Real-time Communication in Integrated TSN-5G Networks

The rising demand for real-time applications with ultra-low end-to-end network latency has driven advancements in communication technologies. The IEEE 802.1 Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) is a set of standards that enable low-latency wired communication, meeting the stringent timing requirements of real-time applications. TSN uses wired communication and lacks the mobility of wireless networks. To overcome this limitation and broaden the applicability of TSN across diverse use cases, the integration of TSN with wireless technologies is essential. The fifth generation of cellular networks (5G) supports real-time applications by providing reliable communication with latencies as low as 1~ms. Seamless integration of TSN and 5G is needed to fully utilize the potential of these technologies in many contemporary and future industrial applications. However, achieving this integration presents significant challenges due to the fundamental differences between TSN and 5G, particularly in ensuring the applications requirements on end-to-end Quality of Services (QoS).This thesis addresses the challenges of integrated TSN-5G networks, focusing on ensuring end-to-end QoS, traffic forwarding, and real-time scheduling. It presents a systematic literature survey of the existing research on TSN-5G integration that identifies gaps in the current research, including the need of a dedicated TSN-5G gateway to ensure seamless integration. To bridge this gap, the thesis proposes novel techniques to ensure end-to-end QoS and traffic forwarding, validated through a proof-of-concept implementation in a private 5G setup. Moreover, the thesis tackles the challenge of scheduling 5G radio resources for real-time TSN flows with diverse timing requirements. It introduces flow-based radio resource scheduling approaches that adapt to dynamic channel conditions and ensure latency guarantees for the transmission of TSN flows over 5G. These contributions enable real-time communication in integrated TSN-5G networks, paving the way for advanced real-time applications across various industrial domains.