How Do I Set Up the Two-Cell Test System and Perform Cell Transitions?

How Do I Set Up the Two-Cell Test System and Perform Cell Transitions?

Last updated: January 15, 2009

This section is only applicable to the lab application.

Description

Set Up the Two-Cell Test System

This procedure details how to set up the two-cell test system.

All of the procedures in this section require that you first set up the two-cell test system as follows:

  1. Connect the two test sets via an External Device Connection .
  2. If remote control of the test sets in the two-cell test system is required, connect each test set GPIB port to the controlling PC.
  3. Connect the mobile's RF port to both test sets in the two-cell test system via an RF splitter.
  4. Compensate for the losses through the splitter by setting the Amplitude Offset for each test set.
  5. Important : you must set DUT IP Address to a different value in each test set.
    In the GSM/GPRS/EGPRS application, DUT IP Address is accessible from DUT PDP Setup ( F2 ). In the W-CDMA/HSPA application, DUT IP Address is accessible from DUT IP Setup ( F2 ).
  6. If you wish to emulate a GSM/GPRS/EGPRS cell in one or both test sets:
    • Set Operating Mode ( F1 ) to Cell Off .
    • Set the BCH Cell Band to the proper value for your mobile, then set Broadcast Chan to a different value in each test set ( BCH Parameters ( F7 )).
    • Set TCH Traffic Channel and PDTCH Traffic Channel to a different value in each test set ( TCH Parameters ( F8 ) and PDTCH Parameters ( F9 )).
    • Set Cell Identity , LAC , RAC , NCC and BCC to a different value in each test set ( Cell Info ( F6 ), Cell Identification ( F3 )).
    • Set Persistent Attach State to On in both test sets ( Cell Info ( F6 ), Cell Operation ( F1 )).
    • Set IMSI Attach State to On in both test sets ( Cell Info ( F6 ), Cell Parameters ( F1 )).
    • Select Cell Info ( F6 ), Cell Lists ( F4 ):
      1. Select GSM Neighbours (BCH) ( F1 ), set Cell State to On and set Neighbor Cell 1 ARFCN , NCC and BCC to match the Broadcast Chan , NCC and BCC settings in the other test set (if both test sets are emulating a GSM/GPRS/EGPRS cell).
      2. Select 3G FDD Neighbors ( F4 ), set UARFCN State to On and set UARFCN and Cell 1 Scrambling Code to match the DL Channel and Primary Scrambling Code settings in the other test set (if the other test set is emulating a W-CDMA/HSPA cell).
    • Set Cell Parameters as desired to affect the cell selections/reselections ( Cell Info ( F6 )).
    • To allow mobile-initiated cell reselections, set Network Control Order to 0 or 1 ( Measurement Reports ( F6 ), Configure ( F2 ), General Meas Parameters ( F1 )).
    • Set Cell Power ( F7 ) as desired ( BCH Parameters ( F7 )).
    • Ensure that Data Connection Type ( F2 ) is set to Auto in both test sets.
    • Set Operating Mode ( F1 ) to Active Cell (GSM) , Active Cell (GPRS) or Active Cell (EGPRS) as desired in each test set.
  7. If you wish to emulate a W-CDMA/HSPA cell in one of the test sets:
    • Set Operating Mode ( F1 ) to Cell Off .
    • Set DL Channel to the proper value for your mobile ( Channel (UARFCN) Parms ( F12 ).
    • Set Primary Scrambling Code as desired ( Generator Info ( F3 ), Downlink Channel Codes ( F2 ), Shared Channel Codes ( F2 )).
    • Select SIB11 Cell Info List ( F3 ):
      1. Select SIB11 GSM Cells 1-4 Info List ( F4 ), set GSM 1st Cell State to On and set GSM 1st Cell NCC , BCC , Shared ARFCN Indicator and ARFCN to match the Broadcast Chan , NCC and BCC settings in the other test set.
    • Set LAC , RAC and Cell Identity to different values from the other test set, and set ATT (IMSI Attach) Flag State to Set ( Cell Info ( F2 ), Cell Parameters ( F1 )).
    • Set Cell Parameters , Reselection Parameters and Access Restriction Parameters as desired to affect the cell selections/reselections ( Cell Info ( F2 )).
    • Set Cell Power ( F7 ) as desired.
    • Set GPRS Radio Access Bearer as desired ( Data Channels ( F4 ), Packet Data Setup ( F1 )).
    • Set Operating Mode ( F1 ) to Active Cell .

