UMA/GAN Test System

UMA/GAN Test System

Last updated: January 15, 2009

This section is only applicable to the lab applications.

The UMA/GAN Test System is intended for use in lab based functional, application, and pre-conformance testing of dual mode enabled UMA/GAN handsets.

UMA/GAN Concept

The Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) is an extension of GSM/GPRS mobile services into the customer's premises. It is achieved by tunnelling GSM/GPRS protocols through a broadband IP network and an unlicensed radio link in the customer's premises. Additional protocols control and manage the UMA access network, and carry bearer traffic over IP. UMA is therefore a complement to traditional GSM/GPRS radio coverage - used to enhance customer premises coverage, increase network capacity and potentially lower costs.

The first UMA specifications were published in September 2004 (R1.0.0). After the initial release, the UMA specifications were contributed to the 3GPP organization as part of 3GPP work item "Generic Access to A/Gb interfaces". On 8th April 2005, the 3GPP approved specifications for Generic Access to A/Gb interfaces for inclusion in 3GPP Release 6 (3GPP TS 43.318). There were only trivial terminology changes made to the UMA protocol and architecture specifications during the transition to 3GPP.

Under 3GPP, what was previously known as UMA is now instead referred to as Generic Access Network or GAN and the UMA Network Controller (UNC) entity is instead referred to as a Generic Access Network Controller or GANC.

The following figure gives the functional architecture of a Generic Access Network.

Two new entities are introduced by the GAN architecture:

UMA/GAN Typical Test Configuration

The figure above provides a pictorial overview of the system, the premise of which is to provide integrated lab based emulation of both a UTRAN cell and a GAN "cell" for use by a connected MS. The system is designed to allow a connected MS to make either UTRAN or GAN based voice, data and signaling connections as well as to exercise all applicable GAN <-> UTRAN mode transitions. The system achieves this aim through simulation or inclusion of all real-world network components that are required for such procedures.

The UMA/GAN test system is comprised of the following components:

Note: Only the test set, its associated firmware and the GANC application software in such a system are supplied by Keysight. All other components must be supplied and configured independently by yourself.

UMA/GAN related procedures

The procedures supported in the UMA/GAN Test System include:

See UMA/GAN Procedures Ladder Diagrams for the message sequence chart of UMA/GAN related procedures.

Refer to the user guide of GAN Controller (E6962A) for details on how to perform the above test procedures.

UMA/GAN Parameters

Operating Considerations

The existing data throughput monitor at the test set can be used in the UMA/GAN test system to monitor data connections made by the MS over both GAN and UTRAN access stratums.

The Wireless Protocol Analyzer can log the UTRAN signaling and traffic protocols. For GAN logging, you can choose Wireshark (formerly known as Ethreal). Wireshark is a free network protocol analyzer widely used throughout the communications and IT industry. Wireshark provides very good support for logging all GAN signaling and user data messages sent between the MS and GANC and also does a pretty good job of decoding any embedded UTRAN core network destined messages contained within them.

Transmitter and Receiver Measurements are available at all times at the test set in the test system as per existing test set's behavior. However, the measurement results are only available at the test set when the MS is operating in UTRAN mode as otherwise there is no RF channel available to measure.

Related Topics


How to use the UMA/GAN Features

UMA/GAN Procedures Ladder Diagrams

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