UMTS UTRAN Interfaces

ISSUE 1.0

Wireless Curriculum Development Section

Course Contents
Chapter 1 UTRAN Network Architecture
Chapter 2 UTRAN Interface Protocol and Functions

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UMTS System Architecture

CN
Iu

UTRAN
Uu

UE

UTRAN
CN
UE

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UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network

Core Network
User Equipment

UTRAN System Architecture

Core Network
Iu

Iu

RNS

RNS
Iur

RNC

RNC

Iub

Iub

Iub

Node B

Node B

Node B

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Iub
Node B

Common Protocol Model of UTRAN Interfaces

The principle of interface protocol architecture is the logical mutual-independence between
layers and planes. Protocol layers of a specified protocol version, or even all layers in a
plane can be modified if required in the future.

Radio
Network
Layer

Control Plane

User Plane

Application
Protocol

Data
Stream(s)

Transport
Network
Layer

Transport Network
User Plane

Transport Network
Control Plane

ALCAP(s)
Signalling
Bearer(s)

Signalling
Bearer(s)
Physical Layer

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Transport Network
User Plane

Data
Bearer(s)

Protocol Stack of UTRAN Control Plane

UMTS Rel99:

CN protocols (Non-access Stratum, NAS)

MS
CC

RNC

Node B

SM

CN
CC

RRM

MM / GMM
RRC

RRC

RLC

SM

MM / GMM
RANAP

RANAP

RLC

MAC

WCDMA L1

WCDMA L1

NBAP

NBAP MAC

Transport

Transport

layers

layers

Iub

Transport

Transport

layers

layers

Iu

Uu

UTRAN protocols (Access Stratum, AS)

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Layered Structure of UMTS Bearers

UMTS
TE

MT

UTRAN

CN Iu
EDGE
NODE

CN
Gateway

TE

End-to-End
Service

TE/MT
Local Bearer
Service

External
Bearer
Service

UMTS Bearer
Service

Radio Access Bearer

Service

UTRAN
Radio
Bearer
radio interface
Service
UTRA
FDD/TDD
Service

Iu
Bearer
Service

CN Bearer
Service

Backbone
Network
Service

Physical
Bearer
Service

Bearer service: transmission mode of ability, delay and BER information.

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Course Contents
Chapter 1 UTRAN Network Architecture
Chapter 2 UTRAN Interface Protocol and Functions

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UTRAN Interface Protocols and Functions

Iu

Interface

Iur

Interface

Iub

Interface

Uu

Interface

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Iu Interface System Structure

UTRAN

Core Network (CN)

CS
Domain

Node B
RNC

Iu-CS

Node B

PS
Domain
Iu-PS

Node B
RNC

BC
Domain

Node B

Iu-BC

Iu Interface

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Iu-CS Interface Protocol Stack Structure

Radio
Network
Layer

Transport
Network
Layer

Control Plane

User Plane

RANAP

Iu UP Protocol
Layer

Transport Network
User Plane

Transport Network
Control Plane
Q.2630.1

SCCP
MTP3b

Q.2150.1
MTP3b

SSCF-NNI

SSCF-NNI

SSCOP

SSCOP

AAL5

AAL5

ATM
Physical Layer

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Transport Network
User Plane

AAL2

Iu-PS Interface Protocol Stack Structure

Radio
Network
Layer

Control Plane

User Plane

RANAP

Iu UP Protocol
Layer

Transport
Network
Layer

Transport Network
User Plane

Transport Network
Control Plane

Transport Network
User Plane

SCCP
M3UA
MTP3-B
SCTP
SSCF-NNI
SSCF-NNI

UDP
IP

SSCOP
AAL5

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GTP-U

IP
AAL5

ATM

ATM

Physical Layer

Physical Layer

Iu-BC Interface Protocol Stack Structure

Radio
Network
Layer

Transport
Network
Layer

SA Broadcast Plane
SABP Protocol
Layer

Transport Network
User Plane

TCP
IP
AAL5

ATM
Physical Layer

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Iu Interface Protocol Stack Structure

Control
Signaling
CS
Bearer

Q.AAL2
RANAP

Packet
Bearer

Q.2630
GTP-U

Unrestricted Digital
Voice Data

SCCP

Frame Protocol

Q.2150
MTP3-B

AAL2

AAL5 - SAAL NNI

ATM Lower Layers
Physical (Full Rate E1 or STM1 Optical)

