Direction for Position GSM Interference in RAN13 Network Security Level

Direction for Position GSM Interference in RAN13 Network

Su Ming 65427, RNP Dept. of Malay GSRC

ABSTRACT: Interference is a complex issue in GSM network troubleshooting. This

paper introduces how to test GSM interference sources and analyze the test results within

a RAN13 network. It also presents a method to calculate the interference level in a live

network that is useful to handle similar situation.

KEY WORDS: Interference, Inter-modulation, Idle Timeslot, UL Frequency Scan,

Interference Band Threshold

1. Introduction
Interference is a complex issue in GSM network troubleshooting. At one hand,

interference largely impacts the user experience and network performance; at the other

hand, there’re many sources of interference in engineering and these interferences may

coexist in a network, and we have no specific and accurate analysis method to process the

test results. Therefore it’s difficult to position the KEY interference and resolve the

interference in the past. Whilst accompanied by the continuously study and practice, we

are now capable to position and solve many GSM interferences in RAN13 network

nowadays with the improved product capabilities that is detailed in this paper.
Interference Band Threshold is tightly related with network interference level in

calculation and many operators such as CMCC, VDF, prefer to customize their own

interference band threshold, instead of adopting the default definition. It surely changes

the interference band distribution thus causes different interference results. This paper

introduces a way to evaluate the impacts of the customized Interference Band Threshold

during calculation of interference level in a live network to function as a reference to

handle similar situation.

2. Idle Timeslot Test and Analyze
Before we do the test, sample Out the Top Cells with Poor Interference and Poor KPI

which is believed to be necessary to conduct interference test and analysis. Herein Band 5

threshold is defined as -95dBm. If the threshold definition changes in other project, we

may adjust the criteria accordingly to apply the analysis methods. The top cells mean

those cells with a proportion of 10% or above for Band 5 among all samples.

Idle Timeslot Test is a proper way to position the interference. It’s especially useful to

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position inter-modulation interference. Now let’s start.

2.1 Conduct Idle Timeslot Test

We can conduct Idle Timeslot Test to position the inter-modulation interference firstly.

The possible causes of inter-modulation in an antenna-feeder system are as follows [1]:

A. The antenna connectors are dirty or damaged; the interior silver coating of
antenna feeders are damaged; or metal filings are left in the connectors due to
frequent reassembling.
B. The antenna connectors are not securely connected or sealed.
C. The half-wave dipole sealed in the antenna protective cover is corroded.
D. The feeder that connects the antenna connectors to the half-wave dipole is
corroded.
E. The feeder and jumper are not routed properly. There is stress in the connectors.
2.1.1 Test Time
The time duration for conducting Idle Timeslot Test should fall in early morning

(recommended during 1:00 to 5:00).

2.1.2 Test Procedure
We can run Idle Burst Timeslot Test task at M2000 automatically. The MML command

files (One for starting the test and one stopping) can refer to following examples:
StartingFile (set the task to run at x o’clock in the early morning):
STR TRXBURSTTST:OBJECTTYPE=BYCELL, IDTYPE=BYID, CELLID=0, DURATH=1;

StopFile (set the task to run at (x+1) o’clock in the early morning such as 5:00):
STP TRXBURSTTST:OBJECTTYPE=BYCELL, IDTYPE=BYID, CELLID=0;

Or we can conduct the test step by step manually as follows:

Step 1: Click Test Idle Timeslot

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Step 2: Set TRX No to All, and Duration Time to 1 Hour. Then click button Start:

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Step 3: Collect the Interference KPIs after Idle Timeslot test:

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2.2 Analyze the Results of Idle Timeslot Test

2.2.1 Inter-modulation Interference

If the proportion of Interference Band 4&5 for a cell is always very high or increases

more than 10% compared the proportion before Idle Timeslot Test, it has Inter-

modulation interference.

Inter-modulation interference is one type of internal interference. In case it exists

inter-modulation interference, KPI will deteriorate when TRX output power increases. It

can be simulated via Idle Timeslot Test: all timeslot are work in full power state. So if

Band 4&5 increase more than 10% compared with that of pre-test, we can judge it has

Inter-modulation interference.