Mobile-initiated Cell Selection/Reselection

Mobile-initiated Cell Selection

This procedure allows you to observe which cell the mobile selects from the two-cell test system once it has completed its power-up sequence.

  1. Set Up the Two-Cell Test System
  2. Power on the mobile.
  3. Wait for the mobile to perform its cell selection algorithms and camp on one of the test sets in the two-cell test system.
  4. Check to see which test set the mobile registers with/attaches to.

Mobile-initiated Cell Reselection (Idle Mode)

This procedure assumes that you have Set Up the Two-Cell Test System , the mobile has been powered on and is camped on one of the cells in the system as is described in the Mobile-initiated Cell Selection procedure.

Note, mobile-initiated cell reselection is not possible from a W-CDMA/HSPA cell when the mobile is PDP active. If you turn off the serving W-CDMA/HSPA test set's cell power, the mobile will find the other test set and establish a PDP Context with it; however, this is not the same as a mobile-initiated reselection to the other test set.

  1. Change the cell characteristics of one or both of the test sets in the two-cell test system such that the test set to which the mobile is not currently camped has more desirable characteristics than the one to which it is camped. For example, change the Cell Power of one or both of the test sets so that the test set that was not initially selected has a much stronger signal (or simply turn the cell power off in the test set the mobile is currently camped on).
  2. Verify that the mobile did in fact reselect the more appropriate cell by observing the changes in the connection status of both test sets in the two-cell test system. If the mobile automatically registers/attaches with the other test set, it is easy to see which cell the mobile is camped on by observing the connection status window. You can also originate a voice call from the mobile to determine to which cell it is currently camped.
  3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 if you want to force the mobile to return to the other test set in the two-cell test system.

Mobile-initiated Cell Reselection (PS Data Transfer Mode)

This procedure assumes that you have Set Up the Two-Cell Test System and the mobile has been powered on and is camped on one of the cells in the system as is described in the Mobile-initiated Cell Selection procedure.

Note, mobile-initiated cell reselection is not possible from a W-CDMA/HSPA cell when the mobile is PDP active. If you turn off the serving W-CDMA/HSPA test set's cell power, the mobile will find the other test set and establish a PDP Context with it; however, this is not the same as a mobile-initiated reselection to the other test set.

  1. Start a GPRS/EGPRS data connection between the mobile and the external server and configure the other test set for the type of data connection you wish to transfer to (by selecting the Operating Mode and Coding Scheme for GPRS/EGPRS or the GPRS Radio Access Bearer and CQI Value for W-CDMA/HSPA).
  2. Press the Instrument Selection key and select Data Throughput Monitor on both test sets. Observe the transfer of data on the current serving cell. You can also observe the DUT IP counters present on the Call Setup screen in GPRS/EGPRS or on the Data Channels screen in W-CDMA/HSPA.
  3. Change the cell characteristics of one or both of the test sets in the two-cell test system such that the test set which the mobile is not currently camped on has more desirable characteristics than the one it is currently camped on. For example, change the Cell Power of one or both of the test sets so that the test set that was not initially selected has much stronger signal (or simply turn the cell power off in the test set the mobile is currently camped on).
  4. Verify that the mobile did in fact reselect the more appropriate cell by observing the Data Throughput Monitor display and IP counters on both test sets.
  5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 if you want to force the mobile to return to the other test set in the two-cell test system.

