PHS-UMTS and GSM-UMTS Interference Analysis

November 2003

Outline
Interference Overview

Co-located Base Stations

Analysis
PHS to UMTS, UMTS to PHS GSM to UMTS, UMTS to GSM

Solutions

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Interference Overview

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Many Technologies Share the Radio Spectrum

UMTS & GSM (FDD) have separate downlink and uplink allocations PHS (TDD) has one allocation for both downlink and uplink
BTS Transmitting
GSM: 930 960 MHz DCS: 1850 1880 MHz UMTS: 2110 2170 MHz Tx Rx

BTS Receiving
GSM: 880 915 MHz DCS: 1755 1785 MHz UMTS: 1920 1980 MHz

PHS: 1900 1915

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Potential for Interference

Interference Basics
Transmitters radiate signals
In-channel In-band Out-of-band

The performance of the

receiver is evaluated
In-channel In-band Out-of-band

In-channel signals are

intentional, all others are unintentional Tx-Channel

Out Rx-Band

In Rx-Band

Out Rx-Band

Out Tx-Band In Tx-Band

Out Tx-Band Rx-Channel

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Interference Basics
A receiver can be affected by
Wideband noise Spurious emissions Inter-modulation products

Generated by the transmitter Generated by the receiver due to nearby transmissions

Normal transmitted carriers of near transmitters (blocking)

Consequences
Receiver de-sensitization (in-channel) Receiver blocking (out-of-band)

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Spurious Emissions & Intermodulations Example Out-of-band transmissions

System A
Tx-Channel

from system A fall inside the receive channel for system B

Out Tx-Band
In Tx-Band

Out Tx-Band

Out Rx-Band

In Rx-Band

Out Rx-Band

System B
Rx-Channel
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Blocking Example
System A
Tx-Channel

In-channel transmissions from system A fall outside the receive band for system B
Out Tx-Band

Out Tx-Band In Tx-Band

Out Rx-Band

In Rx-Band

Out Rx-Band

Rx-Channel

System B

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Considerations and Goals of the Interference Analysis

Antenna performance BTS performance

Isolation = Path Loss

Required isolation between UMTS other technology to meet desensitization target

Spurious Emissions and Intermodulations Analysis

Blocking Analysis

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Interference Scenarios
Recall that each node has a transmitter and a receiver
Number of possible interference scenarios is large

Scenarios
BTS to BTS: DL to UL interference Mobile to mobile: UL to DL interference One system BTS to other system mobile: DL to DL interference One system mobile to other system BTS: UL to UL interference

Recall that technologies generate mutual interference

Each of these scenarios has two directions, e.g., UMTS to PHS, and PHS to UMTS

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Base Station to Base Station, Mobile to Mobile

Coverage Impact to Victim System

Base station to base station interference Base stations are co-located High base station transmit power Interference generated by one base station reduces other base stations coverage Receiver desensitization!

Mobile to mobile interference Mobile is far from its own base station Low downlink power headroom available Interference generated by other systems mobile reduces victim mobiles coverage Receiver desensitization!

Coverage Impact to Victim Mobile

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Mobile-Base Station Mutual Interference

Coverage Impact to Victim System

Mobile to base station interference Mobile is far from its own base station High mobile transmit power Interference generated by mobile reduces victim cells coverage Receiver desensitization!

Base station to mobile interference Mobile is far from its own base station Low downlink power headroom available Interference generated by base station reduces victim mobiles coverage Receiver desensitization!

Coverage Impact to Victim Mobile

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Downlink Impacts to CDMA-based Systems

These examples have shown coverage loss as a result of
downlink interference

However, with CDMA-based systems such as UMTS, the

impact of downlink interference is actually capacity loss

With CDMA, downlink interference raises the average

power per radio bearer (PRB) which reduces capacity (N)

Pmax Poverhead Pblocking PRB SPU V

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Our Focus is Co-located Base Stations

Mobile to mobile interference
Cant prevent mobiles from getting too near one another

Mobile-base station interference

Same operator: Can minimize this phenomenon through colocation Different operator: Cant prevent mobiles from approaching other operators base stations

Base station to base station (co-location) interference

Our focus today

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Co-located Base Stations

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Co-located Base Stations

Emissions from one base station can desensitize the other
This results in cell shrinkage on the victim system

The goal is to determine the required isolation between

base station which results in acceptable desensitization

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Co-located Base Stations

The amount of desensitization which is acceptable is an
engineering decision, not a hard rule
A higher threshold results in more sites but less cost per site A lower threshold results in more equipment (e.g., filters) and design challenges at the cell site, but fewer sites

We choose 0.8 dB desensitization

Big differences between requirements in the technical
specifications and actual equipment performance
Real equipment is usually much better than spec. We try to consider both

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Relevant Co-location Scenarios

