Verbundvorhaben: Time sensitive communication in campusnetworks for teleoperated control - TICCTEC

Abstract

TICCTEC verfolgte das Ziel, Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) in 5G-Campusnetze auf Basis von Open RAN und Open-Source-5G-Core-Implementierungen zu integrieren und mit Device-to-Device (D2D)-Kommunikation zu kombinieren. Offene Schnittstellen sollen Sicherheit, Zuverlässigkeit, Echtzeitfähigkeit, Effizienz und Resilienz erhöhen. TSN ermöglicht präzise Synchronisation, deterministischen Datenaustausch und geringe Latenzen, womit proprietäre Feldbussysteme wie PROFINET oder EtherCAT ergänzt werden. TICCTEC soll die Praxistauglichkeit von TSN in 5G-Netzen überprüfen und eventuelle Standardlücken aufdecken.

Industrial communication networks are increasingly faced with the challenge of combining wireless technologies with the high demands of real-time capability, reliability, and deterministic data transmission. Time-sensitive networking (TSN) offers a central basis for this, but has so far been established mainly in wired networks. With 5G campus networks, it is now possible to use TSN wirelessly and supplement it with device-to-device (D2D) communication and open architectures such as Open RAN. The TICCTEC project aimed to investigate the practical feasibility of this integration, develop open interfaces and translators according to the 3GPP standard, and validate them in industrial application scenarios such as the Robo Operator® and a 2-axis kinematic system. To this end, a 5G TSN architecture was specified, prototypes were developed, and extensive test beds were set up in which latency, jitter, and reliability were measured and optimized. The results show that deterministic communication via 5G is possible in principle, with additional mechanisms such as FRER contributing to stabilization. There are currently limitations in direct D2D communication, which have been compensated for by alternative methods. Overall, the project confirms the technical feasibility of 5G-TSN for time-critical industrial applications and provides a valuable basis for further standardization. The results achieved strengthen the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises in particular, open up application possibilities in production, logistics, and robotics, and provide important impetus for the development of future 6G systems with even lower latency and higher resilience.