IN BULLETS

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LONG TERM EVOLUTION (LTE)

8.1 LOGICAL, TRANSPORT AND PI-IYSICAL CHANNEL TYPES

* Logical chann e ls transfer data between the RLC and MAC laye rs
* Transport channels tran sfer data between the MAC and Phys ical laye rs
* Phys ical channels transfer data across the air-interface
* The mappings between the various channel types are illustrated in Figure I 06

Apphcat.Jon
A-118 & SiB RRC Ssgnaffmg Paging MBMS
Data

BCCH CCCH DCCH DTCH PCCH MTCH MCCH

Logical Channels ·------·

------- Physical Channels -

Figure 106- Mappings between logical, transport and physical channels

* The Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH) is used to transfer both th e Master Information Block (MIB) and System Information Blocks
(SIB). The MIB is mapped onto the BCH and PBCH, whereas the SIB are mapped onto the DL-SCH and POSCH

* The Common Control Channel (CCCI-I) and Dedicated Control Channel (DCCI-I) are used to transfer RRC messages, i.e. data
belonging to the set of Signalling Radio Bearers (SRB). All SRB data is mapped onto the DL-SCH and POSCH
* The Dedicated Traffic Channel (DTCH) is used to transfer application data. All application data is mapped onto the DL-SCH and
POSCH

* The Paging Control Channel (PCCH) is used to transfer paging messages. All paging messages are mapped onto the PCH and POSCH
* The Mu lticast Traffic Channel (MTCH) and Multicast Control Channel (MCCH) are mapped onto the Multicast Channel (MCI--1) and
Physical Multicast Channel (PMCI-1). The MTCH transfers application data belonging to the MBMS serv ice, whereas the MCCH
transfers the MBSFN Area Configuration message

* The PDCCH, PHICH and PCFICH physical channels are not used to transfer hi gher layer information, so do not have associated
log ical nor transport channels
o PDCCH transfers Downlink Co ntrol Information (DCI)
o PHICH transfers HARQ Indicators (HI), i.e. Hybrid ARQ acknowledgements for uplink data
o PCFICH transfers Control Format Indicators (CFI)
* When a UE receives data on the POSCH , the PDCCH indicates whether the data belongs to the DL-SCH or the PCH. This is done by
us ing a specific type of Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI), i.e. P-RNTI indicates PCH data whereas C-RNTI and SI-RNTI
indicate DL-SCH data

* When a UE recei ves data on the DL-SCH , the MAC header indicates whether the data belongs to the CCCI-I, DCCI-I or DTCI-l (BCCH
data is identified by the SI-RNTI on the PDCCH). The MAC header includes a Logical Channel Identity (LCID) field where a val ue of
0 corresponds to the CCCI-I (SRB 0), values of I and 2 correspond to the DCCI-I (SRB I and SRB2 respectively), and values 3 to I 0
correspond to the DTCH

* 3GPP References: TS 36.212, TS 36.321, TS 36.331

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