Embedded Massive MTC Device Emulator for LTE using Software Defined Radios
Authors
Kielgast, Mathias Rønholt ; Rasmussen, Anders Charly
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2017
Submitted on
2017-06-07
Pages
99
Abstract
Antallet af maskin-til-maskin (MTC) enheder på LTE-mobilnet, især til internet of things (IoT), er stigende og forventes at vokse markant. Disse enheder skaber nye kommunikationsmønstre, og sammen med det store antal har det udløst ændringer i LTE. For at kunne teste LTE’s ydeevne med meget mange MTC-enheder ønskes en enkelt testplatform, der kan emulere mange enheder på én gang. Der blev derfor udviklet en prototype baseret på LTE Release 8-kompatibel kode, som kan køre flere virtuelle enheder parallelt og sende deres samlede signaler gennem samme radio-front-end (delt radiohardware). Dette opnås ved at opdele LTE’s fysiske lag – den del der omsætter data til radiosignaler – i en fælles del for alle enheder og en individuel del for hver enhed. Test bekræfter designet: flere MTC-enheder kan forbindes til en eNodeB (LTE-basestation) via den samme radio-front-end. Prototypen gør det muligt for op til 15 enheder at synkronisere og gennemføre random access-proceduren med en kommerciel eNodeB ved 5 MHz. Yderligere test viser, at den tilgængelige båndbredde har stor betydning for, hvor mange enheder der kan understøttes. Det lover godt for MTC-specifikke varianter som LTE-M og NB-IoT, der bruger lavere båndbredde. Implementeringen er dermed et stærkt proof-of-concept for emulatorer, der kan efterligne mange enheder i LTE-baserede net.
The number of machine‑type communication (MTC) devices on LTE cellular networks, especially for the Internet of Things (IoT), is growing rapidly and expected to keep rising. These devices introduce new traffic patterns, and together with their sheer volume have prompted changes to LTE. To test LTE performance under massive MTC loads, a single test platform that can emulate many devices at once is needed. A prototype using LTE Release 8–compliant code was developed that runs multiple virtual devices in parallel and transmits their combined signals through a single radio front‑end (shared radio hardware). This is achieved by splitting the LTE physical layer—the part that turns data into radio signals—into a common part shared by all devices and an individual part for each device. Tests confirm the design: multiple MTC devices can connect to an eNodeB (an LTE base station) using the same radio front‑end. The prototype enables up to 15 devices to synchronize and complete the LTE random access procedure with a commercial eNodeB at 5 MHz. Further tests show that available bandwidth has a strong impact on how many devices can be supported. This bodes well for MTC‑focused variants such as LTE‑M and NB‑IoT that operate at lower bandwidths. The implementation is therefore a strong proof of concept for emulators that model large numbers of devices on LTE‑based networks.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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