HSPA+ in Release-7 and Release-8

Thought of adding this while I am in mode of making lists. So whats in HSPA evolution in Rel-7 and Rel-8. Lot of people are unaware that HSPA+ was big enough to finish off in Rel-7 and was definite to spill over in Rel-8

HSPA+ Features in Release 7

• Higher Order Modulation Schemes
  


• Advantages and weaknesses of higher order modulation
  - Interference Sensitivity
  - QPSK
  - 16-QAM, 64-QAM)
  - Consequences
  - Behavior in Time Variant Mobile Radio Channels
  - Behavior of a time variant mobile radio channel
  - Effect of amplitude variations
  - Effect of phase variations


• 16-QAM for the S-CCPCH (DL)
  - MBSFN only
  - Interleaving
  - Modulation
  - Scaling factors


• 64-QAM for the HS-PDSCH (DL)
  - Interleaving
  - Constellation Rearrangement
  - Modulation
  - Related UE Categories


• 16-QAM for UL (4-PAM for the E-DPDCH)
  - HARQ Rate Matching Stage
  - Interleaver
  - Modulator
  - UE category


• Overview Advantages and Disadvantages
  - Higher peak data rate
  - Better resource utilization
  - Blind choice of modulation scheme
  - High SNIR requirement
  - More TX power requirement
  - Low range
  - Small cell environment
  - Restrictions of use for high UE moving speeds


• Channel Estimation Algorithms
  - Normal Algorithm
  - Gathering pilot information
  - Channel estimation
  - Data detection
  - Advantage
  - Disadvantage
  - Advanced Algorithms
  - Shorter channel estimation window
  - Moving channel estimation window
  - Adaptive detection
  - Turbo detection
  - Advantages
  - Disadvantages


• Performance16-QAM in the UL
  - Performance on Link Level 16-QAM in the UL
  - Performance of BPSK compared to 4-PAM
  - Influence of non-linearity of the power amplifier
  - Performance on System Level
  - Behavior with increasing load
  - Maximum versus average throughput


• Higher Order Modulation Testing
  - Test Setup for 16-QAM in the UL
  - RF components
  - Discussion of the setup
  - Selected Performance Requirements for 16-QAM in the UL
  - BPSK vs. 4-PAM
  - Effect of RX diversity
  - Effect of high degree of multipath
  - Effect of high UE moving speed


• MIMO
  


• Introduction to MIMO Technology
  - The Basics: Signal Fading Physics between TX and RX
  - Scattering
  - Refraction
  - Reflection
  - Diffraction
  - Multiplexing Dimensions
  - The Multipath Dimension
  - MIMO General Operation


• MIMO Feedback Procedure (PCI)
  - Motivation of Spatial Precoding
  - Plain MIMO
  - Multiple rank beamforming
  - Spatial Precoding
  - Codebook, PCI and CQI Loop
  - Codebook
  - PCI and CQI loop


• MIMO Algorithms
  - Linear MIMO Algorithms (Preparation work, Equalizer at the end of the processing chain,
  - Equalizer at the beginning of the processing chain), Non-Linear MIMO Algorithms


• MIMO Performance
  - MIMO Performance on Link Level (SISO vs. SIMO, SIMO vs. MIMO, 2x2 MIMO vs. 4x2
  - MIMO, 16-QAM vs. 64-QAM), Performance on System Level (MIMO vs. SIMO, 50% vs.
  - 75% power allocation, 0% vs. 4% feedback errors)


• MIMO Tests
  - Official Test Setups (Test NodeB, Fading simulator, Noise generator, UE under test, Single stream test setup, Double stream test setup), Quick and Easy Test Setups (The
  easiest test setup, A more reliable test setup: The MIMO circle), Selected Performance
  - Requirement Figures (Conditions, 64-QAM performance, Dual stream MIMO
  performance, Single stream MIMO performance)


• Continuous Packet Connectivity (CPC)
  


• Basic features
  - Uplink Discontinuous Transmission (DTX), Downlink Discontinuous Reception (DRX)


• RRC message ID’s
  - DTX and DRX Information


• CPC Timing
  - Uplink CQI transmission


• Example for Uplink DPCCH Burst Pattern for 10 ms E-DCH TTI
  - Uplink DRX, Downlink DRX


• Uplink DPCCH preamble and postamble
  - Uplink DPCCH preamble and postamble for the DPCCH only transmission, Uplink DPCCH preamble and postamble for the E-DCH transmission, Uplink DPCCH preamble and postamble for the HS-DPCCH transmission


• Example of simultaneous Uplink DTX and Downlink DRX


• CPC and Enhanced F-DPCH
  - Timing Implications for CPC + Enhanced F-DPCCH


• Upgraded L1 Signaling
  


• HS-SCCH Review of Rel. 5 and 6
  - HS-SCCH Frame Structure, HS-SCCH Part 1 and 2 Forward Error Coding Chain, UE
  specific masking of Part 1 and Part 2, HS-PDSCH Code Allocation through Part1 of HSSCCH,
  - Transport Block Size Determination – TFRI Mapping


