5G/NR - RNTI

 

 

 

RNTI

RNTI stands for Radio Network Temporary Identifier. This is exactly same concept as LTE RNTI. So I would suggest you to read LTE RNTI part first and get the general understandings on how this works.

In short, you can think of RNTI is the CRC mask that is required to decode DCI message. Each of the DCI needs its own specific RNTI for UE to decode it. There are some common RNTI that is shared by every UE (e.g, SI-RNTI, P-RNTI etc), but most of the DCI requires a specific RNTI that is assigned to a specific UE.

Is there any specific RNTI values for a specific UE  and Specific DCI type?

Some DCI uses (is masked by) a specific predefined RNTI that is common to every UE.  SI-RNTI, P-RNTI, MCCH-RNTI, PEI-RNTI belong to this category. These four have to work before the network knows the UE exists. Their values are fixed in the specification rather than assigned.

All other types of DCI uses (is masked by) a RNTI that is assigned to a specific individual UE or a specific group of UEs

<  38.321 v17.1 - Table 7.1-1: RNTI values. >

38.321 Table 7.1-1, RNTI values. Value 0000 is N/A. The range 0001 to FFF2 carries every assigned RNTI, including RA-RNTI, C-RNTI, CS-RNTI, the TPC RNTIs, INT-RNTI, SFI-RNTI, PS-RNTI and the sidelink and group RNTIs. FFF3 to FFFB is Reserved. FFFC is PEI-RNTI, FFFD is MCCH-RNTI, FFFE is P-RNTI and FFFF is SI-RNTI

  • Only a handful of values are fixed : 0000 is N/A, and FFFC to FFFF are PEI-RNTI, MCCH-RNTI, P-RNTI and SI-RNTI.
  • One range holds everything that is assigned : 0001 to FFF2 covers every RNTI a network allocates, from RA-RNTI to the group and sidelink ones.
  • A reserved block separates the two : the screenshot shows FFF3 to FFFB held back, which leaves room for values assigned later.
  • The fixed values are the ones needed first : a UE reads system information and paging before the network has assigned it anything. SI-RNTI and P-RNTI therefore cannot be assigned.

<  38.321 v17.1 - Table 7.1-2: RNTI usage.. >

RNTI

Usage

Transport Channel

Logical Channel

P-RNTI

Paging and System Information change notification

PCH

PCCH

SI-RNTI

Broadcast of System Information

DL-SCH

BCCH

RA-RNTI

Random Access Response

DL-SCH

N/A

MSG-B-RNTI

Random Access Response for 2-step RA type

DL-SCH

N/A

Temporary C-RNTI

Contention Resolution (when no valid C-RNTI is allocated)

DL-SCH

CCCH, DCCH

Temporary C-RNTI

Msg3 transmission

UL-SCH

CCCH, DCCH, DTCH

C-RNTI, MCS-C-RNTI

Dynamically scheduled unicast transmission

UL-SCH

N/A

C-RNTI

Dynamically scheduled unicast transmission

DL-SCH

CCCH, DCCH, DTCH

MCS-C-RNTI

Dynamically scheduled unicast transmission

DL-SCH

DCCH, DTCH

C-RNTI

Triggering of PDCCH ordered random access

N/A

N/A

C-RNTI

Dynamically scheduled PTP retransmission for initial PTM transmission for multicast MBS

DL-SCH

MTCH

CS-RNTI

Configured scheduled unicast transmission (activation, reactivation and retransmission)

DL-SCH, UL-SCH

DCCH, DTCH

CS-RNTI

Configured scheduled unicast transmission (deactivation)

N/A

N/A

CS-RNTI

Configured scheduled unicast transmission (PTP retransmission for initial PTM transmission)

DL-SCH

MTCH

CS-RNTI

Configured scheduled unicast transmission (MBS SPS deactivation)

N/A

N/A

G-CS-RNTI

Configured scheduled multicast transmission (activation, reactivation and retransmission)

DL-SCH

MTCH

G-CS-RNTI

Configured scheduled multicast transmission (deactivation)

N/A

N/A

TPC-PUCCH-RNTI

PUCCH power control

N/A

N/A

TPC-PUSCH-RNTI

PUSCH power control

N/A

N/A

TPC-SRS-RNTI

SRS trigger and power control

N/A

N/A

INT-RNTI

Indication pre-emption in DL

N/A

N/A

SF1-RNTI

Slot Format Indication on the given cell

N/A

N/A

SP-CSI-RNTI

Activation of Semi-persistent CSI reporting on PUSCH

N/A

N/A

CI-RNTI

Cancellation indication in UL

N/A

N/A

PS-RNTI

DCP to indicate whether to start drx-onDurationTimer for associated DRX cycle

N/A

N/A

SL-RNTI

Dynamically scheduled sidelink transmission

SL-SCH

SCCH, STCH

SLCS-RNTI

Configured scheduled sidelink transmission (activation, reactivation and retransmission)

