Digital Control Channel Research Articles

Design of a medium access control feedback mechanism for cellular TDMA packet data systems

Cellular packet data systems require medium access control (MAC) protocols that allow flexible resource allocation on both the uplink and the downlink. The overhead introduced for managing MAC functions should be minimized, and control fields should be well protected in order to provide robustness to channel errors. The IS-136 TDMA digital control channel specifies shared channel feedback (SCF) procedures and fields for managing uplink resources. However, the SCF mechanism is not well suited to long packet data transactions. We describe a simple and robust packet channel feedback (PCF) mechanism for an IS-136 based TDMA packet data channel by identifying the minimal set of functions and fields required to manage both contention access and reserved access. The proposed scheme has unambiguous state transitions and better performance under error conditions. The PCF scheme provides considerable flexibility in assigning bandwidth to multiple users, and allows the efficient scheduling of contention and reservation opportunities on each subchannel without wasted slots.

Service and system enhancements for TDMA digital cellular systems

Throughout 1998, the TDMA community investigated and defined an enhanced suite of voice and data services for TIA/EIA-136 while also improving its basic system capabilities. These enhancements, collectively named 136+, provide improved voice quality, increased capacity, higher data rates, and improved tools for RF system engineering. The enhancements are obtained by introducing a new modulation scheme (8-PSK), new slot formats, and the addition of several new interleaving and coding options. As a result, TIA/EIA-136 now supports a new vocoder mode, the GSM enhanced full-rate (US1) for improved fidelity applications, a robust IS-641 vocoder mode with a 4 dB BER enhancement on the IS-136 downlink, and a new packet data service capable of providing usable data rates of 14.4, 28.8, or 43.2 kb/s on a full-rate, double full-rate, or triple full-rate channel, respectively. The packet data service is truly evolutionary in nature, having a new medium access control layer with a network layer very similar to that used for the existing digital control channel. In addition, it maximizes commonalities among TDMA technologies, using identical higher layers and network architecture to the general packet radio service specified in GSM. Furthermore, by using a concept known as tunneling to pass TIA/EIA-136 messages through the GPRS network elements, the existing features defined on the DCCH are maintained. This article provides an overview of these 136+ applications, as well as insight into near-term improvements, such as the ability to support six voice users per 30 kHz (IDMA6), downlink time diversity, and fast power control.

A Broadband Accelerator Control Network

A broadband data communications network has been implemented at BNL for control of the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron (AGS) proton accelerator, using commercial CATV hardware, dual coaxial cables as the communications medium, and spanning 2.0 km. A 4 MHz bandwidth Digital Control Channel using CSMA-CA protocol is provided for digital data transmission, with 8 access nodes available over the length of the RELWAY. Each node consists of an rf modem and a microprocessor-based store-and-forward message handler which interfaces the RELWAY to a branch line implemented in GPIB. A gateway to the RELWAY control channel for the (preexisting) AGS Computerized Accelerator Operating System has been constructed using an LSI-11/23 microprocessor as a device in a GPIB branch line. A multilayer communications protocol has been defined for the Digital Control Channel, based on the ISO Open Systems Interconnect layered model, and a RELWAY Device Language defined as the required universal language for device control on this channel.