• HS-SCCH of Rel. 7
  - HS-SCCH Overview of Rel. 7 (HS-SCCH type 1, No HS-SCCH, HS-SCCH type 2, HSSCCH
  type 3), HS-SCCH Type 1 (HS-SCCH Type 1, HS-SCCH Type 1 for Configured 64-QAM Operation, HS-SCCH Orders, 64-QAM Constellation Versions), HS-SCCH Type 2 (for HS-SCCH less operation) (Use of the HS-SCCH-less operation, Procedure HSSCCH-less operation), HS-SCCH Type 3 (HS-SCCH Type 3 Overview, Modulation and
  Transport Block Number , HARQ Process Number, Redundancy Version and
  Constellation Version)


• HS-DPCCH of Rel. 7
  - HS-DPCCH ACK/NACK (ACK-NACK of primary TB in R5, Preamble and postamble in
  R6, ACK-NACK of 2 TB’s in R7), HS-DPCCH PCI and CQI type A and B (CQI in case of
  no MIMO operation, PCI and CQI in case of MIMO with 1 TB (CQI type A), PCI and CQI
  in case of MIMO with 2 TB’s (CQI type B))


• E-AGCH and E-DPCCH
  - Changes in the E-TFCI tables, Changes in the AG tables, Changes in the SG tables


• MAC-ehs Entity versus MAC-hs
  


• UTRAN side MAC-hs Details – CELL_DCH only
  - Flow Control, Scheduling/Priority Handling, HARQ, TFRC selection


• UE side MAC-hs Details – CELL_DCH only
  - HARQ, Reordering Queue distribution, Reordering, Disassembly


• UTRAN side MAC-ehs Details
  - Some advantages of MAC-ehs compared to MAC-hs , Flow Control, HARQ, TFRC
  selection (~ TFRI), LCH-ID mux, Segmentation


• UE side MAC-ehs Details
  - HARQ , Disassembly, Reordering queue distribution, Reordering, Reassembly, LCH-ID demultiplexing


• Differences in the MAC-ehs and MAC-hs Header
  - MAC-hs Header Parameter Description
  - MAC-hs SDU , , MAC-hs Header of MAC-hs PDU), MAC-ehs Header Parameter Description
  - MAC-ehs Header Parameter Details
  - HARQ Process Work Flow in UE – MAC-hs / MAC-ehs
  - Split HS-DSCH Block Functionality
  - Practical Exercise: MAC-hs contra MAC-ehs
  - MAC-hs / MAC-ehs Stall Avoidance
  - Timer-Based Scheme
  - Window Bases Scheme
  - MAC-(e)hs Reordering Functionality – Timer / Window based


• Flexible RLC PDU Sizes
  


• The RLC AMD PDU – Rel. 7 Enhancements
  - The Poll (POLL) super-field
  - RLC AMD Header Fields
  - Release 7 Enhancement of the HE-Field and LI


• Comparison of RLC-AM between Rel. 6 and Rel. 7
  - RLC-AM Overhead using fixed or flexible PDU size
  · RRC State Operation Enhancements


• Transport Channel Type Switching with HSPA in R6
  - Transport Channel Combinations between UL and DL, Radio Bearer Multiplexing Options in Rel. 6


• Operation of UTRA RRC States in Release 7
  - UE Idle mode, CELL_DCH state


• HS-DSCH Reception in CELL_FACH and XXX_PCH
  - Overview (UE dedicated paging in CELL_DCH, CELL_FACH and CELL_PCH, BCCH
  reception in CELL_FACH, FACH measurement occasion calculation, Measurement
  reporting procedure), (1) Operation in the CELL_FACH state (DCCH / DTCH reception in
  CELL_FACH state , User data on HS-DSCH in Enhanced CELL_FACH state), (2) Operation in the CELL_FACH state – Cell Update, (3) RRC Idle to transient CELL_FACH
  (Common H-RNTI selection in CELL_FACH (FDD only), H-RNTI selection when entering
  Connected mode (FDD only) ), Operation in the URA_PCH or CELL_PCH state (Data
  Transfer in CELL_PCH with dH-RNTI, State Transision from CELL_PCH to CELL_FACH
  to CELL_DCH, CELL_PCH and URA_PCH enhanced Paging Procedure)
  

HSPA+ Features in Release 8

• Overview of HSPA+ Related Work Items in R8
  


• Requirements for two branch IC


• CS voice over HSPA


• Performance req. for 15 HSDPA codes


• MIMO + 64-QAM


• Enhanced DRX


• Improved L2 for UL


• Enhanced UL for CELL_FACH


• R3 Enhancements for HSPA


• Enhanced SRNS relocation


• MIMO combined with 64-QAM
  


• New UE Categories
  - Data Rate, Soft IR memory


• L1 Signaling of MIMO and 64-QAM
  - Modulation Schemes and TB Sizes (Signaling on the HS-SCCH type 3, Dilemma to signal
  on the modulation schema and TB number field, Solution), CQI Signaling, CQI Tables
  used

Interested readers can refer to Alcatel-Lucent presentation in HSPA+ Summit here.

There is also an interesting Qualcomm paper titled, "Release 7 HSPA+ For Mobile Broadband Evolution" available here.