RANAP: Radio Access Network Application Part

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PS
Bearer

UDP
IP

Iu Interface Functions(1)
Mobility

Management

Location Area Report

SRNS Relocation

Hard handover between RNCs and inter-system handover

Radio

Iu

Access Bearer RAB Management

Establishment, Modification and Release of RAB

data transmission

normal data transmission

abnormal data transmission

Transparent transmission of UE-CN connection information

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Iu Interface Functions 2
Paging
Iu

Release

Security

Mode Control

Overload

Control

Common

UE ID IMSI Management

Iu

Signaling Trace Management

Iu

Interface Abnormality Management

CBS(Cell

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Broadcast Service) Control

UTRAN Interfaces Protocols and Functions

Iu

Interface

Iur

Interface

Iub

Interface

Uu

Interface

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Iur Interface Logical Model

Serving Radio Network System
Iur Control Plane

Iur
Control
Port

Iur
DCH
Data
Port

Iur
DSCH
Data
Port

Iur
DCH
Data
Port

Iur
DSCH
Data
Port

Iur
TDD USCH
Data
Port

Iur
TDD USCH
Data
Port

Iur
RACH/
CPCH[FDD]/
FACH
Data
Port

RACH/FACH
Traffic Contexts
With attributes

Drift Radio Network System

Cell

Iur
RACH/
CPCH[FDD}/
FACH
Data
Port

Cell

Radio

Radio

Link

Link

Radio

Radio

Link

Link

Radio User Plane

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Radio
Link

Radio
Link

Iur Interface Protocol Stack Structure

Radio
Network
Layer

Transport
Network
Layer

Control Plane

User Plane

RNSAP

Iur Data
Stream(s)

Transport Network
User Plane

Transport Network
Control Plane
ALCAP(Q.2630.1)

STC (Q.2150.1)

SCCP
MTP3-B

M3UA

MTP3-B

M3UA

SSCF-NNI
SSCF-NNI

SCTP

SSCF-NNI
SSCF-NNI

SCTP

SSCOP

IP

SSCOP

IP

AAL5

AAL5

ATM
Physical Layer

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Transport Network
User Plane

AAL2

Iur Interface Protocol Stack Structure

Control
Signaling

CS
Bearer

Q.AAL2
Unrestricted Digital
Voice Data

RNSAP

RLC / MAC

SCCP

Q.2630
Q.2150

Frame Protocol

MTP3-B

AAL2

AAL5 - SAAL NNI

ATM Lower Layers
Physical (Full Rate E1 or STM1 Optical)

RNSAP: Radio Network Subsystem Application Part

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Iur Interface Functions

Support

Basic Mobility Functions between RNCs

Support SRNC relocation

Cell Update and URA Update between RNCs

Paging between RNCs

Protocol Error Report

Dedicated

Channel Functions

Establish, Modify or Release Dedicated Channels in DRNC

during handover

Transmission of DCH TB(Transmission Block) on Iur

Management of RL(Radio Link) in DRNS by Dedicated

Measurement Procedure and Filter Control

RL Management Compressed Mode Management

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Iur Interface Functions

Common

Channel Functions

Establishment, Deletion of Common transport Channels on

Iur Occupation of Common Transport Channels for Transmit
UE information which is in Common Channel state in DRNC

Separate MAC-d From MAC-c

Traffic Control Between MAC-d and MAC-c

Global

Resource Management

Common Measurement Between RNCs

Transmission of Node B Timing Information between RNCs

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UTRAN Interfaces Protocols and Functions

Iu

Interface

Iur

Interface

Iub

Interface

Uu

Interface

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Logical Model of lub Interface

... ...

Node B
Control
Port

Controlling RNC

Iub
RACH
Data
port

Iub
FDD
CPCH
Data
port

Iub
FACH
Data
port

Iub
DSCH
Data
port

Iub
PCH
Data
port

Iub
TDD USCH
Data
port

Iub
DCH
Data
port

Iub
DSCH
Data
port

Communication
Control
Port

Traffic termination point

Common Transport Channels,

with attributes

Cell

Cell

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...

