Channel Allocation from mobile computing

1. Channel
Allocation

2. Introduction
• One main issue in cellular system design reduces to one of
economics.
• Essentially we have a limited resource transmission spectrum,
that must be shared by several users.
• Unlike wired communications which benefits from isolation
provided by cables, wireless users within close proximity of one
another can cause significant interference to one another.
• To address this issue, the concept of cellular communications
was introduced around in 1968 by researchers at AT&T Bell
Labs.
• The basic concept being that a given geography is divided into
polygons called cells.

3. • Each cell is allocated a portion of the total frequency spectrum.
• As users move into a given cell, they are then permitted to utilize the channel allocated to that cell.
• The virtue of the cellular system is that different cells can use the same channel given that the cells
are separated by a minimum distance according to the system propagation characteristics; otherwise,
intercellular or cochannel interference occurs.
• The minimum distance necessary to reduce cochannel interference is called the reuse distance.
• The reuse distance is defined as the ratio of the distance, D, between cells that can use the same
channel without causing interference and the cell radius, R.
• Note that R is the distance from the center of a cell to the outermost point of the cell in cases when
the cells are not circular.

4. Channel Allocation
• Channel allocation deals with the allocation of channels to cells in a cellular network.
• Once the channels are allocated, cells may then allow users within the cell to communicate via the available
channels.
• Channels in a wireless communication system typically consist of time slots, frequency bands and/or CDMA
pseudo noise sequences, but in an abstract sense, they can represent any generic transmission resource.
• Channel Allocation means to allocate the available channels to the cells in a cellular system.
• When a user wants to make a call request then by using channel allocation strategies their requests are fulfilled.
• Channel Allocation Strategies are designed in such a way that there is efficient use of frequencies, time slots and
bandwidth

5. • There are four major categories for assigning these channels to cells (or base-
stations). They are
• Fixed Channel Allocation
• Dynamic Channel Allocation
• Hybrid Channel Allocation
• Borrowing Channel Allocation

6. Fixed Channel Allocation
(FCA)
• Fixed Channel Allocation is a strategy in which fixed number of channels or voice channels are
allocated to the cells.
• Once the channels are allocated to the specific cells then they cannot be changed.
• In FCA channels are allocated in a manner that maximize Frequency reuse.
• For efficient operation, FCA systems typically allocate channels in a manner that maximizes
frequency reuse.
• Thus, in a FCA system, the distance between cells using the same channel is the minimum reuse
distance for that system.
• The problem with FCA systems is quite simple and occurs whenever the offered traffic to a network
of base stations is not uniform.

7. In cell A 20 Channels or Voice
channels are allocated.
If all channels are occupied and
user make a call then the call is
blocked.

8. Advantages :
1.Simple to implement and manage
2.Does not require complex equipment or algorithms
Disadvantages :
1.Limited channel utilization as unused channels remain unused.
2.Susceptible to interference and congestion.

9. Dynamic Channel Allocation
(DCA)
• Dynamic Channel allocation is a strategy in which channels are not permanently allocated to the cells.
• When a User makes a call request then Base Station (BS) send that request to the Mobile Station Center
(MSC) for the allocation of channels or voice channels.
• This way the likelihood of blocking calls is reduced.
• As traffic increases more channels are assigned and vice-versa.
• Dynamic Channel Allocation (DCA) attempts to alleviate the problem mentioned for FCA systems when
offered traffic is non-uniform.
• In DCA systems, no set relationship exists between channels and cells.
• Instead, channels are part of a pool of resources.
• Whenever a channel is needed by a cell, the channel is allocated under the constraint that frequency
reuse requirements can not be violated.

10. • There are two problems that typically occur with DCA based systems.
• First, DCA methods typically have a degree of randomness associated with them and
this leads to the fact that frequency reuse is often not maximized unlike the case for
FCA systems in which cells using the same channel are separated by the minimum
reuse distance.
• Secondly, DCA methods often involve complex algorithms for deciding which
available channel is most efficient. These algorithms can be very computationally
intensive and may require large computing resources in order to be real-time.

