O-RAN Intel® FPGA IP User Guide

ID 683238
Date 2/01/2024
Public

A newer version of this document is available. Customers should click here to go to the newest version.

3.6. O-RAN IP Transmission and Reception Window Threshold

The topic refers to Figure 2-10 : Timing relations per symbol IQ in DL direction (U-Plane and C-Plane) and Figure 2-11 : Timing relations per symbol IQ in UL direction (U-Plane and C-Plane) in the O-RAN Fronthaul Working Group Control, User and Synchronization Plane Specification. The O-RAN Design Example does not support window monitoring.

Downlink User Plane

For U-plane downlink data flow (use symbol #0 transmission as an example):

  • At t = 0: time of transmission (at air interface) of the first sample for symbol #0 (see tDL = 0)
  • At t = - t2a_min_up: O-RU has a fixed data processing delay (t2a_min_up). To meet air interface time for symbol#0 transmission at t = 0, symbol#0, present data on time for the processing unit (yellow block).

For symbol#0, start of processing time t = 0 – t2a_min_up = - t2a_min_up

End of reception window is the latest time that O-RU can accept U-plane downlink data for a specific symbol before start of data processing. If U-plane downlink data arrives earlier than this time and is within reception window range, downlink data may wait inside reception window buffer until the start of processing time. Hence the end of reception window is the same time point as the start of processing time.

For symbol#0, end of reception window time t = 0 – t2a_min_up = - t2a_min_up.

Start of reception window is this earliest time that O-RU can accept U-plane downlink data for a specific symbol prior to start of data processing. If U-plane downlink data arrives later than this time and is within reception window range, downlink data waits inside reception window buffer.

For symbol#0, start of reception window time t = 0 - t2a_max_up = - t2a_max_up

O-RU reception window range = t2a_max_upt2a_min_up

The fixed data processing delay in O-RU depends on your O-RU design not the O-RAN IP. You must program the O-RU processing delay from O-RAN IP to antenna into t2a_min up register.

You determine the reception window duration through the number OFDM symbols that can buffer within O-RU. The O-RAN IP doesn’t provide any buffering of the OFDM symbols and it depends on your O-RU design.

Assuming the processing delay between O-RAN IP to antenna is 200 µs and O_RU can buffer maximum of 3 OFDM symbols, program the following values into the t2a_min_up and t2a_max_up registers:

  • t2a_min_up register (in ns) = 200 µs = 0x0003_0D40
  • t2a_max_up in (ns) = 210 + 200 = 410 µs = 0X0006_4190.

Downlink Control Plane

For C-plane to support downlink data flow (use symbol #n = 0 transmission as an example), focus on the green path and apply the same principles to relate the reception window.

Using the same example as the downlink user plane:

  • t2a_min_cp_dl register (in ns) = 200µs = 0x0003_0D40
  • t2a_max_cp_dl register (in ns) = 210 + 200 = 410 µs = 0X0006_4190.

Uplink User Plane

For U-plane uplink data flow (use symbol #n = 0 reception as an example):

At t = 0 : time of reception (at air interface) of the first sample for symbol #0 (see tUL = 0)

At t = 0 + ta3_min_up: O-RU has a fixed data processing delay (ta3_min_up). Air interface data is immediately presented to data processing unit (yellow block).

For symbol#0, end of processing = 0 + ta3_min_up = ta3_min_up

Start of transmission window is the earliest time that O-RU can send U-plane uplink data for a specific symbol out to transport interface. The earliest time is immediately after data processing.

For symbol#0, start of transmission window = 0 + ta3_min_up = ta3_min_up.

End of transmission window is the latest time that O-RU can send U-plane uplink data for a specific symbol out to transport interface.

For symbol#0, end of transmission window = 0 + ta3_max_up = ta3_max_up.

O-RU transmission window range = ta3_max_upta3_min_up

The fixed data processing delay in O-RU is dependent on your O-RU design not the O-RAN IP. You must program the O-RU processing delay from the antenna to the O-RAN IP into the ta3_min_up register.

You determine the transmission window duration through the latest time that O-RU can send uplink data for a specific symbol and depends on user O-RU design.

Assuming processing delay between antenna to O-RAN IP is 100 µs and latest time O_RU can send uplink data for a specific symbol is 150 µs, program the following values into the ta3_min_up and ta3_max_up registers:

  • ta3_min_up register (in ns) = 100µs = 0x0001_86A0
  • ta3_max_up register (in ns) = 150 µs = 0x0002_49F0

Uplink Control Plane

For C-plane to support uplink data flow (use symbol #n = 0 transmission as an example), focus on the green path and apply the same principles to relate the reception window.

Using the same example as the uplink user plane:

  • ta3_min_cp_ul register (in ns) = 100 µs = 0x0001_86A0
  • ta3_max_cp_ul register (in ns) = 150 µs = 0x0002_49F0