TRAU


Transcoder and Rate Adaptation Unit, or TRAU, performs transcoding function for speech channels and RA for data channels in the GSM network. The Transcoder/Rate Adaptation Unit is the data rate conversion unit. The PSTN/ISDN switch is a switch for 64 kbit/s voice. Current technology permits to decrease the bit-rate. Since MSC is basically a PSTN/ISDN switch its bit-rate is still 64 kbit/s. That is why a rate conversion is
required in between the BSC and MSC...
Transcoding is the compression of speech data from 64 kbit/s to 13/12.2/6.5 kbit/s in case FR/EFR/HR speech coding.
Rate adaptation without transcoding allows Tandem Free Operation, allowing the original encoded speech data to be carried in a 64 kbit/s channel. TFO offers benefits because transcoding can lead to a degradation of speech quality and requires computational resources.

Brief Explanation

For an MS-to-MS call, the transmission path covers the radio access network as
well as the core network. Since the transmission modes and coding standards are
different for RAN and CN, speech data is converted/transcoded at the transition points
from RAN to CN. This conversion is performed in the TRAU network element which
connects RAN and CN.
16 kbit/s for FR, Redundancy = 9.8 kbit/s
=> Gross data rate after adding redundancy = 22.8 kbit/s
=
12.2 kbit/s for EFR, Redundancy = 10.6 kbit/s
=> Gross data rate after adding redundancy = 22.8 kbit/s
TRAU changes the bit rate of 16kbit/s of the BSS side to 64kbit/s of NSS side.
=
5.6 kbit/s for HR, Redundancy = 5.8 kbit/s
=> Gross data rate after adding redundancy = 11.4 kbit/s