and scheduling HARQ retransmissions of both links, ascending and descending. This is defined by a cell service, which is the cell of the mobile terminal which is connected to the cell responsible for scheduling and HARQ operation.

4.5.2.1 Logical Channel and Transpot.

The MAC offers services in the form of RLC logical channels. A logical channel is defined by the type of information carried and are generally classified into the control channels used for transmission of control and configuration information necessary for the operation of the LTE system, and traffic channels are used to user data.

The types of logical channels specified for LTE are:

- Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH) is used for transmission control system information from the network to all mobile terminals of the cell. Before accessing the system, a mobile terminal needs to read the information provided in the BCCH to find out how the system is configured.

- Paging Control Channel (PCCH), used for paging of mobile terminals, whose location in the level of cells is not known in the network and the paging message, therefore, needs to be broadcast in multiple cells.

mobile terminal. This channel is used for individual configuration of mobile terminals, such as delivering different messages.

- Multicast Control Channel (MCCH), used to control transmission of information required for receipt of MTCH.

- Dedicated Traffic Channel (DTCH), used for bidirectional transmission of user data to a mobile terminal.

- Multicast Traffic Channel (TCM), used for downlink transmission of MBMS services.

The MAC layer also uses the services as transport channels. A transport channel defines how and with what characteristics data is transmitted by the radio interface. Following the notation of HSPA, which has been inherited by LTE, the data in a transport channel between blocks are arranged transport. In each transmission time interval (TTI), at most one block with a certain size, is transmitted through the radio interface. In the presence of spatial multiplexing can be up to two TTI transport blocks.

Associated with each transport block there is a transport format (TF), specified as the block is transmitted, including information about its size and modulation scheme. By varying the transport format, the MAC layer can perform different types of data transmission speeds and therefore carry out its control.

The types of transport channels are specified for LTE:

- Broadcast Channel (BCH) has a fixed transport format. It is used to transmit information on the BCCH logical channel.

- Paging Channel (PCH) is used to transmit paging information on the PCCH logical channel. The PCH supports discontinuous reception (DRX) to enable the mobile terminal to save battery power when the reception is only in moments of predefined times[3].

- Downlink Shared Channel (DL-SCH) is the transport channel used for transmission of downstream data in LTE. LTE supports features like the dynamic rate adaptive channel programming dependent. DRX support, reducing power consumption while still providing mobile an always-on experience. - Multicast Channel (MCH) is used to support the MBMS service. It is characterized by the transport format and programming semi semi. In case of multi-cell transmission using MBSFN, scheduling and transport format configuration is coordinated between cells involved in the transmission MBSFN.

- Uplink Shared Channel (UL-SCH) is similar to DL-SCH.

Part of the role of the MAC, is the multiplexing of different logical channels and mapping them to appropriate transport channels. Unlike the MAC in HSDPA, LTE, the MAC supports the multiplexing of RLC PDUs from different radio carriers in the same transport block. An example of mapping the logical and transport channels are shown in Figure 4.14.

Figure 4.14 Example mapping of logical channels, transport. 4.5.2.2 Downling and Uplink Programming.

One of the basic principles of the LTE radio access, transmission channel is shared on the DL-SCH and UL- SCH, i.e the time-frequency resources are dynamically shared between users on both links. The programmer (scheluder), is part of the MAC layer and controls the allocation of uplink and downlink. Both resources are separated into LTE and their decisions can be taken independently.

Downlink scheduler function is to determine dynamically in each frame of 1 ms, which one terminal is supposed to receive the DL-SCH transmission and what resources do. In each frame, is assigned resource block (time-based unit that covers 180 kHz frequency) to a terminal for receiving the DL-SCH transmission. The goal of the program is to leverage the channel variations between the mobile terminal, preferably the transmissions to mobile terminals with resources advantages in channel conditions. Due to the use of OFDM as the transmission system in the downlink, LTE can benefit from the channel variations in frequency and time domains, while HSDPA can only take advantage of variations in the time domain. Information on the downstream channel conditions, is fed from the mobile terminal to the NBS via the channel quality reports. In addition to channel quality, high performance programming should take into account the buffer status and priority decisions. It is also the programmer interference coordination, which is to control inter-cell interference.

The basic function of the uplink scheduler is similar to the downlink, i.e dynamically determined for each interval of 1 ms, which are mobile terminals that transmit data on the UL-SCH, and what resources the uplink. For LTE, the uplink is orthogonal and the share is controlled by the scheduler of the ENB. An assigned resource not fully utilized by a mobile terminal can not be partially used by another. Therefore, due to the orthogonal uplink, this represents less gain by letting the mobile terminal selected transport format. Consequently, besides the allocation of resources in time and frequency to the mobile terminal, the NBS is also responsible for controlling the transport format (payload size and modulation scheme) that uses the mobile terminal.

4.5.2.3 HARQ.

The protocol HARQ of LTE is similar to the corresponding protocol used in HSPA, where using multiple parallel processes stop and wait. Upon receiving a transport block, the receiver makes an attempt to decode the block and informs the sender about the outcome of the operation through a single bit ACK / NAK (Acknowledgement / Negative Acknowledgement), which indicates whether the decoding is successful or if required a retransmission of the transport block[3]. To minimize the overhead (header), using a single bit ACK / NAK. For LTE, on the other hand, are designed protocol layers together, which means fewer design constraints.

ARQ mechanism is able to correct most transmission errors due to noise or unpredictable variations of the channel. This may occasionally stop making error-free delivery to the RLC data blocks, causing a difference in the sequence of blocks delivered. This usually occurs due to incorrect feedback signal, for example, a

NAK is incorrectly interpreted as an ACK to the transmitter, causing data loss. The probability of this happening can be 1%, an error probably too high for TCP based services that are virtually error-free delivery of TCP packets. More specifically, for sustainable data transmission rate exceeding 100 Mbps, requires that the probability of packet loss is less than 10-5. To maintain good performance of high speed data transmission, the RLC-AM significantly ensure the delivery of error-free data to