NOTE: In case we judge it exists Inter-modulation interference, but Band 4&5

proportion during busy hour is 10% higher than that in testing hour, then Inter-

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modulation interference is not the main interference source.

E.g. (below data compares the interference results between pre- & post- idle timeslot test):

In a live network, we found a similar case as above. After checkup we found its antenna

connection is of some problem.

2.2.2 Non Inter-modulation

If the proportion of Interference Band 4&5 for a cell is low and remains unchanged or

slightly changed, it shows there’s no Inter-modulation interference.

E.g.:

3. UL Frequency Scan and Analyze

Through Idle Timeslot Test we can position the Inter-modulation interference. If

interference still exists, we can further conduct UL Frequency Scan to find out the

interference source such as repeater interference, Radar interference, CDMA interference

and frequency plan associated interference, etc.

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3.1 Test Time

Time duration for conducting UL frequency scan should fall in early morning

(recommended during 1:00 to 5:00). We can use this method to position CDMA

Interference, Wideband Interference, Narrowband Interference (usually caused by

frequency plan or external narrowband interference).

3.2 Test Procedure

Step 1: Click Maintenance Client

Step 2: Click Device Maintenance

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Step 3: Right Click a Cell and Click Submenu Configure Frequency Scan

Step 4: Configure Configure

Frequency Scan. Click Button

Select All and Set proper Start

Time to Ensure Start Time is later

than the current time just after

clicking Button Start:

Step 5: Query Frequency Scan

Results:
Step 6: Wait Several Minutes and

Frequency Scan Results with

Appear in the blank area:

Wait for about 3 minutes, then

select all the results and save it

into an Excel file

(QueryFrequencyScanResult.xlsx)

for post analysis.

3.3 Analyze the Results of Frequency Scan
Usually the UL Rxlev at each frequency in QueryFrequencyScanResult.xlsx should be

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near -110dBm. If Main Average and Sub Average are larger than -110dBm greatly, it

exists interference.

3.3.1 Wideband Interference

If Main Average and Sub Average are between -110dBm and -85dBm and almost the

same level for all frequency. It exists wideband interference which may caused by

repeater or external interference such as Radar. For repeater cells, we should check the

frequency planning because the relative distances with surrouding sites changed

compared with the host site, and sometimes we can even shutdown the repeater. We

should set parameter DIRMAGANSITEFLAG to YES to avoid handover failure for

repeater cell as well.

E.G.:

In a live network, we found a similar cell as above. After checkup we found it has

repeaters.

3.3.1 CDMA Interference

If a cell exists high interference for lower frequency channel (1~70) and low

interference for high frequency channel (70~124), it exists CDMA interference.

E.G.:

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3.3.2 Narrow Band Interference

If Main Average and Sub Average are higher than -85dBm for only several

frequency channel, interference deteriorates accompanied by the increase of traffic

volume and without inter-modulation interference, and there are few samples in

interference band 4&5 (or less than -105dBm) in idle time, it is of C/A frequency

interference in this case. During further checkup, if adjacent frequency interference is

20dBm higher than currently scanned interfered frequency channel, it is adjacent

frequency interference, or else it is co-channel frequency interference. It is necessary to

check the frequency plan for both cases.

E.G: We found co-channel interference at frequency channel of 79, the BCCH of

PM40CG2. In this case, we can firstly check the frequency plan.

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We may find other interference, if frequency plan is of no issue, we can further trace

the external interference resource with a scanner. E.G.:

4. Evaluation the Interference Level

Different interference formula and different Interference Band Threshold can reach

different interference level. In this paper we adopt the interference formula applying

in a live network currently below:

Interference = (Band 1*1+…+Band 5*5)/(Band1+…+Band5).
For CMCC, as it owns abundant of frequency resource and large investment

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therefore it can pursuit a better coverage and lower interference level. So CMCC

usually customizes its Interference Band Threshold. So is it for VDF and other

famous Operators.

During GSM swap in a top live network, we should swap from both Nokia Siemens

and Ericsson network and experience many complaints about interference increment

after swap from each region. We found the Interference Band Threshold changes

greatly between each vendor after swap. After that we calculate the interference with

the given Interference Formula and found out Huawei current settings will cause

about 50% increment for the interference with the same Measurement Report.

Customer also accepted our explanation and stopped complaining. The detailed

calculation is given below.

