Radio Protocol Stack Overview in LTE
- In the C-plane, the NAS functional block is used for network attachment, authentication, setting up bearers, and mobility management. All NAS messages are ciphered and integrity protected by the MMEand UE.
- The radio resource control (RRC) layer in the eNB makes handover decisions based on neighbor cell measurements reported by the UE, performs paging of the users over the air interface, broadcasts system information, controls UE measurement and reporting functions such as the periodicity of channel quality indicator (CQI) reports and further allocates cell-level temporary identifiers to active users.
- It also executes transfer of UE context from the serving eNB to the target eNB during handover and performs integrity protection of RRC messages.
- The RRC layer is responsible for setting up and maintenance of radio bearers.
- In the U-plane, the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer is responsible for compressing or decompressing the headers of user-plane IP packets using robust header compression (RoHC) to enable efficient use of air interface resources .
- The radio link control (RLC) layer is used to format and transport traffic between the UE and the eNB
Radio Protocol Stack Overview in LTE
The Radio Protocol Stack in LTE is responsible for managing how data is transferred between your device (UE) and the network. It’s divided into two main parts: the control plane and the user plane. The control plane handles signaling and connection management, while the user plane is all about transferring the actual data.
At the bottom, we have the Physical Layer (PHY), which deals with the transmission and reception of radio signals. Above that, the MAC (Medium Access Control) layer handles scheduling and access to the airwaves. Then comes the RLC (Radio Link Control) layer, which manages data integrity and retransmission.
On top of that, the PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol) takes care of header compression and encryption. The RRC (Radio Resource Control) is at the top of the stack and is responsible for the control and management of radio resources, like maintaining your device’s connection to the network.
So, when you use your phone, the protocol stack works together to ensure your data gets through, whether it’s a call, browsing, or streaming content. It dynamically manages how data is sent and received, providing an efficient communication link between your device and the LTE network.