Node B

Cell

Iub
TDD USCH
Data
port

Iub
DCH
Data
port

Traffic termination point

Node B Communication Contexts,

with attributes

Cell

Communication
Control
Port

Cell

Cell

Iub Interface Protocol Stack

Radio Network
Control Plane

Q.2630.1
Q.2150.2

Transport
Layer

SSCF-UNI

SSCF-UNI

SSCOP

SSCOP

AAL Type 5

AAL Type 5
ATM
Physical Layer

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AAL Type 2

CP CH FP

ALCAP

U S CH FP

D S CH FP

P CH FP

F A CH FP

R AC H FP

Node B
Application Part
(NBAP)

User Plane

D CH FP

Radio
Network
Layer

Transport
Network
Control Plane

Iub Interface Protocol Stack

MS
RRC Signaling
CC/MM/RR

Unrestricted
Digital/Voice

CS
Bearer

PS
Bearer
Control
Signaling
Packet
Q.AAL2
NBAP

RLC / MAC

Q.2150

Frame Protocol
AAL2

AAL5 - SAAL UNI

ATM Lower Layers
Physical (Full Rate E1 or STM1 Optical)

NBAP: Node B Application Part

RRC: Radio Resource Control
RLC: Radio Link Control
MAC: Medium Access Control

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Q.2630

Iub Interface Functions(1)

Common

Functions

Common Transport Channel Management

Iub Common Channel Data Transmission

Logical O&M of Node B maintenance functions such as cell

configuration Management Fault Management Block
Management, etc.

System Information Management

Common Measurement

Resource Verification

Abnormality Management

Timing and Synchronization Management

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Iub Interface Functions(2)

Dedicated

Functions

Dedicated Transport Channel Management

Radio Link(RL) Monitoring

Dedicated Measurement Management

Timing and Synchronization Management

Up-link outer loop Power Control

Iub Dedicated Data transmission

Balance on down-link power drifting

Compressed Mode Control

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UTRAN Interfaces Protocols and Functions

Iu

Interface

Iur

Interface

Iub

Interface

Uu

Interface

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Uu Interface Protocol Stack Structure

U-plane information

C-plane signalling
GC

Nt

DC

Duplication avoidance
GC

Nt

DC
UuS boundary

L3
control

PDCP

c o n tr o l
c o n tr o l

c o n tr o l

c o n tr o l

RRC

RLC

RLC

PDCP

L2/PDCP

RLC
RLC

RLC

RLC

RLC

BMC

L2/BMC

RLC

L2/RLC

Logical
Channels
MAC

L2/MAC
Transport
Channels

PHY

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L1

Uu Interface L1 Functions 1
Multiplexing

of transport channels and de-multiplexing of encoded

composite channels
Mapping

of encoded composite transport channels on physical

channels
Macro-diversity

distribution/combining and soft handover execution

Error

detection on transport channels and indication to higher layers

FEC

encoding/decoding and interleaving/de-interleaving of transport

channels
Rate

matching of coded transport channels to physical channels

Power

weighting and combining of physical channels

closed-loop
open-loop

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power control

power control

Uu Interface L1 Functions 2
Modulation

and spreading/demodulation and de-spreading of

physical channels
Synchronization

between frequency and time (chip, bit, slot,

frame)
Radio

characters measurements (FER, SIR, Interference

power) and indication to higher layers

Compressed
Diversity
Other

mode support

of Transmission/Receiving

base band processing functions

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MAC: Medium Access Control

AS

GC

Nt

DC

Control
SAP

RRC(L3)

Control
SAP's

Radio
(Access)
Bearers

L2
PDCP
BMC

RLC

Logical Channels
MAC
Transport Channels
PHY(L1)
Physical Channels

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MAC Functions
mapping
selection

between logical channels and transport channels

of appropriate Transport Format for each Transport Channel

depending on instantaneous data rate

priority

handling between data flows of one UE

priority

handling between UEs by means of dynamic scheduling

identification

of UEs on common transport channels

multiplexing/demultiplexing

of higher layer PDUs into/from transport

blocks delivered to/from the physical layer on common transport

channels
multiplexing/demultiplexing

of higher layer PDUs into/from transport

block sets delivered to/from the physical layer on dedicated transport

channels
traffic

volume monitoring

Dynamic

Transport Channel type switching

ciphering for transparent RLC

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MAC: Mapping of Logical Channels(UE)