Network-Initiated Cell Reselection and Handover

Network-initiated Cell Reselection (Idle Mode and PS Data Transfer Mode)

This procedure explains how to test both idle mode and packet-switched data transfer mode cell reselections. This procedure assumes that you have Set Up the Two-Cell Test System and the mobile has been powered on and is camped on one of the cells in the system as is described in the Mobile-initiated Cell Selection procedure. No CS voice call should be connected in this procedure.

Note, in a W-CDMA/HSPA cell, for Release 99 mobiles, network-initiated cell reselection is only possible when the mobile is PDP active.

  1. For idle mode cell reselections from a GSM/GPRS/EGPRS cell, ensure that the mobile is attached or PDP active. For idle mode cell reselection from a W-CDMA/HSPA cell, ensure that the mobile is PDP active. For PS data transfer mode cell reselection, ensure that there is an active GSM/GPRS/EGPRS or W-CDMA/HSPA data connection between the mobile and test set by observing the Data Throughput Monitor .
  2. If the current serving cell is GSM/GPRS/EGPRS, select Handover Parameters ( F10 ), Ext Handover Setup ( F9 ). If the current serving cell is W-CDMA/HSPA, select Handovers ( F5 ), 1 of 2 ( MORE ), External 8960 Handover ( F1 ).

    Note: The external handover menus are only available if the two test sets currently have an External Device Connection . This can be verified by observing the External Device Connection Setup screen ( SYSTEM CONFIG , More ( 1 of 2 ), External Device Connection ( F4 )), or the ExtDev status indicator in the Instrument Status Area :

  3. Press Ext Handover Execute or Execute Ext 8960 Handover ( F5 ). This instructs the network to send a PCCO message if the current serving cell is GPRS/EGPRS or a CCO message if the current serving cell is W-CDMA/HSPA.
  4. Ensure that the (packet) cell change order was successful by viewing connection status on both test sets (for idle mode cell reselection) or the Data Throughput Monitor display and IP counters on both test sets (for PS data transfer mode cell reselection).
  5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 if you want to force the mobile to return to the other test set in the two-cell test system.

Handover (CS Voice and DTM)

This procedure only applies to CS (Circuit-Switched) voice and DTM (Dual Transfer Mode) handovers. This procedure assumes that you have Set Up the Two-Cell Test System and the mobile has been powered on and is camped on one of the cells in the system as is described in the Mobile-initiated Cell Selection procedure.

Note, because simultaneous services in the W-CDMA/HSPA application do not support two-cell test system handovers, perfoming a handover from a GSM/GPRS/EGPRS DTM connection to a W-CDMA/HSPA cell is unsupported, and may result in undetermined behavior.

  1. Establish a mobile originated or mobile terminated CS voice call with one of the test sets, (or a DTM connection if your GSM/GPRS/EGPRS mobile supports it and your two-cell test system is emulating two GSM/GPRS/EGPRS cells). The voice connection status should display Connected (for a DTM connection, the connection status window displays the voice and data connection status in the form: voice/data).
  2. If the current serving cell is GSM/GPRS/EGPRS, select Handover Parameters ( F10 ), Ext Handover Setup ( F9 ). If the current serving cell is W-CDMA/HSPA, select Handovers ( F5 ), 1 of 2 ( MORE ), External 8960 Handover ( F1 ).

    Note: The external handover menus are only available if the two test sets currently have an External Device Connection . This can be verified by observing the External Device Connection Setup screen ( SYSTEM CONFIG , More ( 1 of 2 ), External Device Connection ( F4 )), or the ExtDev status indicator in the Instrument Status Area :

  3. Press Ext Handover Execute or Execute Ext 8960 Handover ( F5 ). This instructs the network to begin its handover procedure.
  4. Ensure that the handover was successful by viewing the connection status window. During the handover, both test sets display Handover . The destination test set then transitions to Connected , while the originating test set transitions to Idle .
  5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 if you want to force the mobile to return to the other test set in the two-cell test system.

Related Topics

Two-Cell Test System

Troubleshooting the Two-Cell Test System

How Do I Make an External Device Connection?

Amplitude Offset