4.1 Interference Level with Nokia Siemens Network Settings

Nokia Siemens Network defines the Interference Band Threshold as INTAVEPR = 10-
4-8-15-25. We collect a group of Measurement Report in this paragraph and will be
applied for calculation for other Vendors. Then we can calculate the interference level
with the formula given above:
Band 5: I> -85dBm,10 samples
Band 4: -85dBm>= I > -95dBm, 20 samples, averagely 2 samples per dBm
Band 3: -95dBm>= I > -102dBm, 49 samples, averagely 7 samples per dBm
Band 2: -102dBm>= I > -106dBm, 100 samples, averagely 25 samples per dBm
Band 1: -106dBm>= I > -110dBm, 1000 samples, averagely 250 samples per dBm
UL_NSN = (Band 1*1+…+Band 5*5)/(Band1+…+Band5)
=(10*5+20*4+49*3+100*2+1000*1)/(10+20+49+100+1000)=1.25.

4.2 Interference Level with Ericsson Settings

Ericsson defines the Interference Band Threshold as LIMIT1,2,3,4 = 5-10-15-20 that
means:
Interference Band5>LIMIT4
LIMIT4>=Interference Band4>LIMIT3
LIMIT3>=Interference Band3>LIMIT2
LIMIT2>=Interference Band2>LIMIT1
LIMIT1>=Interference Band1

With the same Measurement Report given in 4.1, we can calculate the interference level
as follows:
Band 5: I>= -90dBm, 20 samples

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Band 4: -90dBm> I >= -95dBm, 10 samples

Band 3: -95dBm> I >= -100dBm, 35 samples
Band 2: -100dBm> I >= -105dBm, 89 samples
Band 1: -105dBm> I >= -110dBm, 1025 samples
UL_E/// = (Band 1*1+…+Band 5*5)/(Band1+…+Band5)
=(20*5+10*4+35*3+89*2+1025*1)/(20+10+35+89+1025)=1.23.

4.3 Interference Level with HW Default Settings

With Huawei default Interference Band Threshold in RAN13 as below:

Interference Band5>INTERFTHRES4
INTERFTHRES4>=Interference Band4>INTERFTHRES3
INTERFTHRES3>=Interference Band3>INTERFTHRES2
INTERFTHRES2>=Interference Band2>INTERFTHRES1
INTERFTHRES1>=Interference Band1

We can calculate the interference level as follows:

Band 5: I> -87dBm,14 samples
Band 4: -87dBm>= I > -92dBm, 10 samples
Band 3: -92dBm>= I > -98dBm, 27 samples
Band 2: -98dBm>= I > -105dBm, 378 samples
Band 1: -105dBm>= I > -110dBm, 750 samples

UL_HW_Default = (Band 1*1+…+Band 5*5)/(Band1+…+Band5) =

(14*5+10*4+27*3+378*2+750*1)/(14+10+27+378+750)=1697/1179=1.44.

4.4 Interference Level with HW Current Settings

Similarly, we can calculate the interference level with Huawei current settings as below:
Band 5: I>-100dBm, 65 samples
Band 4: -100dBm>= I > -103dBm, 39 samples
Band 3: -103dBm>= I > -106dBm, 75 samples
Band 2: -106dBm>= I > -108dBm, 500 samples
Band 1: -108dBm>= I > -110dBm, 500 samples
UL_HW_Current = (Band 1*1+…+Band 5*5)/(Band1+…+Band5) =
(65*5+39*4+75*3+500*2+500*1)/(65+39+75+500+500)=2206/1179=1.87.

5. Conclusion

We found it can accurately position GSM Inter-modulation interference and repeater

interference with the method given in this paper during engineering practice in a top live

network so far. During RAN13 project, we can position the GSM interference with the

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improved test features and analyze the test results given in this paper. From the

calculation we can also find out, Ericsson has the best solution to plan the interference

Band Threshold, and Huawei the poorest one. Therefore Huawei can do some revision to

better PK with other Vendors regards of Interference Band Threshold definition.

If above action couldn’t position the interference, we can collect above test results,

BCP file, Statistics Data, TRX counter data, then send to R&D team to seek further help.

REFERENCE

[1] GBSS9.0 Troubleshooting Guide(01)

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