5G • RAN
MAC CE SCell Activation
SCell Activation/Deactivation MAC CE
Control element activating or deactivating secondary carrier cells in Carrier Aggregation.
Technical Explanation
In Carrier Aggregation, keeping secondary RF receivers permanently on drains mobile battery. The gNodeB sends an SCell Activation/Deactivation MAC CE containing a 7-bit or 31-bit bitmap where each bit corresponds to an SCellIndex. A '1' activates the carrier (starting channel measurements); a '0' deactivates it.
Key Functions
- Dynamically enables or disables configured secondary carriers (SCells)
- Uses compact bitmap matching configured SCellIndex identifiers
- Reduces device power consumption when multi-carrier capacity is unneeded
Specifications
3GPP TS 38.321
Interfaces
Uu
Related 5G Concepts
Want to memorize 5G concepts like this one?
Study it with SuperMemo SM-2 spaced repetition flashcards.