OsmocomBB

please keep ticket status updated. This issue cannot be 'new' as I know you already worked on it extensively.

The initial version is available in max/gprs_debug branch of osmocom-bb. It's roughly equivalent to original srlabs tool. Next steps: add MCS1-9 support - first to libosmocore, than to gprs_debug.

On Tue, Feb 06, 2018 at 08:16:35AM +0000, fixeria [REDMINE] wrote:

I would like to clarify a few points about MCS (i.e. EDGE) decoding.
Despite the libosmocoding do support this now, it's impossible at the
moment. The problem is that Calypso-based phones aren't usable for
EDGE burst capture, because they don't support 8-PSK modulation.

this is incorrect. EGPRS != 8PSK. The lower 4 (or 5?) MCS are using
GMSK and can be supported from osmocombb/calypso/gprsdecode

There are even quite a number of (old, cheap) phones which support
EDGE/EGPRS, but do not support 8PSK but only GMSK modulation. This
relates to the fact that the switch from GMSK->8PSK requires different
(more linear) power amplifiers, which is a hardware change. The
GPRS -> EGPRS change was a pure software change.

I think, it would be better to use SDR here, since there are no
signal processing limitations. My idea is to extend the GR-GSM
project with 8-PSK modulation support, and it was already
discussed with Piotr.

I'm not sure it's "Better". Always depends on your use case.

Using the calypso based phones + gprsdecode is very quick to set-up,
doesn't require lots of CPU resources and simply works. Not to ignore
the difference in price of a factor or 10-30.

Sure, for tracing 8PSK you have to go to a SDR. But for most of the OsmoPCU
related debugging we'd want to do in Osmocom, I would argue it's not needed.
One can simply enable EGPRS but disable 8PSK and then all the tests related
to the EGPRS protocol can be performed. At least that's my current opinion.

On Tue, Feb 06, 2018 at 12:16:30PM +0000, fixeria [REDMINE] wrote:

Issue #1672 has been updated by fixeria.

this is incorrect. EGPRS != 8PSK. The lower 4 (or 5?) MCS are using
GMSK and can be supported from osmocombb/calypso/gprsdecode

Thanks for this clarification, I didn't know that. This way gprsdecode
utility may be extended in the future. The main question for me now
is do GMSK-modulated and MCS-encoded bursts use both the same burst
length and structure as GSM bursts?

yes, it's just different convolutional code / puncturing scheme. Feel free
to look at the first couple of MCS, those with lower number.

Using the calypso based phones + gprsdecode is very quick to set-up,
doesn't require lots of CPU resources and simply works. Not to ignore
the difference in price of a factor or 10-30.

Agree with you here. From the other side, one could use extra-cheap
and available RTL-SDR. The provided bandwidth and frequency range is
more than enough for the mentioned purposes.

Indeed.