Time-Sensitive Networking over 5G: Experimental Evaluation of a Hybrid 5G and TSN System with IEEE 802.1Qbv Traffic
Adnan Aijaz, Sajida Gufran
TL;DR
This work investigates end-to-end determinism in a hybrid 5G and TSN system by experimentally transmitting IEEE 802.1Qbv scheduled traffic over the air. Using a testbed with an off-the-shelf TSN gateway and a private 5G system, the authors translate Ethernet streams into TSN, schedule them with TAS, and assess performance under varying base periods. Key findings show that when the TSN base period exceeds the 5G system's average latency, deterministic-like behavior emerges; smaller base periods lead to pseudo-deterministic performance with occasional losses, underscoring the need for end-to-end optimization and TSN-aware scheduling within the 5G infrastructure. The results offer design guidance for integrating 5G with TSN and highlight the potential and challenges of achieving true end-to-end determinism in hybrid wired/wireless industrial networks, informing future bridge-model and RAN optimization efforts.
Abstract
Underpinned by the IEEE 802.1 standards, Time-sensitive networking (TSN) empowers standard Ethernet to handle stringent real-time requirements of industrial networking. TSN and private 5G will co-exist in industrial systems; hence, converged operation of the two is crucial to achieving end-to-end deterministic performance. This work conducts a testbed-based evaluation of a hybrid 5G and TSN system with over-the-air transmission of scheduled real-time TSN traffic (based on IEEE 802.1Qbv standard). The main objective is to bring the dynamics of hybrid 5G and TSN deployments to spotlight. The testbed comprises off-the-shelf TSN and 5G devices and a near product-grade 5G system. The results show the impact of 802.1Qbv parameters and 5G system capabilities on end-to-end deterministic performance. The findings of this study have significance for design and optimization of 3GPP-defined bridge model (black box model) for 5G/TSN integration.