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More battery life with LTE connected state DRX

Nokia Siemens Networks

LTE connected state DRX


(Discontinuous Reception)
What is DRX?
We know that 2G and 3G terminal uses discontinuous reception in idle state to increase battery life
time. HSPA and LTE have introduced DRX also for connected state. By idle state, we understand
that the smartphone is not utilizing radio resources. Whereas in connected state, smartphone
utilizes radio resources and battery consumption is very high due to 'over the air' communication
between mobile terminal and network antenna (base station).

What is connected state DRX (cDRX) in LTE smartphones?


In LTE, any data transmission requires that the smartphone is in high power RRC connected
state. With all data applications there are often short moments when no data is sent or received
and during those moments connected state DRX can save energy. Connected state DRX cyclically
wakes up and shuts down the receiver circuits in order to save energy.

cDRX - ON

cDRX - OFF

Discontinous Reception (DRX)


In LTE, DRX mode can be enabled in both
RRC_IDLE and RC_CONNECTED states.
In the RRC_IDLE state, the UE is
registered with the evolved packet system
(EPS) mobility management (EMM) but
does not have an active session. In this
state the UE can be paged for DL traffic.
UE can also initiate UL traffic by requesting
RRC connection with the serving eNB. In
LTE DRX mode can also be enabled in
RRC_CONNECTED state. In the
RRC_CONNECTED state DRX mode is
enabled during the idle periods during the
packet arrival process. When there are no
outstanding/new packets to be
transmitted/received, eNB/UE may initiate
the DRX mode.
Source: IEEE communication

Nokia Siemens Networks

More battery life with LTE connected state DRX


Insignificant delay impact
Summary:
Up to 95% lower current consumption during the inactivity periods in RRC connected state
(UE radio unit in RRC connected state when no data is transmitted)

20 - 40% lower UE current consumption for background apps


(UE savings with background activities such as keep-alive and push notifications)
14% lower average UE current consumption measured with active use of multiple favorite apps
(Average current measured over user activity with browser, Facebook, weather app, email and Skype)
Lower signaling load with cDRX energy efficiency
Allows operators to use longer RRC inactivity timers

Nokia Siemens Networks

Examples of cDRX support in early LTE smart


devices
No cDRX support
UE capability information indicates
that UE does not support cDRX

Virtual cDRX support in RRC

Partial cDRX support

UE capability information indicates that


UE supports cDRX

UE capability information indicates


that UE supports cDRX

However UE does not implement power


saving DRX

UE implements power saving DRX


for some long cDRX parameters

The new iPad


(AT&T variant)

LG Optimus LTE

HTC Velocity 4G

March 2012

November 2011

April 2012

cDRX capability depends on modem chipset and its firmware version. Even devices with same chipset model can
have different support.
cDRX capability expected to improve in devices coming to market 2H2012.

Nokia Siemens Networks

UE current consumption in cDRX


Test UE connected to power measurement tool with display off.
Average current measured in RRC connected state during the DRX long cycles.

160

DRX long cycle [ms]


320
640
1280

2560

10

113,5

66,7

37,4

24,3

17,6

20
40
80
100

140,8
201,5
286,5
339,6

73,9
92,1
145
157,8

44,1
52
75,5
104,2

27,2
33,1
44,1
49,7

19,2
22,1
28
30,3

n/a

145,8

77,8

45,5

DRX duration timer


[ms]

UE current
(mA)

Reference
measurements:
Idle 9,6 mA
(1280 ms paging)
No cDRX 352,4 mA

in practice
looks like a
noDRX

200

n/a

640 ms cDRX cycle together with 640 ms paging cycle provides energy savings with good latency
experience for best effort Internet apps

Nokia Siemens Networks

cDRX comparison with active use of multiple apps


1 min user
inactivity,
screen off

Take a picture
and upload to
Facebook.

1 min user
inactivity,
screen off

Send &
receive
emails

1 min user
inactivity,
screen off

Check
weather

1 min user
inactivity,
screen off

Browse

1 min user
inactivity,
screen off

Make a 1 min
Skype call

UE current
without DRX
342,70 mA
(time 8:20,88)

UE current
with DRX
300,86 mA
(time 8:22,70)
DRX inactivity 750 ms
DRX cycle 640 ms
DRX on duration 10 ms

Nokia Siemens Networks

Receiving WhatsApp text message


cDRX impact on data application latencies is not
significant based on the fact that any transaction can
anyway start either from idle or connected state.

Average delay of the first ACK in S1 (s),


paging cycle 640 ms, 20 ms DRX on duration
01,382
01,210
01,037

00,864
00,691
00,518
00,346

Smart
phone

Whatsapp
service

00,173
00,000
Connected,
no DRX

Data

Ack

Idle

DRX
160 ms cycle

DRX
DRX
640 ms cycle 2560 ms cycle

Average total service delay in S1 (s),

Radio access
delay

paging cycle 640 ms, 20 ms DRX on duration


02,160

Data
Ack

Total service delay


in radio access

01,728
01,296

Data
Ack

00,864
00,432

Delay measured between messages in S1 interface


(Idle case includes paging and e-RAB setup delay).

Nokia Siemens Networks

00,000
Connected,
no DRX

Idle

DRX
160 ms cycle

DRX
DRX
640 ms cycle 2560 ms cycle

Our offer to you


About NSN Smart Labs:
Smart Lab Consultancy offers in-depth knowledge, proven experience and real success
working to deliver mobile network optimization, service quality improvements and higher user
experience.
Our experience delivering these analysis and improvements has delivered millions of euro of
cashable savings combined with best in class network optimization.
We offer our consultancy service Smart Lab Performance Advisor to analyze:

Detailed cDRX capability in devices

cDRX for different LTE services such as best effort Internet applications and VoLTE

cDRX performance analysis and comparison for different applications and devices

NSN Flexi Multiradio BTS LTE supports RRC connected state DRX since release RL30:

LTE42 - DRX in RRC connected mode,


LTE473 - Extended DRX settings

NSN Global Services offers network planning and optimization services

Enabling cDRX and optimizing cDRX settings for LTE apps and devices on the field

Nokia Siemens Networks

Please contact our local NSN


sales manager for further
information about the joint service.

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