5G Numerologies Assessment for URLLC in Industrial Communications

Area of Science:

• Telecommunications Engineering
• Industrial Automation
• Wireless Communication Systems

Background:

• Fifth-generation (5G) networks are key for Industry 4.0, offering Ultra-Reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC).
• Selecting appropriate 5G numerologies is vital for optimizing performance in challenging industrial radio environments.
• Industrial settings present unique challenges like interference and multipath propagation due to structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the impact of 5G numerology selection on radio link level delay for remote-control services.
• To evaluate performance under various packet sizes and channel conditions in a simulated factory environment.
• To identify optimal numerology configurations for critical industrial applications.

Main Methods:

• Simulation of a cellular factory environment.
• Analysis of different 5G numerologies and their effect on slot duration.
• Testing with varying packet sizes and Non-Line-of-Sight (NLOS) channel conditions.
• Focus on evaluating outlier performance and delay.

Main Results:

• Not all higher numerologies (shorter slot durations) yield better results for remote-control services.
• Performance is significantly impacted by channel conditions, particularly Non-Line-of-Sight (NLOS).
• Suboptimal numerology choices can lead to unacceptable delays in industrial communication.

Conclusions:

• The choice of 5G numerology must be carefully considered based on specific industrial radio conditions.
• Optimizing numerology is essential for achieving reliable and low-latency URLLC in Industry 4.0.
• Further research is needed to develop adaptive numerology selection mechanisms for dynamic industrial environments.