TETRA in Depth with RF Basics

Part 1: Basics of RF (2 days)

• Radio Waves and Channels
  • What are radio waves?
  • The electromagnetic spectrum
  • Controlling radio use: The role of the regulator
  • Spectrum allocations
  • Radio bandwidth and channels
• RF Mathematics Explained
  • A simple overview and explanation of the math we will use in this course
  • The math processes and examples
• The Language of RF
  • dBs, dBm, dBw, dBi
  • Understanding the relevance of the terms
  • Antennas and antenna gain
• Noise and Interference
  • Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR)
  • Shannon’s Law and its relevance
  • Thermal noise
  • Man-made noise
  • Impact of rainfall and other impairments
• Radio Modulation
  • What is radio modulation?
  • Modulation techniques
  • Forward error correction: What it is and how it works
• Radio Propagation
  • What propagation is and how it works
  • Impairments to propagation
  • Path loss predictions and modelling
  • Fading environments
  • Multipath
  • Diversity techniques

Part 2. TETRA in Depth (5 days)

• Introduction
  • Trunked mobile communications
  • Concepts and benefits of trunking
  • TETRA technology
  • ETSI standardization
  • The TETRA MoU
  • TETRA equipment and systems
• Features and Services
  • TETRA features
  • Bearer services, teleservices, supplementary services
  • Voice and data services
  • Circuit-switched and packet-switched data
  • IP packet data
  • Short Data Service (SDS)
  • Direct Mode Operation (DMO))
  • Trunked Mode Operation (TMO)
  • Support for Value Added Services (VAS)
  • TETRA applications
  • Spectral efficiency
  • Security aspects
• TETRA Architecture
  • BS, LSC, MSC, LS, MT, TE
  • TETRA network and standard interfaces
  • Standard gateways
  • Trunked mode air interfaces
  • Inter System Interface (ISI)
  • Terminal Equipment Interface (PEI)
  • Line Station Interface (LSI)
  • Network Management Interface (NMI)
  • Direct Mode Air Interface (DMAI)
  • Gateways to public networks
  • TETRA Direct Mode Operation (DMO)
  • Gateway mobile station
  • Repeater station
  • Interoperability
• Addressing, Numbering, Dialing, and TETRA MMI
  • Numbering and addressing
  • TEI, MNI, TSI, SSI
  • GTSI, ATSI
  • Handset identification
  • Leading digit dialing
  • Call scenarios
  • TETRA IP
• TETRA Air Interface
  • Spectrum allocations and channel assignments
  • Physical and logical channels
  • TDMA structure
  • Medium Access Control (MAC) sublayers
  • Logical Link Control (LLC) layer
  • Frame, slot and burst structures
  • Air interface message sets
• TETRA Procedures
  • MS operational modes
  • Mobility management
  • Cell selection and reselection
  • Cell selection in traffic mode
  • Security, authentication, and encryption
  • Failover options
  • Example call setup message flows
• TETRA Voice Coding
  • ACELP coding
  • Speech vs. transmission frames
  • Interfaces to other voice systems
  • Voice transcoding
• TETRA and Data Networks
  • Circuit mode data operation
  • Packet mode operation
  • X.25, TETRA data services, SCLNP
  • Inter-network protocols
  • TETRA IP
  • Interworking with IP networks
  • TETRA over IP solutions
• TETRA Security and Billing
  • Overview of TETRA security requirements
  • Authentication, air interface encryption
  • End-to-end encryption
  • Billing in TETRA networks
• TETRA Physical Layer
  • Frequency allocation
  • Carrier frequencies and radio channel numbers
  • π/4DQPSK modulation
  • Frame, slot and burst structures
  • Synchronization
  • Frequency reference
  • Transmission delays
  • Scrambling
  • Power control
  • Channel quality measurement
  • Physical layer performance
• TETRA Data Link Layer
  • LLC and MAC sublayers
  • Coding and interleaving
  • FEC and error detection
  • Channel coding for data and signaling
  • Coding parameters
  • Stealing
  • Random Access (RA)
  • Logical channel routing
  • System modes: Normal, extended, minimum, discontinuous
  • Mobile station modes: Idle, signaling and packet data, traffic, economy
• TETRA Network Layer
  • Network layer concepts
  • TETRA network layer
  • TETRA protocol stacks
  • Mobile to base link
  • Mobility management protocols
  • Circuit mode operation
  • Packet mode operation
  • X.25, TETRA data services, SCLNP
  • Inter-network protocols
• TETRA and Public Mobile Systems
  • GSM services and features
  • Comparison of TETRA and GSM
  • Convergence of TETRA and GSM
  • Evolution of TETRA towards 3G services
  • Unifying TETRA and UMTS
• TETRA Network Planning
  • Frequency spectrum, planning and re-useC/I requirement; coverage requirement
  • Coverage planning
  • TETRA link budget
  • Capacity planning
  • GoS requirement and traffic load prediction
  • Challenges for TETRA planning
  • Tools for TETRA planning
• Indoor Radio Planning
  • Why is indoor coverage important?
  • Indoor planning procedure
  • The RF design process
  • Design strategy
  • The indoor link budget
• TETRA Performance
  • Received signal strength measurement
  • Signal quality measurement; receiver sensitivity
  • Round trip MS-BS path delay
  • TETRA reference channels; TETRA receiver classes
  • Interference to other systems
  • Monitoring TETRA performance
  • Field measurements
  • Tools for field measurement
• Wrap-up
  • Course Recap and Q/A
  • Evaluations