Timing control for random access channel (RACH)

1. A method of wireless communication performed by a network entity, comprising:

receiving a msgA communication of a two-step random access channel (RACH) procedure;

determining, based at least in part on a frequency at which a preamble portion of the msgA communication is transmitted and a difference between a time at which the preamble portion is transmitted and a time at which the preamble portion is received at the network entity, a network-entity-estimated timing advance (TA) for a payload portion of the msgA communication; and

decoding, prior to transmitting a random access response (RAR) communication, the payload portion based at least in part on the network-entity-estimated TA.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining another estimated TA for the payload portion based at least in part on a TA applied to the preamble portion; and

wherein decoding the payload portion comprises:

decoding the payload portion based at least in part on the other estimated TA.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein decoding the payload portion based at least in part on the network-entity-estimated TA comprises:

applying a TA correction to the payload portion when decoding the payload portion,

wherein the TA correction is determined based at least in part on the network-entity-estimated TA.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein decoding the payload portion comprises:

decoding the payload portion using an input sample timing that is different from an input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the input sample timing, that is used to decode the payload portion, is used to determine one or more orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol boundaries at a fast Fourier transform (FFT) engine that is used to decode the payload portion.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein decoding the payload portion comprises:

determining, based at least in part on a quantity of other RACH preamble communications received in a slot in which the preamble portion is received, to decode the payload portion using an input sample timing that is different from an input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion; and

decoding, based at least in part on determining to decode the payload portion using the input sample timing that is different from the input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion, the payload portion using the input sample timing that is different from the input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein decoding the payload portion comprises:

determining, based at least in part on a quantity of available fast Fourier transform (FFT) engines associated with the network entity, to decode the payload portion using an input sample timing that is different from an input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion; and

decoding, based at least in part on determining to decode the payload portion using the input sample timing that is different from the input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion, the payload portion using the input sample timing that is different from the input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion.

8. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein msgA communication includes a plurality of copies of a payload that each are sent with a different TA, and

wherein the payload portion that is decoded comprises a copy, of the plurality of copies of the payload, that is selected based on the network-entity-estimated TA.

9. A network entity for wireless communication, comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors, coupled to the memory, configured to:

receive a msgA communication of a two-step random access channel (RACH) procedure;

determine, based at least in part on a frequency at which a preamble portion of the msgA communication is transmitted and a difference between a time at which the preamble portion is transmitted and a time at which the preamble portion is received at the network entity, a network-entity-estimated timing advance (TA) for a payload portion of the msgA communication; and

decode, prior to transmitting a random access response (RAR) communication, the payload portion RACH communication based at least in part on the network-entity-estimated TA.

10. The network entity of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine another estimated TA for the payload portion based at least in part on a TA applied to the preamble portion; and

wherein the one or more processors, when decoding the payload portion, are configured to:

decode the payload portion based at least in part on the other estimated TA.

11. The network entity of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors, when decoding the payload portion based at least in part on the network-entity-estimated TA, are configured to:

apply a TA correction to the payload portion when decoding the payload portion,

wherein the TA correction is determined based at least in part on the network-entity-estimated TA.

12. The network entity of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors, when decoding the payload portion, are configured to:

decode the payload portion using an input sample timing that is different from an input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion.

13. The network entity of claim 12 , wherein the input sample timing, that is used to decode the payload portion, is used to determine one or more orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol boundaries at a fast Fourier transform (FFT) engine that is used to decode the payload portion.

14. The network entity of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors, when decoding the payload portion, are configured to:

determine, based at least in part on a quantity of other RACH preamble communications received in a slot in which the preamble portion is received, to decode the payload portion using an input sample timing that is different from an input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion; and

decode, based at least in part on determining to decode the payload portion using the input sample timing that is different from the input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion, the payload portion using the input sample timing that is different from the input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion.

15. The network entity of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors, when decoding the payload portion, are configured to:

determine, based at least in part on a quantity of available fast Fourier transform (FFT) engines associated with the network entity, to decode the payload portion using an input sample timing that is different from an input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion; and

decode, based at least in part on determining to decode the payload portion using the input sample timing that is different from the input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion, the payload portion using the input sample timing that is different from the input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion.

