Demonstration of a Hybrid Analog–Digital Transport System Architecture for 5G and Beyond Networks
In future mobile networks, the evolution of optical transport architectures enabling the flexible, scalable interconnection of Baseband Units (BBUs) and Radio Units (RUs) with heterogeneous interfaces is a significant issue. In this paper, we propose a multi-technology hybrid transport architecture...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/4/2122 |
| _version_ | 1797482978162507776 |
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| author | Konstantina Kanta Panagiotis Toumasis Kostas Tokas Ioannis Stratakos Elissaios Alexis Papatheofanous Giannis Giannoulis Ioanna Mesogiti Eleni Theodoropoulou George Lyberopoulos George Lentaris Dimitris Apostolopoulos Dionysis Reisis Dimitrios Soudris Hercules Avramopoulos |
| author_facet | Konstantina Kanta Panagiotis Toumasis Kostas Tokas Ioannis Stratakos Elissaios Alexis Papatheofanous Giannis Giannoulis Ioanna Mesogiti Eleni Theodoropoulou George Lyberopoulos George Lentaris Dimitris Apostolopoulos Dionysis Reisis Dimitrios Soudris Hercules Avramopoulos |
| author_sort | Konstantina Kanta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In future mobile networks, the evolution of optical transport architectures enabling the flexible, scalable interconnection of Baseband Units (BBUs) and Radio Units (RUs) with heterogeneous interfaces is a significant issue. In this paper, we propose a multi-technology hybrid transport architecture that comprises both analog and digital-Radio over Fiber (RoF) mobile network segments relying on a dynamically reconfigurable optical switching node. As a step forward, the integration of the discussed network layout into an existing mobile infrastructure is demonstrated, enabling the support of real-world services through both standard digital and Analog–Intermediate- Frequency over Fiber (A-IFoF)-based converged fiber–wireless paths. Emphasis has been placed on the implementation of a real-time A-IFoF transceiver that is employed through a single embedded fully programmable gateway array (FPGA)-based platform that serves as an Ethernet to Intermediate Frequency (IF) bridge for the transmission of legacy traffic over the analog network segment. The experimental evaluation of the proposed concept was based on the dynamic optical routing of the legacy Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI), 1.5 GBaud analog-intermediate frequency-over-fiber (A-IFoF)/mmWave and 10 Gbps binary optical waveforms, showing acceptable error vector magnitude (EVM) values for the complex radio waveforms and error-free operation for binary optical streams, with Bit Error Rate (BER) values less than 10<sup>−9</sup>. Finally, the end-to-end proof-of-concept demonstration of the proposed solution was achieved through the delivery of 4K video streaming and Internet Protocol (IP) calls over a mobile core network. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:40:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1013bdfa1b734976960411618473a7a4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:40:17Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-1013bdfa1b734976960411618473a7a42023-11-23T18:39:39ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172022-02-01124212210.3390/app12042122Demonstration of a Hybrid Analog–Digital Transport System Architecture for 5G and Beyond NetworksKonstantina Kanta0Panagiotis Toumasis1Kostas Tokas2Ioannis Stratakos3Elissaios Alexis Papatheofanous4Giannis Giannoulis5Ioanna Mesogiti6Eleni Theodoropoulou7George Lyberopoulos8George Lentaris9Dimitris Apostolopoulos10Dionysis Reisis11Dimitrios Soudris12Hercules Avramopoulos13School of Electrical & Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15773 Athens, GreeceSchool of Electrical & Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15773 Athens, GreeceSchool of Electrical & Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15773 Athens, GreeceSchool of Electrical & Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15773 Athens, GreeceElectronics Laboratory, Department of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, GreeceSchool of Electrical & Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15773 Athens, GreeceCOSMOTE Mobile Telecommunications S.A., 15122 Athens, GreeceCOSMOTE Mobile Telecommunications S.A., 15122 Athens, GreeceCOSMOTE Mobile Telecommunications S.A., 15122 Athens, GreeceSchool of Electrical & Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15773 Athens, GreeceSchool of Electrical & Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15773 Athens, GreeceElectronics Laboratory, Department of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, GreeceSchool of Electrical & Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15773 Athens, GreeceSchool of Electrical & Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15773 Athens, GreeceIn future mobile networks, the evolution of optical transport architectures enabling the flexible, scalable interconnection of Baseband Units (BBUs) and Radio Units (RUs) with heterogeneous interfaces is a significant issue. In this paper, we propose a multi-technology hybrid transport architecture that comprises both analog and digital-Radio over Fiber (RoF) mobile network segments relying on a dynamically reconfigurable optical switching node. As a step forward, the integration of the discussed network layout into an existing mobile infrastructure is demonstrated, enabling the support of real-world services through both standard digital and Analog–Intermediate- Frequency over Fiber (A-IFoF)-based converged fiber–wireless paths. Emphasis has been placed on the implementation of a real-time A-IFoF transceiver that is employed through a single embedded fully programmable gateway array (FPGA)-based platform that serves as an Ethernet to Intermediate Frequency (IF) bridge for the transmission of legacy traffic over the analog network segment. The experimental evaluation of the proposed concept was based on the dynamic optical routing of the legacy Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI), 1.5 GBaud analog-intermediate frequency-over-fiber (A-IFoF)/mmWave and 10 Gbps binary optical waveforms, showing acceptable error vector magnitude (EVM) values for the complex radio waveforms and error-free operation for binary optical streams, with Bit Error Rate (BER) values less than 10<sup>−9</sup>. Finally, the end-to-end proof-of-concept demonstration of the proposed solution was achieved through the delivery of 4K video streaming and Internet Protocol (IP) calls over a mobile core network.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/4/21225GA-IFoFdigital signal processing (DSP)FPGAorthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)hybrid analog/digital |
| spellingShingle | Konstantina Kanta Panagiotis Toumasis Kostas Tokas Ioannis Stratakos Elissaios Alexis Papatheofanous Giannis Giannoulis Ioanna Mesogiti Eleni Theodoropoulou George Lyberopoulos George Lentaris Dimitris Apostolopoulos Dionysis Reisis Dimitrios Soudris Hercules Avramopoulos Demonstration of a Hybrid Analog–Digital Transport System Architecture for 5G and Beyond Networks Applied Sciences 5G A-IFoF digital signal processing (DSP) FPGA orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) hybrid analog/digital |
| title | Demonstration of a Hybrid Analog–Digital Transport System Architecture for 5G and Beyond Networks |
| title_full | Demonstration of a Hybrid Analog–Digital Transport System Architecture for 5G and Beyond Networks |
| title_fullStr | Demonstration of a Hybrid Analog–Digital Transport System Architecture for 5G and Beyond Networks |
| title_full_unstemmed | Demonstration of a Hybrid Analog–Digital Transport System Architecture for 5G and Beyond Networks |
| title_short | Demonstration of a Hybrid Analog–Digital Transport System Architecture for 5G and Beyond Networks |
| title_sort | demonstration of a hybrid analog digital transport system architecture for 5g and beyond networks |
| topic | 5G A-IFoF digital signal processing (DSP) FPGA orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) hybrid analog/digital |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/4/2122 |
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