How 5G precision timing will change our automated world

What comes to mind when you hear the word “automation”? Some of you might immediately imagine a row of robotic arms along an assembly line building cars. Others might think of the self-driving cars themselves, or even the series of electronic transactions that occur at a financial institution when you insert your card into an ATM.

5G Networks and Automation Systems

Today, automation is everywhere. We live in a world where more fundamental processes rely less on human input than ever before. As automation encompasses nearly every known industrial sector, we see the impact of machine decisions and actions in entertainment, transportation, manufacturing, public safety, agriculture, natural resource exploration, and many other fields.

In the first few years of 5G network deployment, there has been a lot of focus on how 5G networks can work for consumers. However, the new connectivity requirements for enterprise and industrial use cases can be very different from those for consumer use cases. Data rates and throughput can serve as the primary benchmark for consumer use cases like internet browsing and video streaming, but requirements for the enterprise and industrial sectors can go further than these simple types of connectivity – into deeper levels of business process automation. Fortunately, 5G is designed for these new, deeper levels of precision.

In many cases, automated systems require extremely precise timing to ensure consistent operation. Think of the delicate camera moves required to shoot big-budget action sequences filled with explosions and car chases, or the automated locking mechanisms in a county jail, or the precision drilling technology used on modern drilling rigs in the oil and gas industry. All interlocking mechanisms and data feeds must occur very quickly, must be synchronized, and must be delivered with extremely high reliability. In some cases, the accuracy requirements for such systems can approach one microsecond (1usec) or faster.

In the pre-5G network world, being able to deliver data in a way that meets some of these new requirements has been challenging. However, 5G is designed to deliver on the vision of helping a wide range of businesses and industries digitally transform. In general, 5G has been standardized to deliver up to 10 Gb/sec of data at peak theoretical speeds, network latency as low as 1 millisecond (msec), and up to 1 million devices per square kilometer—five 9s (99.999%) uptime reliability. However, the precision timing systems that underlie 5G are likely to push the boundaries of these common specifications even further.

In our latest white paper, “Understanding 5G and Time-Critical Services,” 5G Americas explores the future opportunities for precision timing in 5G networks and how they can begin to address some of the most challenging fundamental requirements for time-critical services. Compared to the satellite-based accuracy that forms the basis of many timing systems, 5G networks offer a unique capability: providing indoor coverage and wireless timing with microsecond accuracy.

For example, in commercial banking, asset swaps and high-frequency trading often require time accuracy of 1 microsecond to 1 millisecond, depending on regulatory standards and other factors set by the government. These are often challenging use cases for certain precision timing solutions, such as Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), as they are typically deployed indoors. 5G networks can be more successfully delivered indoors using small cell technology.

Another example is a grid application with multiple generators that need to be phase-synchronized with each other. This requires very precise timing at each substation. While these outdoor systems typically use GNSS, 5G networks may be able to provide a reliable backup solution, thereby increasing the resilience of the grid.

5G and Precision Timing

One huge area of ​​precision timing involves manufacturing. Modern factories operate multiple types of machines that need to work in complete harmony with the rest of the factory system – modern networks must account for a large number of legacy machines and systems to interoperate. Historically, precision timing systems have relied on GNSS and other systems to provide the required timing accuracy, but different timing protocols and sources have been developed with varying degrees of accuracy.

Additionally, different levels of timing accuracy will also impact the number of user devices that can be successfully synchronized in the system. The user-specific level of clock synchronization accuracy will determine not only the number of synchronized devices, but also the service area and the types of scenarios where precise timing can be used. As you can see below, the accuracy of the clock will impact the ability of the system to fully synchronize all of its related parts.

Given all of these complexities, 5G networks are now being enhanced to address many new vertical and industrial mission-critical use cases. Starting with the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 16 and further enhanced in Release 17, technologies in the Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications (URLLC) and Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) standards have been created to specifically address these industrial vertical use case needs.

The search for industrial and automation solutions is gaining momentum as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Time-Sensitive Networking (IEEE 802.1 TSN) standard offers factories a potential converged networking technology to enable deterministic and low-latency communications in latency-sensitive industrial applications. With the ability to provide flexible wireless data access and comprehensive connectivity for smart factories, IEEE 802.1 TSN looks like an attractive complement to the Precision Time Protocol (PTP) or its variants, such as IEEE 802.1AS, which require a wired Ethernet connection.

in conclusion

Overall, we are just beginning to tap into what 5G networks have to offer in terms of precision timing and Timing as a Service (TaaS). Over the next few years, as business requirements flesh out and 5G-based timing systems integrate into processes, we could see many new doors open with automation. We are just on the cusp of something great. Let’s see what the future brings. ​