PHS (UMTS) transmitter to UMTS (PHS) receiver

GSM (UMTS) transmitter to UMTS (GSM) receiver

We consider all sources of interference
Wideband noise Spurious emissions Intermodulations Blocking

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Analysis

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PHS Base Station to UMTS Base Station

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Calculating the Maximum Interference Level in the UMTS Receive Band

Base station noise floor
-174.0 + 10*log10(3,840,000) + 3.3 = -104.9 dBm

Base station noise floor with interference

-104.9 + 0.8 = -104.1 dBm

Difference between noise floors with and without

interference
39.3 32.7 = 6.6 fW = -112 dBm

So maximum strength for any interferer is -112 dBm

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PHS to UMTS Wideband Noise

Recall
UMTS uplink: 1920-1980 MHz PHS downlink: 1900-1915 MHz
5 MHz Separation

PHS wideband emissions specifications are vague

Only cover within 948 kHz of the carrier frequency

However, PHS likely generates insignificant wideband

noise in the UMTS receiver

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PHS to UMTS Spurious Emissions

Again the PHS emissions specifications are vague
Specification requires less than 2.5 W outside of the PHS band (no bandwidth specified) We assume 5 MHz; the specification is effectively -56 dBm/5 MHz

This implies that 56 dB of isolation between PHS and UMTS

are required
Reference points are the base station antenna ports Cannot be achieved through antenna separation alone

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PHS to UMTS Intermodulations

The PHS specifications do not explicitly specify
intermodulation limits
We assume they are included in the spurious emissions requirements

This again implies 56 dB of isolation between PHS and

UMTS are required

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PHS to UMTS Blocking

UMTS TS 25.104 specifies a blocking tolerance of -40 dBm
in the PHS band (1900-1915 MHz)

We assume a PHS base station transmit power of 13 dBm This implies that 53 dB of isolation between PHS and UMTS
are required

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UMTS Base Station to PHS Base Station

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Calculating the Maximum Interference Level in the PHS Receive Band

Base station noise floor
-174.0 + 10*log10(300,000) + 4.0 = -115.2 dBm

Base station noise floor with interference

-115.2 + 0.8 = -114.4 dBm

Difference between noise floors with and without

interference
3.6 3.0 = 0.6 fW = -122 dBm

So maximum strength for any interferer is -122 dBm

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UMTS to PHS Wideband Noise

Similar to PHS transmitter in UMTS receiver

The UMTS transmitter generates insignificant wideband

noise in the PHS receive band

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UMTS to PHS Spurious Emissions

UMTS TS 25.104 specifies spurious emissions of 98 dBm
over 100 kHz
Effectively -93.2 dBm/300 kHz

We assume a PHS base station noise figure of 4 dB

This implies that 29 dB of isolation between UMTS and PHS

are required
Achieved easily through antenna separation

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UMTS to PHS Intermodulation Products

The requirement is the same as for spurious emissions

The same isolation is required (29 dB)

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UMTS to PHS Blocking

No PHS specifications available

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PHS-UMTS Interference Summary

The most constraining form of interference is spurious
emissions from PHS to UMTS
Requires 56 dB of isolation

However
We have been forced to interpret the vague PHS specifications; our interpretation could be pessimistic Regardless, real PHS equipment probably performs much better

Isolation can be realized through

Antenna separation (free space loss): at least 32 dB Antenna gain patterns, especially if separation is vertical Antenna cable losses: about 5 dB Filtering on the PHS base station: up to 19 dB, depending
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GSM Base Station to UMTS Base Station

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GSM to UMTS Wideband Noise

Frequency separation between the GSM 900/1800 band and
the UMTS band is large

GSM 900/1800 generates insignificant wideband noise in

the UMTS receiver

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GSM to UMTS Spurious Emissions

Prior to GSM R99, GSM 05.05 limits on spurious emissions
in the UMTS band were very loose
Originally -30 dBm/3 MHz, tightened to -96 dBm/100 kHz

For pre-R99: 83 dB of isolation between UMTS and GSM

are required
Again, very difficult to achieve through antenna separation alone

For post-R99: only 32 dB of isolation required

Easy to achieve through antenna separation

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GSM to UMTS Intermodulations

GSM 05.05 recommends that intermodulations should not
exceed spurious emissions
If interfering signal is 30 dB less than the desired signal

Since the requirement is the same as for spurious

emissions, we need the same isolation (83 dB or 32 dB)

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GSM to UMTS Blocking

UMTS TS 25.104 specifies a blocking tolerance in the GSM
transmit band of +16 dBm

Only 27 dB of isolation are required

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UMTS BTS to GSM BTS

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UMTS to GSM Wideband Noise

Similar to GSM transmitter in UMTS receiver

The UMTS transmitter generates insignificant wideband

noise in the GSM receive band

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UMTS to GSM Spurious Emissions

UMTS TS 25.104 specifies spurious emissions of 98 dBm
over 100 kHz

29 dB of isolation between the UMTS antenna port and the

GSM antenna port are required
Easy to achieve

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UMTS to GSM Intermodulation Products