SL-SCH

SCCH, STCH

SLCS-RNTI

Configured scheduled sidelink transmission (deactivation)

N/A

N/A

SL Semi-Persistent RNTI

Semi-Persistently scheduled sidelink transmission

SL-SCH

STCH

SL Semi-Persistent Scheduling V2X-RNTI

Semi-persistent V2X scheduled transmission

SL-SCH

N/A

SL Semi-Persistent Scheduling V2X-RNTI

Semi-persistent V2X scheduled transmission (activation, reactivation and retransmission)

SL-SCH

N/A

SL Semi-Persistent Scheduling V2X-RNTI

Semi-persistent V2X scheduled transmission (deactivation)

N/A

N/A

G-RNTI

Dynamically scheduled MBS PTM

DL-SCH

MTCH

G-RNTI

Dynamically scheduled MCCH signaling and MCH change notification

DL-SCH

MCCH

PEI-RNTI

MCCH change indication

N/A

N/A

NOTE 1: The usage of MCS-C-RNTI is equivalent to that of C-RNTI in MAC procedures (except for the C-RNTI MAC CE).

NOTE 2: The MAC entity uses SL Semi-Persistent Scheduling V-RNTI to control semi-persistently scheduled sidelink transmission on SL-SCH for V2X sidelink communication as specified in clause 5.14.1.1 of TS 36.321

What kind of RNTI should be used ?

This is determined by the type of the DCI and Physical channel that a UE need to decode. These are well summarized by 3GPP specification as shown below.

<  38.202 v17.2 - Table 6.2-1: Downlink "Reception Types" >

Reception Type

Physical Channel

Monitored RNTI

Associated Transport Channel

Comment

A

PBCH

N/A

BCH

B

PDCCH+PDSCH

SI-RNTI

DL-SCH

Note 1

C0

PDCCH

P-RNTI

N/A

Note 1, Note 2

C1

PDCCH+PDSCH

P-RNTI

PCH

D0

PDCCH+PDSCH

RA-RNTI or Temporary C-RNTI or MsgB-RNTI

DL-SCH

Note 3

D1

PDCCH+PDSCH

C-RNTI, CS-RNTI, MCS-C-RNTI

DL-SCH

D2

PDCCH

C-RNTI, CS-RNTI, MCS-C-RNTI

DL-SCH

D3

PDCCH+PDSCH

G-RNTI, G-CS-RNTI

DL-SCH

Note 6

D4

PDCCH

G-CS-RNTI

N/A

Note 7

D5

PDCCH+PDSCH

MCCH-RNTI

DL-SCH

Note 8

D6

PDCCH+PDSCH

G-RNTI

DL-SCH

Note 9

E

PDCCH

C-RNTI

N/A

Note 4

F0

PDCCH

Temporary C-RNTI

UL-SCH

Note 3

F1

PDCCH

C-RNTI, CS-RNTI, MCS-C-RNTI

UL-SCH

G

PDCCH

SFI-RNTI

N/A

H

PDCCH

INT-RNTI

N/A

J0

PDCCH

TPC-PUSCH-RNTI

N/A

J1

PDCCH

TPC-PUCCH-RNTI

N/A

J2

PDCCH

TPC-SRS-RNTI

N/A

K

PDCCH

SP-CSI-RNTI

N/A

L0

PDCCH

SL-RNTI

SL-SCH

L1

PDCCH

SL-CS-RNTI

SL-SCH

M

PDCCH

SL Semi-Persistent Scheduling V-RNTI

SL-SCH

Note 5

N

PDCCH

PS-RNTI

N/A

O

PDCCH

AI-RNTI

N/A

P

PDCCH

CI-RNTI

N/A

Q

PDCCH

PEI-RNTI

N/A

Note 1

Note 1: These are received from PCell only.

Note 2: In some cases UE is only required to monitor the short message within the DCI for P-RNTI.

Note 3: These are received from PCell or PSCell.

Note 4: This corresponds to PDCCH-ordered PRACH.

Note 5: This corresponds to PDCCH scheduling LTE PC5.

Note 6: This is for multicast in RRC connected state.

Note 7: This corresponds to DL Semi-Persistent Scheduling release for multicast in RRC connected state.

Note 8: This is for broadcast MCCH.

Note 9: This is for broadcast MTCH. UE is not required to decode more than one PDSCH for MTCH simultaneously.

