2G Codec Modification

Nokia and Huawei

Codec Usage Breakdown – Nokia vs Huawei

Nokia and Huawei use the same Codec Set [BTS], hence we have a smiliar usage at NW level.
 Link Adaptation Feature

Link Adaptation is the capability of AMR feature to vary the codec used according to the link conditions.
Both network, for uplink, and MS, for downlink, measure the radio conditions in each link and take
decisions on which codec should be applied to each way and AMR codec mode adaptation is done
independently in UL and DL.
There are two link adaptation (LA) modes; the ETSI specified fast LA and the Nokia proprietary slow LA.
slowAmrLaEnabled: if it is set to "N" (default) than used ETSI fast LA will be used; if it is set to "Y" it
used Nokia slow LA.

Parameter name Abbreviated name Managed object Description Range

With this parameter you define the AMR link fast LA mode is used (N) (0), enable slow
Slow AMR LA Enabled slowAmrLaEnabled BSC adaptation AMR LA mode
(LA) mode within the BSS. (Y) (1)

Current value: slowAmrLaEnabled is set to 0 so fast LA (ETSI) is used

The fast LA allows in-band codec mode changes on every other TCH frame, but in the Nokia proprietary
slow LA, the BTS allows in-band codec mode changes only on SACCH frame intervals, interval of 480 ms.

Nokia and Huawei use the same Codec Set [BTS], hence we have a smiliar usage at NW level.
Link Adaptation Feature
 Two different types of link adaptation algorithms are defined: Codec Mode Adaptation and Channel
Mode Adaptation

 AMR codec mode adaptation algorithm adapts the bit-rate partitioning between the speech and channel

coding for a given channel mode to track changes in the radio link and to account for specific input

conditions (speech signal characteristics, acoustic environmental characteristics, etc.)

1. Codec Mode Adaptation or Link Adaptation (LA) is the algorithm that selects which codec has to be used

each moment by the MS (in UL) or by the network (in DL direction).

2. The basic AMR codec mode sets for MS and BTS are provided by BSC via layer 3 signalling.

3. Both the MS and the network implement their own C/I measurement algorithms

4. C/I measuremnt algorithms are vendor dependant / proprietary

5. Nokia has common UL/DL link adaptation thresholds.

Link Adaptation Feature
Definition of the AMR Active Codec Set

AMR codec mode adaptation is done within a set of up to four codec modes. The codec mode set (Active Codec
Set) to be used by the BSS and the MS is defined during call set-up and/or handover by layer 3 signalling defined
in GSM 04.08 [2]. The Active Codec Set (ACS) can be changed during a call using a RATSCCH message.
 Link Adaptation Feature
Definition of Codec Mode Command/Request decision thresholds:
 The Codec Mode Command/Request decision thresholds shall be defined at call set-up and/or handover by
layer 3 signalling as defined in GSM 04.08 [2]. The decision thresholds may be changed during a call using a
RATSCCH message. For each pair of neighbouring codec modes in the Active Codec Set, a threshold and a
hysteresis value in terms of normalized carrier to interference ratio (C/Inorm), is defined.

Definition of Threshold and Hysteresis for codec mode adaptation

 Abbreviated Managed
Parameter name Description
name object

With this parameter you define the codec

mode set for a full rate channel. If the
BTS parameter is defined as disabled, then the
whole codec mode set is disabled. If the
parameter is defined as disabled, then other
AMR FR Codec amrConfFrCode AMR FR set related parameters (thresholds,
Mode Set cModeSet hystereses, ICMI and start mode) are set as 0.

Parameter Abbreviate Manage

Description Range
name d name d object
With this parameter you define the
downlink threshold for
switching from codec mode 2 MML range: 0 to 63
AMR FR DL
BTS (second lowest bit rate) to (0...31.5 dB, step
Threshold 1
codec mode 1 (lowest bit rate). 0.5 dB)
amrConfFrDlT Unused threshold is set MML default: 8 (4
hreshold1 as 0. dB)
With this parameter you define the
downlink threshold
for switching from codec mode 3 MML range: 0 to 63
BTS (third lowest bit (0...31.5 dB, step
rate) to codec mode 2 (second 0.5 dB)
amrConfFrDlT AMR FR DL lowest bit rate). MML default: 14 (7
hreshold2 Threshold 2 Unused threshold is set as 0. dB)
With this parameter you define the
downlink threshold MML range: 0 to 63
for switching from codec mode 4 (0...31.5 dB, step
BTS
(fourth lowest 0.5 dB)
amrConfFrDlT AMR FR DL bit rate) to codec mode 3 (third MML default: 22 (11
hreshold3 Threshold 3 lowest bit rate). dB)
Parameter name range step default value
amrConfFrHysteresis1
amrConfFrHysteresis2 0...7.5 db
amrConfFrHysteresis3 0.5 db 1 db
 Link Adaptation Feature
Initial Codec Mode Selection at Call
Setup and Handover
 The Initial Codec Mode (ICM), to start the speech coding operation with at call set-up and after handover may be signalled by
layer 3 signalling. It may also be signalled by a RATSCCH message.

 This explicitly signalled ICM shall have preference over the default ICM, as describe below:

 If the Initial Codec Mode is not signalled, then the default Initial Codec Mode is given by the following implicit rule.

If the Active Codec Set contains:

 1 mode, then this hall be the Initial Codec Mode;

 2 or 3 modes, then the Initial Codec mode shall be the most robust mode of the set (with lowest bit rate);

 4 modes, then the Initial Codec Mode shall be the second most robust mode of the set (with second lowest bit rate. If the Active
Codec Set is changed during the call, then this default Initial Codec Mode shall used until an other ICM is explicitly signalled.

In our case,we use implicit rule and, we have 4 modes in FR and 3 modes in HR.
 Link Adaptation Feature
 AMR channel mode adaptation algorithm allocates a half-rate or full-rate channel according to
channel quality and the traffic load on the cell in order to obtain the best balance between quality
and capacity.
1. Channel Mode Adaptation is an intra BTS HO algorithm that aims at select the correct channel rate (FR or
HR).

2. The selection of the channel rate depends on 2 main factors: load and quality

There are Some pareamter of Load based AMR packing and unpacking at BTS and BSC level.
Packing of Full Rate (FR) AMR calls to Half Rate (HR) AMR calls due to cell load
Spontaneous packing of FR AMR calls to HR AMR calls is triggered when the cell load is high enough, that is the number of free full rate resources
reduces below the value of the parameter Lower limit for FR TCH resources (according to the BTS level parameter, if it contradicts the BSC level
parameter). Packing continues until the cell load is low enough, that is the number of free full rate resources increases above the value of the
parameter Upper limit for FR TCH resources (according to the BTS level parameter, if it contradicts with the BSC level parameter).
A packing request is valid until it is overwritten by a new one. A packing request, which indicates the amount N as 0, is used to remove any pending
packing requests.
Unpacking of HR AMR calls to FR AMR calls due to call quality
Spontaneous unpacking of HR AMR calls to FR AMR calls is triggered when the quality of a HR AMR call degrades below the intra HO threshold Rx qual
for AMR HR. Cell load does not have an effect.
 amrLoadDepTchRateLower
Codec Enhancement Feature
Exemple: EFR

Nokia and Huawei use the same Codec Set [BTS], hence we have a smiliar usage at NW level.
Parameters Summary

Nokia and Huawei use the same Codec Set [BTS], hence we have a smiliar usage at NW level.
Action Plan

Nokia and Huawei use the same Codec Set [BTS], hence we have a smiliar usage at NW level.
ThAnK YoU
Nokia and Huawei