Base station operation method and multimode base station system

Abstract

The invention relates to a base station operation method and a multimode base station system, the base station operation method comprises a baseband unit, a radio remote unit, a network card and an antenna, and the radio remote unit is connected with the antenna; wherein the network card comprises an eCPRI interface, the baseband unit is connected with the remote radio unit through the eCPRI interface, and the eCPRI interface is used for transmitting 4G signals and 5G signals between the baseband unit and the remote radio unit; the baseband unit is used for processing 4G and 5G baseband signals; the radio remote unit is used for converting the baseband signal into a radio frequency signal, converting the received radio frequency signal into a baseband signal and transmitting the baseband signal back to the baseband unit; the antenna is used for transmitting or receiving a radio frequency signal; 4G and 5G signal transmission is processed by uniformly using an eCPRI interface in 4G and 5G common mode schemes, and the implementation is simple; the eCPRI not only can support the characteristics required by 5G, but also is downwards compatible with the function of 4G CPRI, supports the free configuration of 4G and 5G, and improves the flexibility of network deployment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of base station technology, and in particular to a base station operation method and a multi-mode base station system. Background Art

[0002] In traditional communications, a 4G network base station (eNodeB) generally consists of a baseband unit (BBU) and a remote radio unit (RRU). Data is transmitted between the BBU and RRU using the Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) protocol, a common public radio interface protocol defined by equipment manufacturers.

[0003] In 4G and 5G co-mode solutions (i.e., 4G and 5G networks share the same infrastructure), the communication interface design between the BBU and RRU must meet the technical requirements of both products. This design must not only ensure stable 4G network operation but also support new 5G features. Related technologies use a hybrid approach to connect the baseband unit and remote radio unit (RRU). This approach requires implementing different 4G and 5G protocol standards on the same physical connection, which is complex and inflexible in network deployment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a base station operation method and a multi-mode base station system that are simple to implement and flexible in network deployment to address the above technical problems.

[0005] In one embodiment, the present application provides a base station operation method, which is applied to a multi-mode base station system, wherein the multi-mode base station system includes a baseband unit, a remote radio unit, a network card, and an antenna, wherein the remote radio unit is connected to the antenna; wherein the network card includes an eCPRI interface, and the baseband unit is connected to the remote radio unit via the eCPRI interface; the method includes:

[0006] The baseband unit processes 4G and 5G baseband signals and sends the baseband signals to the remote radio unit through the eCPRI interface;

[0007] The radio remote unit converts the baseband signal into a radio frequency signal, and transmits the radio frequency signal to the outside world through the antenna.

[0008] In some embodiments, the baseband unit includes a multi-core processor, and before the baseband unit processes 4G and 5G baseband signals, the method further includes:

[0009] Read the configuration information input by the user, wherein the configuration information includes the number of 4G base stations and 5G base stations;

[0010] Generate a configuration file according to the configuration information;

[0011] In response to the startup instruction of the multi-mode base station system, the configuration file is read, the first processor inside the multi-core processor is allocated to the 4G base station, and the second processor inside the multi-core processor is allocated to the 5G base station.

[0012] In some embodiments, the network card includes a first eCPRI interface and a second eCPRI interface, the first processor is communicatively connected to the first eCPRI interface, the second processor is communicatively connected to the second eCPRI interface, and the baseband unit sends the baseband signal to the remote radio unit through the eCPRI interface, including:

[0013] Virtualizing a plurality of virtual network ports from the first eCPRI interface and the second eCPRI interface respectively;

[0014] The baseband unit transmits a control message packet and a PTP synchronization message through the first eCPRI interface and the second eCPRI interface respectively, and transmits an eCPRI data packet through the virtual network port.

[0015] In some embodiments, multiple virtual network ports are virtualized from the first eCPRI interface and the second eCPRI interface, respectively, including:

[0016] Virtualizing independent logical interfaces based on the first eCPRI interface and the second eCPRI interface respectively;

[0017] Each of the independent logical interfaces is bound to a different protocol stack to obtain the virtual network port.

[0018] In some embodiments, the virtual network port is associated with an area code of a 4G cell or a 5G cell, and transmitting an eCPRI data packet through the virtual network port includes:

[0019] Polling each of the virtual network ports to query the eCPRI data of each of the virtual network ports;

[0020] The queried eCPRI data packet is stored in a cache corresponding to the area code.

[0021] In some embodiments, the network card further includes a GPS module for generating synchronization information, and the method further includes:

[0022] The GPS module sends the synchronization information to the baseband unit;

[0023] The baseband unit creates a PTP process, generates a PTP message based on the PTP process, and sends the synchronization information to the radio remote unit through the PTP message;

[0024] The remote radio unit performs PTP synchronization after receiving the PTP message.