Should a UE has to try all different types of RNTI listed in the table above all the time to decode necessary DCIs ? It would be OK for UE to try all the RNTI, but it would be too much overhead and energy consuming. Usually there are only a few RNTI candiates for a specific call status. What kind of candidate RNTI is likely to be used for specific RRC States are summarized in 3GPP specification as shown below.

NOTE : Since the decoding of DCI is related to various search space, the note on SearchSpace would give you further insight

<  38.202 v17.2 - Table 6.2-2: Downlink Reception Type Combinations >

38.202 Table 6.2-2, downlink reception type combinations. Three blocks cover RRC_IDLE, RRC_INACTIVE and RRC_CONNECTED, each with columns for PCell, PSCell and SCell. Idle and inactive both allow A plus B and or C1 or Q and or D0 plus F0, and UEs supporting MBS broadcast get A plus D5. Twelve notes below the table carry the conditions

  • The table is organised by RRC state : RRC_IDLE, RRC_INACTIVE and RRC_CONNECTED each get a block. The connected block is much the longest.
  • Each block splits by cell role : PCell, PSCell and SCell have separate columns. What a UE monitors depends on the cell.
  • Idle and inactive allow the same combination : both carry A + (B and/or (C1 or Q) and/or D0) + F0, with Note 1 attached.
  • Two PDSCH at once is the stated bound : Note 1 says a UE is not required to decode more than two PDSCH simultaneously. Prioritisation beyond that is left to implementation.
  • PS-RNTI is restricted twice over : Note 7 rules out monitoring it during Active time. Note 8 allows it only on the PCell and PSCell.

      q : the number of downlink component carriers configured for the UE

      j : the number of cell groups configured for the UE.

        j=1 indicates non-DC(non-Dual Connectivity)

        j=2 indicates NR-NR

What was added after the screenshots

Both tables above are screenshots, each labelled with the version it came from. The RNTI value table has moved on since, and a picture cannot show that.

The assigned range is still 0001 to FFF2, and the four fixed values are unchanged. What grew is the list of RNTI types inside that range. The current 38.321 names seven the screenshot does not, counting one rename.

RNTI

Release

Where the value is configured

SL-CS-RNTI

16

sl-CS-RNTI-r16 in SL-ScheduledConfig-r16. The screenshot spells the same RNTI SLCS-RNTI.

CG-SDT-CS-RNTI

17

cg-SDT-CS-RNTI-r17 in SDT-MAC-PHY-CG-Config-r17. 38.321 describes it as the CS-RNTI for CG-SDT retransmission.

SL-PRS-RNTI

18

Used by DCI format 3_2, which schedules NR PSCCH and SL PRS for a dedicated resource pool.

SL-PRS-CS-RNTI

18

The configured grant counterpart of the one above, also read by DCI format 3_2.

NCR-RNTI

18

ncr-RNTI-r18 in PhysicalCellGroupConfig, marked Cond NCR for a network controlled repeater.

cellDTRX-RNTI

18

cellDTRX-RNTI-r18 in CellDTRX-DCI-config-r18.

adapt-SSB-PeriodicityIndication-RNTI

19

adaptSSB-PeriodicityIndication-RNTI-r19 in PhysicalCellGroupConfig.

One further change is easy to miss. The reserved block reads FFF3 to FFFA now, where the screenshot shows FFF3 to FFFB. One value has come out of reserve.

  • The assigned range did not move : 0001 to FFF2 still holds every assigned RNTI. The new types were fitted inside it.
  • The four fixed values are unchanged : FFFC is still PEI-RNTI, FFFD is MCCH-RNTI, FFFE is P-RNTI and FFFF is SI-RNTI.
  • One RNTI was renamed rather than added : the screenshot reads SLCS-RNTI and the current table reads SL-CS-RNTI.
  • Sidelink positioning brought two : SL-PRS-RNTI and SL-PRS-CS-RNTI are the pair DCI format 3_2 uses, one dynamic and one configured.
  • Network energy saving brought two more : cellDTRX-RNTI arrived in Release 18 and adapt-SSB-PeriodicityIndication-RNTI in Release 19.
  • The reserved block is one value shorter : it reads FFF3 to FFFA now rather than FFF3 to FFFB.

Reference

[1] 38.321 - 5G; NR; Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol specification. Clause 7.1 for the RNTI values and usage.

[2] 38.202 - 5G; NR; Services provided by the physical layer. Clause 6.2 for the downlink reception types.

[3] 38.331 - 5G; NR; Radio Resource Control (RRC); Protocol specification. The RNTI-Value fields that carry each assigned RNTI.