Process by which UE acquires time and frequency synchronization with a cell and detects the Physical Cell ID Cell

l search not only at power up but also to support mobility (i.e. terminals need to search, synchronise and estimate neighbour cells to decide HOs)

Step 1:
UE searches for the PSS carrying the Physical Cell ID index (3 different possibilities: 0,1,2) Coarse synchronization: frequency, slot and subframe synchronization

Step 2:

Detected PSS, position of SSS is known. SSS can take 168 values that are Physical Cell ID group. The set of values for the two SSS within a frame are different-> UE gets frame synchronization (10ms) In LTE, there are 504 physical layer cell identities grouped into 168 groups (SSS) each one of them contains 3 cell ID (PSS) PCI = 3*(SSS)+PSS

 Step 3:
With frame synchronisation and the Physical Cell ID the UE knows the physical cell ID. It can identify the cell specific reference signals and begin channel estimation Then, it can decode the BCH that carries the system information

After successful BCH decoding the UE may access the system (RACH procedure)

P-SCH: coarse frequency synch and symbol, slot and subframe synchronization S-SCH: frame synchronization (boundaries of 10ms frame)

BCH: cell information

Default EPS Bearer :

Be established during Attach Process Allocate IP address to UE Does not have specific QoS (only Nominal QoS is applied). Similar to Primary PDP Context in UMTS

Dedicated EPS Bearer :

Normally be established during the call setup after idle mode. (but can be established during the attach as well). Does not allocate any additional IP address to UE Is linked to a specified default EPS bearer Have a specific (usually guaranteed) QoS Similar to Secondary PDP Context in UMTS

More info TS 36.213

Used in several cases. E.g. initial access (from idle to connected), to re-establish a radio link after a failure, as part of the handover to get UL synchronization
Process:

UEs selects randomly a preamble from the list of preambles broadcasted in the BCCH UE calculates Initial Tx Power based on pathloss Checks contention parameters (i.e. max. number of retries) UE transmits initial RACH and waits for a response before retry. Open loop PC ensures that each retry will be at a higher power level Upon receipt of successful UL RACH preamble, eNB calculates power adjustment and timing advance parameters together with an UL capacity grant (so UE can send more info)
Not detected DL Next PRACH resource Preamble Preamble PRACH response On the resources indicated by PDCCH

UL

PUSCH: UE specific data

Contention Based Non contentions Based RACH process happens when

Initial access from RRC_IDLE RRC Connection Re-establishment procedure Handover DL data arrival during RRC_CONNECTED requiring random access procedure UL data arrival during RRC_CONNECTED requiring random access procedure. when UL synchronisation status is "non-synchronised" or there are no PUCCH resources for SR* available. E.g. when timing advance is needed for UE positioning

8. PRACH Preamble

11. PDSCH Physical Downlink Shared Channel (Random Access response, ID of the received preamble, UL resources for TX, C-RNTI) 12. PUSCH Physical Uplink Shared Channel (RRC: RRC Connection Request, C-RNTI, TMSI or random number) 13. PDSCH Physical Downlink Shared Channel (Contention Resolution,

UE

eNodeB

C-RNTI & TMSI)

UE

Network

Continued.....

UE

Network

Continued.....

UE

Network

UE eNB

MME/ SGW

UE

eNB

MME/ SGW

UE

eNB

MME/ SGW