Since the requirement is the same as for spurious
emissions, we need the same isolation (29 dB)

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UMTS to GSM Blocking

GSM 05.05 recommendations on out-of-band blocking are
GSM 900: 8 dBm GSM 1800: 0 dBm

We assume a UMTS transmit power of 45 dBm

Isolation requirements are thus

GSM 900: 37 dB GSM 1800: 45 dB

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GSM-UMTS Interference Summary

The most constraining forms of interference are
Spurious emissions from pre-R99 GSM to UMTS: requires 83 dB of isolation Blocking from UMTS to GSM: requires up to 45 dB of isolation

However, real equipment performs much better

Only need 32-42 dB of isolation between the GSM transmitter and UMTS receiver (not 83 dB) Only need 0-3 dB of isolation between the UMTS transmitter and GSM receiver (not 45 dB)

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GSM-UMTS Interference Summary

Isolation relatively easy to realize

Antenna separation (free space loss) provides 32 dB of

loss if distance is at least 1 meter

Antenna gain patterns can provide significant loss,

especially if separation is vertical

Antenna cable losses can provide about 5 dB

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Solutions

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Strategies
Deployment methods
Co-location of technologies (base stations) to minimize mobilebase station mutual interference Physically separated antennas

Vertical separation provides the most isolation

Additional hardware
Transmit filtering to address wideband noise, spurious emissions Receive filtering to address blocking, some intermodulations

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Method
Wideband Noise Spurious emissions Blocking

Intermodulations

Co-location Solutions

BTS Radio Performance

Filter / Diplexer / Triplexer BTS Antenna

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Antenna Decoupling Antenna Isolation

Co-located Site Configuration Example

Antenna separation
Vertical (preferred) Horizontal
System A BTS

Antenna Separation

External filter(s)
On the transmitter to reduce spurious emissions and wideband noise On the receiver to reduce blocking
System B BTS

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Examples of Antenna Configurations

Tma

Tma

Tma

Tma

Tma

Tma

Rx / Tx Rx/Tx ou Rx E ricsson RBS200 c/ duplex E ricsson RBS2202 Lucent RBS2000/6 Hybrid Lucent RBS2000/12 Hybrid

Tma

Tma

Tma

GSM 900

Rx / Tx Rx/Tx ou Rx E ricsson RBS200 c/ duplex E ricsson RBS2202 Lucent RBS2000/6 Hybrid Lucent RBS2000/12 Hybrid

Tma

Tma

Tma

GSM 900

Rx/ Tx UM TS

Rx/ Tx

Rx / Tx Rx/Tx ou Rx E ricsson RBS200 c/ duplex E ricsson RBS2202 Lucent RBS2000/6 Hybrid Lucent RBS2000/12 Hybrid

GSM 900

Rx / Tx Rx/Tx ou Rx E ricsson RBS200 c/ duplex E ricsson RBS2202 Lucent RBS2000/6 Hybrid Lucent RBS2000/12 Hybrid

GSM 900

Rx/ Tx UM TS

Rx/ Tx

Tma

Tma

Tma

Tma

Tma

Tma

Tma

Tma

Tma

Tma

Rx / Tx Rx/Tx ou Rx E ricsson RBS200 c/ duplex E ricsson RBS2202 Lucent RBS2000/6 Hybrid Lucent RBS2000/12 Hybrid

Tma

GSM 900

Tma

Tma

Tma

Rx/ Tx

Tma

GSM 1800 1800

Rx/ Tx

Tma

Tma

Tma

Tma

Rx / Tx Rx/Tx ou Rx E ricsson RBS200 c/ duplex E ricsson RBS2202 Lucent RBS2000/6 Hybrid Lucent RBS2000/12 Hybrid

Tma

GSM 900

Rx/ Tx

GSM 1800 1800

Rx/ Tx

Rx/ Tx UM TS

Rx/ Tx

Rx / Tx Rx/Tx ou Rx E ricsson RBS200 c/ duplex E ricsson RBS2202 Lucent RBS2000/6 Hybrid Lucent RBS2000/12 Hybrid

GSM 900

Rx/ Tx

1800 GSM 1800

Rx/ Tx

Rx / Tx Rx/Tx ou Rx E ricsson RBS200 c/ duplex E ricsson RBS2202 Lucent RBS2000/6 Hybrid Lucent RBS2000/12 Hybrid

GSM 900

Rx/ Tx

Rx/ Tx

Rx/ Tx UM TS

Rx/ Tx

1800 GSM 1800

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Conclusions
UMTS co-location with PHS and GSM is a commercial
necessity

Mutual interference between UMTS and other systems

must be addressed
Particularly UMTS-PHS and UMTS-GSM

Solutions do exist: Both deployment strategies and

hardware can be used to reduce impacts of interference

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