Paging
Paging

Higher Layer
data

System
System
Info
Info

Signaling
Signaling

Cell
Cell
Broadcast
Broadcast
Service
Service

Signaling
Signaling
and
and
User
data
User data
DCCH

Logical
Channels

PCCH

(Data
Dependent)

BCCH

CCCH

CTCH

Decicated
Logical
Channel
CipherOn
{XOR}

Transport
Channels
(L1 Characteristics
Dependent)

Physical
Channels

PCH

S-CCPCH

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BCH
P-CCPCH

FACH

RACH

DCH

PRACH

DPDCH

DTCH
DTCH
DTCH

MAC: Transport Formation Selection(1)

Contrl immediate bit rate by means of changing traffic per TTI(Transmission Time
Interval, is multiple of 10ms)
Transport Block (TB): Bit series to be trasmited from logical channel
Transport Block Size: Size of TB
Transport Block Set: A group of TB transferred in a TTI (Multiplexed on logical
channel)bb
Transport Block Set Size: Whole bit length contained in a TBS

Transport Block Size

Transport Block, TB#1
Transport Block
Set

TB#2

TB#n

Transport Block Set Size = Transport Block Size x N

Transport Time Interval, TTI

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MAC: Transport Formation Selection(2)

Transport Format (TF) defines Transport Block Set (Transport Block Size,
Transport Block Set Size)

Transport Format Set (TFS): Possible TF combinations of a transport channel.

MAC will chose a TF during every TTI

Transport Format Combination (TFC): Determined TF combination in each TTI,

each transport channel

Transport Format Combination Set (TFCS): define all possible TFC combination
method. Thus MAC can process dynamic transport rate control in different
transport channels

TFS

TFC

TF
TFCS

TrCH#1TrCH#2TrCH#3TrCH#4

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RLC: Radio Link Control

AS

GC

Nt

DC

Control
SAP

RRC(L3)

Control
SAP's

Radio
(Access)
Bearers

L2
PDCP
BMC

RLC

Logical
MAC

Channels
Transport
Channels

PHY(L1)
Physical
Channels

Confidential

RLC Functions
Segmentation,

re-assembly and Padding

Transmission of user data

Error correction using different transport Format

In-sequence delivery of higher layer PDUs, duplicate

detection

Flow control
Sequence

number

check

Mode UM

Protocol error detection and recovery

Ciphering

Suspend/resume function

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in

Unacknowledged

PDCP Packet Data Convergence Protocol

BMC Broadcast/Multicast Control
AS

GC

Nt

DC

Control
SAP

RRC(L3)

Control
SAP's

Radio
(Access)
Bearers

L2
PDCP
BMC

RLC

Logical
MAC

Channels
Transport
Channels

PHY(L1)
Physical
Channels

Confidential

PDCP Functions
Mapping

of network PDU from network protocol to RLC

protocol
header

compression and de-compression in order to reduce

the redundant control information in higher layer data, thus

enhance the transport efficiency in air interface
TCP/IP

(RFC2507) - Non-realtime IP

RTP/UDP/IP

(RFC3095, ROHC) in Rel4- Realtime IP (e.g.

VoIP)
support

of Loss-less SRNS Relocation

buffering

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and retransmit of higher layer data

BMC Functions
Storage

of cell broadcast message

Monitoring

of traffic volume and CBS (Cell Broadcast

Service) radio resource request

BMC

message dispatching

Transport

BMC message to UE

Transport

BMC message to higher layer

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RRC: Radio Resource Control

AS

GC

Nt

DC

Control
SAP

RRC(L3)

Control
SAP's

Radio
(Access)
Bearers

L2
PDCP
BMC

RLC

Logical
MAC

Channels
Transport
Channels

PHY(L1)

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Physical
Channel
s

RRC Functions 1
Management

of system information broadcast

Paging/Notification
RRC

connection management

establish reconfig,

maintain and release

Radio

Bearer (RB) Management establish, reconfig and

release , support NAS services

RRC

connection mobility management

initial

cell selection

Routing

of higher layer PDUs

Control

of requested QoS and map into different resources of

Access Stratum
Management

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and control of radio resources

RRC Functions 2
Management

and control of RB, transport channel and

physical channel
open

loop power control

Support
Control

of SRNS relocation

of UE measurement and measurement report

Ciphering
CBS

control, protection of integrity

related functions BMC configuration CBS radio

resource distribute request, support of CBS non-continuous

receiving

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