11. Advantages :
1.Efficient use of available bandwidth.
2.Reduces call blocking and improves call quality.
3.Allows for dynamic allocation of resources.
Disadvantages :
1.Requires more complex equipment and algorithms.
2.May result in call drops or poor quality if resources are not available

12. Hybrid Channel Allocation
(HCA)
• Hybrid Channel Allocation is a combination of both Fixed Channel Allocation
(FCA) and Dynamic Channel Allocation (DCA).
• The total number of channels or voice channels are divided into fixed and
dynamic set.
• When a user make a call then first fixed set of channels are utilized but if all the
fixed sets are busy then dynamic sets are used.
• The main purpose of HCA is to work efficiently under heavy traffic and to
maintain a minimum S/I.

13. Advantages :
1. Provides the benefits of both FCA and DCA.
2. Allows for dynamic allocation of resources while maintaining predictable call
quality and reliability.
Disadvantages :
1.Requires more complex equipment and algorithms than FCA.
2. May not provide the same level of efficiency as pure DCA.

14. Channel Borrowing
• It is one of the most straightforward hybrid allocation schemes.
• Here, channels are assigned to cells just as in fixed allocation schemes.
• If a cell needs a channel in excess of the channels previously assigned to it, that cell may
borrow a channel from one of its neighboring cells given that a channel is available and
use of this channel won't violate frequency reuse requirements.
• Note that since every channel has a predetermined relationship with a specific cell,
channel borrowing (without the extensions mentioned below) is often categorized as a
subclass of fixed allocation schemes.

15. • The major problem with channel borrowing is that when a cell borrows a channel from a
neighboring cell, other nearby cells are prohibited from using the borrowed channel
because of co-channel interference.
• This can lead to increased call blocking over time.
• To reduce this call blocking penalty, algorithms are necessary to ensure that the channels
are borrowed from the most available neighboring cells; i.e., the neighboring cells with
the most unassigned channels.
• Two extensions of the channel borrowing approach are Borrowing with Channel
Ordering (BCO) and Borrowing with Directional Channel Locking (BDCL).

16. • Borrowing with Channel Locking was designed as an improvement over the simpler Channel
Borrowing approach as described above BCO systems have two distinctive characteristics
• The ratio of fixed to dynamic channels varies with traffic load.
• Nominal channels are ordered such that the first nominal channel of a cell has the highest
priority of being applied to a call within the cell.
• The last nominal channel is most likely to be borrowed by neighboring channels.
• Once a channel is borrowed, that channel is locked in the co-channel cells within the reuse distance
of the cell in question.
• To be "locked" means that a channel can not be used or borrowed.
• From a frequency reuse standpoint, in a BCO system, a channel may be borrowed only if it is free
in the neighboring cochannel cells.
• This criteria is often too strict.

17. • In Borrowing with Directional Channel Locking, borrowed channels are only locked in nearby cells that are
affected by the borrowing.
• This differs from the BCO scheme in which a borrowed channel is locked in every cell within the reuse
distance.
• The benefit of BDCL is that more channels are available in the presence of borrowing and subsequent call
blocking is reduced.
• A disadvantage of BDCL is that the statement "borrowed channels are only locked in nearby cells that are
affected by the borrowing" requires a clear understanding of the term "affected."
• This may require microscopic analysis of the area in which the cellular system will be located.
• Ideally, a system can be general enough that detailed analysis of specific propagation measurements is not
necessary for implementation.

18. Common Principles of Channel
Allocation Schemes
• The large array of possible channel allocation systems can become cumbersome.
• However, all channel allocation methods operate under simple, common principles.
• Throughout this report we have touched on three points which an efficient channel allocation
scheme should address:
1.Channel allocation schemes must not violate minimum frequency reuse conditions.
2.Channel allocation schemes should adapt to changing traffic conditions.
3.Channel allocation schemes should approach (from above) the minimum frequency reuse
constraints so as to efficiently utilize available transmission resources.