IIoT with DetNet and TSN
Srinivasan Balasubramanian · 2024
3GPP specified 5G support for TSN in Release 16, with further enhancements in Release 17, to allow seamless integration of a 5G system (5GS) with TSN networks. In integrated networks like this, a 5G system will be perceived as IEEE-compliant virtual Ethernet-TSN bridges. 3GPP TS 22.104 and IEC/IEEE 60802 have described many important industrial automation use cases. The specification discusses the integration of 5G with TSN for typical industrial use cases, namely control-to-control, control-to-device, and device-to-compute communications. Industrial automation applications include safety light curtains to protect areas, AGVs (Autonomous Guided Vehicles) / mobile robots, discrete manufacturing and process automation, and coordination of multiple controllers for a task to be executed together. More advanced use cases of camera assisted robot arm-based sorting, image reconstruction for 3D analysis for AGV mobility and is supported as a control-to-controller function or controller-to-device function. Although the relevant pieces of the technology definitions exist, there are still gaps in terms of what is achievable relative to the actual demands of the IIoT. Deterministic Networks (DetNet) gets us a little closer to allowing for integrating CT (communication technology), IT (Information Technology), and OP (Operational Technology) and meet the requirements. The ISA-95 standards body defines these aspects. This chapter discusses the integration of these IIoT protocol with 5G system.