[0025] In a second aspect, the present application provides a multi-mode base station system, comprising: a baseband unit, a radio remote unit, a network card, and an antenna, wherein the radio remote unit is connected to the antenna; wherein:

[0026] The network card includes an eCPRI interface, the baseband unit is connected to the radio remote unit through the eCPRI interface, and the eCPRI interface is used to transmit 4G signals and 5G signals between the baseband unit and the radio remote unit;

[0027] The baseband unit is used to process 4G and 5G baseband signals;

[0028] The radio remote unit is used to convert the baseband signal into a radio frequency signal, and convert the received radio frequency signal into the baseband signal and then transmit it back to the baseband unit;

[0029] The antenna is used to send or receive the radio frequency signal.

[0030] In some embodiments, the baseband unit includes a multi-core processor, and the multi-core processor includes a first processor and a second processor; wherein,

[0031] The first processor is used to run the process of the 4G base station, and the second processor is used to run the process of the 5G base station.

[0032] In some embodiments, the network card includes a first eCPRI interface and a second eCPRI interface, the first processor is communicatively connected to the first eCPRI interface, and the second processor is communicatively connected to the second eCPRI interface;

[0033] The first eCPRI interface and the second eCPRI interface are virtualized into multiple virtual network ports respectively; wherein, the first eCPRI interface and the second eCPRI interface are used to transmit control message packets and PTP synchronization messages respectively, and the virtual network ports are used to transmit eCPRI data packets.

[0034] In some embodiments, the network card further includes a GPS module for synchronizing the clock signal between the baseband unit and the radio remote unit.

[0035] The above-mentioned base station operation method and multi-mode base station system include: a baseband unit, a radio frequency remote unit, a network card and an antenna, and the radio frequency remote unit is connected to the antenna; wherein, the network card includes an eCPRI interface, and the baseband unit is connected to the radio frequency remote unit through the eCPRI interface, and the eCPRI interface is used to transmit 4G signals and 5G signals between the baseband unit and the radio frequency remote unit; the baseband unit is used to process 4G and 5G baseband signals; the radio frequency remote unit is used to convert the baseband signal into a radio frequency signal, and convert the received radio frequency signal into a baseband signal and then transmit it back to the baseband unit; the antenna is used to send or receive radio frequency signals; by uniformly using the eCPRI interface in the 4G and 5G common mode solutions to process 4G and 5G signal transmission, simplicity is achieved; eCPRI can not only support the characteristics required by 5G, but also is backward compatible with the functions of 4G CPRI, supports the free configuration of 4G and 5G, and improves the flexibility of network deployment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present application and constitute a part of the present application. The illustrative embodiments of the present application and their descriptions are used to explain the present application and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present application. In the drawings:

[0037] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the architecture of a multi-mode base station system in one embodiment;

[0038] Figure 2 1 is a flow chart of a base station operation method according to an embodiment;

[0039] Figure 3 FIG1 is a schematic diagram of splitting options for different protocol layers in a 5G RAN according to an embodiment;

[0040] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a baseband unit in one embodiment;

[0041] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a base station operating method in another embodiment;

[0042] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the connection between the BBU and the network card in one embodiment;

[0043] Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a multi-mode base station system in another embodiment.

[0044] Reference numerals: 1. baseband unit; 11. first processor; 12. second processor; 2. remote radio unit; 21. radio frequency transceiver; 22. power amplifier; 3. network card; 31. first eCPRI interface; 32. second eCPRI interface; 4. antenna; 5. GPS module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the present application is described and illustrated below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. Based on the embodiments provided in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application. In addition, it can also be understood that although the efforts made in this development process may be complex and lengthy, for ordinary technicians in the field related to the contents disclosed in the present application, some changes such as design, manufacturing or production based on the technical contents disclosed in the present application are only conventional technical means and should not be understood as the contents disclosed in the present application being insufficient.

[0046] References to "embodiments" in this application mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it refer to independent or alternative embodiments that are mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It is understood, both explicitly and implicitly, by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described in this application may be combined with other embodiments unless there is a conflict.

[0047] Unless otherwise defined, technical or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meaning as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terms "a," "an," "an," "the," and similar expressions used herein do not denote limitations on quantity and may refer to either the singular or the plural. The terms "comprise," "include," "have," and any variations thereof, used herein, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus comprising a series of steps or modules (units) is not limited to the listed steps or units but may also include steps or units not listed, or may include other steps or units inherent to the process, method, product, or apparatus. The terms "connected," "connected," "coupled," and similar expressions used herein are not limited to physical or mechanical connections but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. As used herein, "plurality" means greater than or equal to two. "And / or" describes an association between associated objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" may mean: A exists alone; A and B exist simultaneously; or B exists alone. The terms "first", "second", "third" and the like involved in this application are merely used to distinguish similar objects and do not represent a specific ordering of the objects.