16. The network entity of claim 9 ,

wherein the msgA communication includes a plurality of copies of a payload that each are sent with a different TA, and

wherein the payload portion that is decoded comprises a copy, of the plurality of copies of the payload, that is selected based on the network-entity-estimated TA.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions for wireless communication, the set of instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a network entity, cause the network entity to:

receive a msgA communication of a two-step random access channel (RACH) procedure;

determine, based at least in part on a frequency at which a preamble portion of the msgA communication is transmitted and a difference between a time at which the preamble portion is transmitted and a time at which the preamble portion is received at the network entity, a network-entity-estimated timing advance (TA) for a payload portion of the msgA communication; and

decode, prior to transmitting a random access response (RAR) communication, the payload portion based at least in part on the network-entity-estimated TA.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the network entity to:

determine another estimated TA for the payload portion based at least in part on a TA applied to the preamble portion; and

wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the network entity to decode the payload portion, cause the network entity to:

decode the payload portion based at least in part on the other estimated TA.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the network entity to decode the payload portion based at least in part on the network-entity-estimated TA, cause the network entity to:

apply a TA correction to the payload portion when decoding the payload portion,

wherein the TA correction is determined based at least in part on the network-entity-estimated TA.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the network entity to decode the payload portion, cause the network entity to:

decode the payload portion using an input sample timing that is different from an input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20 , wherein the input sample timing, that is used to decode the payload portion, is used to determine one or more orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol boundaries at a fast Fourier transform (FFT) engine that is used to decode the payload portion.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the network entity to decode the payload portion, cause the network entity to:

determine, based at least in part on a quantity of other preamble communications received in a slot in which the preamble portion is received, to decode the payload portion using an input sample timing that is different from an input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion; and

decode, based at least in part on determining to decode the payload portion using the input sample timing that is different from the input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion, the payload portion using the input sample timing that is different from the input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the network entity to decode the payload portion, cause the network entity to:

determine, based at least in part on a quantity of available fast Fourier transform (FFT) engines associated with the network entity, to decode the payload portion using an input sample timing that is different from an input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion; and

decode, based at least in part on determining to decode the payload portion using the input sample timing that is different from the input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion, the payload portion using the input sample timing that is different from the input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 ,

wherein the msgA communication includes a plurality of copies of a payload that each are sent with a different TA, and

wherein the payload portion that is decoded comprises a copy, of the plurality of copies of the payload, that is selected based on the network-entity-estimated TA.

25. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for receiving a msgA communication of a two-step random access channel (RACH) procedure;

means for determining, based at least in part on a frequency at which a preamble portion of the msgA communication is transmitted and a difference between a time at which the preamble portion is transmitted and a time at which the preamble portion is received, a network-entity-estimated timing advance (TA) for a payload portion of the msgA communication; and

means for decoding, prior to transmitting a random access response (RAR) communication, the payload portion based at least in part on the network-entity-estimated TA.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the means for decoding the payload portion comprises:

means for determining, based at least in part on a quantity of available fast Fourier transform (FFT) engines associated with the apparatus, to decode the payload portion using an input sample timing that is different from an input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion; and

means for decoding, based at least in part on determining to decode the payload portion using the input sample timing that is different from the input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion, the payload portion using the input sample timing that is different from the input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 ,

wherein the msgA communication includes a plurality of copies of a payload that each are sent with a different TA, and

wherein the payload portion that is decoded comprises a copy, of the plurality of copies of the payload, that is selected based on the network-entity-estimated TA.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 , further comprising:

means for determining another estimated TA for the payload portion based at least in part on a TA applied to the preamble portion; and

wherein the means for decoding the payload portion comprises:

means for decoding the payload portion based at least in part on the other estimated TA.

29. The apparatus of claim 25 , the means for decoding the payload portion based at least in part on the network-entity-estimated TA comprises:

means for applying a TA correction to the payload portion when decoding the payload portion,

wherein the TA correction is determined based at least in part on the network-entity-estimated TA.

30. The apparatus of claim 25 , the means for decoding the payload portion comprises:

means for decoding the payload portion using an input sample timing that is different from an input sample timing used to decode the preamble portion.