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Time-division multiple access (TDMA) is achannel access method forshared-medium networks. It allows several users to share the samefrequency channel by dividing the signal into different time slots.[1] The users transmit in rapid succession, one after the other, each using its own time slot. This allows multiple stations to share the same transmission medium (e.g., radio frequency channel) while using only a part of itschannel capacity.Dynamic TDMA is a TDMA variant that dynamically reserves a variable number of time slots in each frame to variable bit-rate data streams, based on the traffic demand of each data stream.
TDMA is used in digital2Gcellular systems such asGlobal System for Mobile Communications (GSM),IS-136,Personal Digital Cellular (PDC) andiDEN, in the MaritimeAutomatic Identification System,[2] and in theDigital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) standard forportable phones. TDMA was first used insatellite communication systems byWestern Union in itsWestar 3 communications satellite in 1979. It is now used extensively in satellite communications,[3][4][5][6]combat-net radio systems, andpassive optical network (PON) networks for upstream traffic from premises to the operator.
TDMA is a type oftime-division multiplexing (TDM), with the special point that instead of having onetransmitter connected to onereceiver, there are multiple transmitters. In the case of theuplink from amobile phone to abase station this becomes particularly difficult because the mobile phone can move around and vary thetiming advance required to make its transmission match the gap in transmission from its peers.
Most 2G cellular systems, with the notable exception ofIS-95, are based on TDMA.GSM,D-AMPS,PDC,iDEN, andPHS are examples of TDMA cellular systems.
In the GSM system, the synchronization of the mobile phones is achieved by sending timing advance commands from the base station, which instruct the mobile phone to transmit earlier and by how much. This compensates for the speed-of-lightpropagation delay. The mobile phone is not allowed to transmit for its entire time slot; there is aguard interval at the end of each time slot. As the transmission moves into the guard period, the mobile network adjusts the timing advance to synchronize the transmission.
Initial synchronization of a phone requires even more care. Before a mobile transmits, there is no way to know the offset required. For this reason, an entire time slot has to be dedicated to mobiles attempting to contact the network; this is known as therandom-access channel (RACH) in GSM. The mobile transmits at the beginning of the time slot as received from the network. If the mobile is near the base station, the propagation delay is short and the initiation can succeed. If, however, the mobile phone is just less than 35 km from the base station, the delay will mean the mobile's transmission arrives at the end of the time slot. In this case, the mobile will be instructed to transmit its messages starting nearly a whole time slot earlier so that it can be received at the proper time. Finally, if the mobile is beyond the 35 km cell range of GSM, the transmission will arrive in a neighbouring time slot and be ignored. It is this feature, rather than limitations of power, that limits the range of a GSM cell to 35 km when no special extension techniques are used. By changing the synchronization between the uplink and downlink at the base station, however, this limitation can be overcome.[citation needed]
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In the context of 3G systems, the integration of time-division multiple access (TDMA) withcode-division multiple access (CDMA) and time-division duplexing (TDD) in theUniversal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) represents a sophisticated approach to optimizing spectrum efficiency and network performance.[7]
UTRA-FDD (frequency division duplex) employs CDMA and FDD, where separatefrequency bands are allocated for uplink and downlink transmissions. This separation minimizes interference and allows for continuous data transmission in both directions, making it suitable for environments with balanced traffic loads.[8]
UTRA-TDD (time division duplex), on the other hand, combines CDMA with TDMA and TDD. In this scheme, the same frequency band is used for both uplink and downlink, but at different times. This time-based separation is particularly advantageous in scenarios with asymmetric traffic loads, where the data rates for uplink and downlink differ significantly. By dynamically allocating time slots based on demand, UTRA-TDD can efficiently manage varying traffic patterns and enhance overall network capacity.[8][9]
The combination of these technologies in UMTS allows for more flexible and efficient use of the available spectrum, catering to diverse user demands and improving the adaptability of 3G networks to different operational environments.[8]
TheITU-TG.hn standard, which provides high-speed local area networking over existing home wiring (power lines, phone lines and coaxial cables) is based on a TDMA scheme. InG.hn, amaster device allocatescontention-free transmission opportunities (CFTXOP) to otherslave devices in the network. Only one device can use a CFTXOP at a time, thus avoiding collisions.FlexRay protocol, which is also a wired network used forsafety-critical communication in modern cars, uses the TDMA method for data transmission control.
In radio systems, TDMA is usually used alongsidefrequency-division multiple access (FDMA) and frequency-division duplex (FDD); the combination is referred to as FDMA/TDMA/FDD. This is the case in both GSM and IS-136, for example. Exceptions to this include theDECT andPersonal Handy-phone System (PHS) micro-cellular systems,UMTS-TDD UMTS variant, and China'sTD-SCDMA, which use time-division duplexing, where different time slots are allocated for the base station and handsets on the same frequency.
A major advantage of TDMA is that the radio part of the mobile phone only needs to listen and broadcast for its own time slot. For the rest of the time, the mobile can carry out measurements on the network, detecting surrounding transmitters on different frequencies. This allows safe inter-frequencyhandovers, something which is difficult in CDMA systems, not supported at all inIS-95 and supported through complex system additions inUniversal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). This, in turn, allows for co-existence ofmicrocell layers withmacrocell layers.
CDMA, by comparison, supportssoft hand-off, which allows a mobile phone to be in communication with up to 6 base stations simultaneously, a type ofsame-frequency handover. The incoming packets are compared for quality, and the best one is selected. CDMA'scell breathing characteristic, where a terminal on the boundary of two congested cells will be unable to receive a clear signal, can often negate this advantage during peak periods.
A disadvantage of TDMA systems is that they createinterference at a frequency that is directly connected to the time slot length. This is the buzz that can sometimes be heard if a TDMA phone is left next to a radio or speakers.[10] Another disadvantage is that thedead time between time slots limits the potential bandwidth of a TDMA channel. These are implemented in part because of the difficulty in ensuring that different terminals transmit at exactly the times required. Handsets that are moving will need to constantly adjust their timings to ensure their transmission is received at precisely the right time, because as they move further from the base station, their signal will take longer to arrive. This also means that the major TDMA systems have hard limits on cell sizes in terms of range, though in practice, the power levels required to receive and transmit over distances greater than the supported range would be mostly impractical anyway.
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TDMA (time-division multiple access) is a communication method that allocates radio frequency (RF) bandwidth into discrete time slots, allowing multiple users to share the channel in a sequential manner. This approach not only improves spectrum efficiency compared to analog systems but also offers several specific advantages that enhance communication quality and system performance.[11]
Indynamic time-division multiple access (dynamic TDMA), ascheduling algorithm dynamically reserves a variable number of time slots in each frame to variable bit-rate data streams, based on the traffic demand of each data stream. Dynamic TDMA is used in:
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