QUESTION BANK

SUBJECT: GSM (06EC844)

PART-A

UNIT 1 (GSM ARCHITECTURE AND INTERFACES)

1. What is GSM? What was the purpose of introducing GSM?

2. What are the frequency bands used in GSM?

3. What are the general objectives of a GSM PLMN network?

4. What are the services offered by GSM PLMN?

5. With a neat figure explain the basic subsystems of GSM

architecture.

6. With a neat figure describe the functional entities of a GSM

subsystem.

7. Explain the following GSM Interfaces:

a. The radio interface (MS to BTS)

b. BTS to BSC interface
c. BSC to MSC interface
d. Interfaces between other GSM entities

8. With a neat figure explain the mapping of GSM layers on to OSI

layers.

9. Write a note on MS subsystem.

UNIT 2 (RADIO LINK FEATURES IN GSM SYSTEMS)

1. Explain the radio link measurements used in GSM.

2. Explain the following Radio link features of GSM:

a. Dynamic power control

b. Discontinuous Transmission

1
 c. Slow Frequency Hopping (SFH)

3. What are the future techniques to reduce interference in GSM?

4. Calculate the number of cells required with: i) Normal antenna ii)

Adaptive array antenna having four elements for the following
data: (Assume hexagonal cell).
Coverage area = 60,000 square mile
One-way system bandwidth = 12.5 MHz
Channel spacing = 200 KHz
Frequency reuse factor = 4
MS output power = 800 mW
BS antenna gain = 20 dB
Receive cable / connector loss = 2 dB
MS antenna gain = 0 dB
Required S/I ratio = 12 dB
Information rate = 271 Kbps
Receiver noise figure = 7 dB
Propagation path loss exponent = 4
One-mile path loss intercept = 80 dB
Lognormal fading margin = 10 dB
KT = -174 dB m / Hz

UNIT 3 (GSM LOGICAL CHANNELS AND FRAME STRUCTURE)

1. With a neat figure explain the GSM Logical channels.

2. Explain the allowed logical channel combinations in GSM.

3. Explain the GSM frame structure.

4. Explain the five different types of burst used by the GSM.

5. With a neat figure explain data encryption in GSM.

6. Write short notes on:

a. Mobility management
b. Location registration
c. Mobile identification

7. Explain the TCH multiframe and CCH multiframe.

2
UNIT 4 (SPEECH CODING)

1. What is Speech coding? What are the different methods for

speech coding?

2. Explain the various speech codec attributes.

3. Write short notes on LPAS.

4. Explain the speech codec attributes that have been standardized

by ITU.

5. What is waveform coding? Explain

a. Time domain waveform coding

b. Frequency domain waveform coding

6. Write short notes on Vocoders.

7. Explain the following GSM Vocoders

a. Full-Rate Vocoder
b. Half-Rate Vocoder

8. Write short notes on ITU-T standards.

PART-B

UNIT 5 (MESSAGES, SERVICES, AND CALL FLOWS IN GSM)

1. Explain the message flow between MS-BS interface.

2. With a neat figure explain the signaling (or message flow)

between the BS and MSC interface.

3. With a neat figure explain the call setup by an MS.

4. With a neat figure explain Mobile-Terminated Call.

5. With a neat figure explain Call Release.

6. Explain the concept of Handover. What are the different types of

handover, explain.

3
7. With a neat figure explain the Mobile Telephone Architecture for
Data Interworking.

8. Write short notes on Group 3 Fax.

9. Write short notes on User-to-User Signaling.

10. With neat figures explain the architecture and protocol stack of

SMS.

11. With a neat figure explain the architecture of SMSCB.

12. With a neat figure explain the GPRS Network Architecture.

13. With a neat figure explain the protocol stack of GPRS.

14. Name all the data services provided by GSM network. Explain
SMS in brief with relevant figures.

UNIT 6 (PRIVACY AND SECURITY IN GSM)

1. What are the four primary mechanisms required to achieve GSM

system privacy and security?

2. Write short notes on privacy of communications in GSM.

3. Write short notes on Authentication requirements.

4. Write short notes on SIM Cards.

5. Explain the three security algorithms for GSM.

6. Explain the following:

a. Token based Authentication

b. Token based Registration
c. Token based Challenge

4
UNIT 7 (PLANNING AND DESIGN OF A GSM WIRELESS
NETWORK)

1. Explain the different approaches to develop a mobility model.

2. What are the requirements to be met when designing a wireless

system?

3. Give the expression for calculating the spectral efficiency of a

mobile communication system. What are the different methods
that can be employed to improve the spectral efficiency of a
mobile communication system?

4. Write short notes on receiver sensitivity and link budget.

5. What are the factors to be considered in a TDMA system, for

selecting a modulation scheme?

7. Explain the design of a TDMA frame.

8. Write short note on spectral efficiency of wireless system.

9. Using the following data for GSM system calculate:

i) Average busy hour traffic per subscriber
ii) Traffic capacity per cell
iii) Required number of BSs per zone and hexagonal cell
radius for the zone. Given:
Subscriber usage per month = 120 min
Days per month = 24
Busy hours per day = 5
Allocated spectrum = 5 MHz
Frequency reuse plan = 4/12
RF channel width = 200 KHz, full rate
Capacity of a BTS = 32 E
Subscribers in the zone = 60,000
Area of the zone = 500 kilometer square
(Traffic capacity of a sector at 2% GoS for 16 channels = 9.82)

UNIT 8 (MANAGEMENT OF GSM NETWORKS)

1. What are the traditional approaches to Network Management

(NM)?

5
2. Explain the concept of TMN.

3. Explain the different logical layers in TMN.

4. With a neat figure explain the TMN physical architecture.

5. Explain the various management functional areas in TMN.

6. With a neat figure explain NM Architecture and Interfaces.

7. Explain the NMS and OMC functionality.

8. What are the management requirements for a wireless network.