[0048] The common 4G and 5G common mode solution in related technologies is to mix different interfaces. For the 4G network part, the traditional CPRI interface continues to be used to connect the BBU and RRU; for the 5G network part, other interfaces are used to connect the BBU and RRU. This approach requires the implementation of different protocol standards of 4G and 5G on the same physical connection, which greatly affects the implementation complexity and flexibility of network deployment. Specifically, in the case of 4G and 5G common mode, since 4G and 5G use different communication interfaces, the BBU needs to support both the CPRI interface and other interfaces. In this case, the BBU side needs to support two communication interfaces, and the configuration is not flexible. For example, if the BBU side is configured with 4 CPRI interfaces and 4 other interfaces, then the BBU is compatible with a maximum of 4 4G and 4 5G. If the base station needs to be set to 6 5G and 2 4G, this solution cannot meet the system requirements and the interface needs to be replaced.

[0049] To solve the above problem, in one embodiment, Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the architecture of a multi-mode base station system is provided. Figure 1 As shown, the system includes: a baseband unit 1, a remote radio frequency unit 2, a network card 3 and an antenna 4, and the remote radio frequency unit 2 is connected to the antenna 4; wherein the network card 3 includes an eCPRI interface, and the baseband unit 1 is connected to the remote radio frequency unit 2 through the eCPRI interface, and the eCPRI interface is used to transmit 4G signals and 5G signals between the baseband unit 1 and the remote radio frequency unit 2; the baseband unit 1 is used to process 4G and 5G baseband signals; the remote radio frequency unit 2 is used to convert baseband signals into radio frequency signals, and convert received radio frequency signals into baseband signals and then transmit them back to the baseband unit 1; the antenna 4 is used to send or receive radio frequency signals.

[0050] Figure 2 A flow chart of a base station operation method is provided, which can be operated on Figure 1 The multi-mode base station system shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, the process includes the following steps:

[0051] Step S101: The baseband unit processes 4G and 5G baseband signals and sends the baseband signals to the remote radio unit through the eCPRI interface.

[0052] In step S102, the radio remote unit converts the baseband signal into a radio frequency signal, and transmits the radio frequency signal to the outside world through an antenna.

[0053] The eCPRI interface is an enhanced public radio interface (CPRI) that meets the 5G requirements for higher bandwidth and lower latency through more efficient protocols and data processing methods. This embodiment uniformly uses the eCPRI interface to handle 4G and 5G data transmission. The eCPRI interface is implemented based on the Open RAN protocol, which not only supports the features required by 5G but is also backward compatible with the functions of 4G CPRI. This means that even when working in 4G mode, the advantages of eCPRI can be utilized to reduce the data volume and cost of the fronthaul link. Specifically, Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the splitting options for different protocol layers in 5G RAN is provided, such as Figure 3 The figure shows the division of different protocol layers in the 5G radio access network (RAN) and their interface options with the radio frequency (RF) unit. The protocol layers are divided into L1, L2, and L3, and Option 1 to Option 8 are interface options. The following are the explanations of the terms in each part:

[0054] SON (Self-Organizing Networks): Self-organizing networks;

[0055] OAM (Operations, Administration, and Maintenance): operations, administration, and maintenance;

[0056] EPC (Evolved Packet Core): Evolved Packet Core network;

[0057] RF: radio frequency unit;

[0058] RRC / NAS: Radio Resource Control / Non-Access Stratum;

[0059] PDCP: Packet Data Convergence Protocol;

[0060] Upper RLC: Upper RLC (Radio Link Control);

[0061] Lower RLC: Lower layer RLC (Radio Link Control);

[0062] Upper MAC: Upper MAC (Media Access Control);

[0063] Lower MAC: Lower MAC (Media Access Control);

[0064] Upper PHY: The physical layer is the lowest layer of the wireless interface and is responsible for the actual bitstream transmission. "Upper PHY" generally refers to the portion of the physical layer that interacts with higher layers, such as coding and modulation.

[0065] Lower PHY: Lower PHY (physical layer). "Lower PHY" refers to the part of the physical layer that is closer to the hardware level, such as signal transmission and reception, antenna processing, and other specific physical operations.

[0066] The eCPRI interface adapts to Option 7, a solution in the Open RAN architecture that splits the physical layer (L1) into Upper PHY and Lower PHY. In this embodiment, the Upper PHY is implemented on the BBU side and primarily handles protocol stack functions such as channel coding, modulation and demodulation, and resource mapping. The Lower PHY is implemented on the RRU side and primarily handles RF signal processing such as time-frequency domain conversion, cyclic prefix (CP) addition / removal, and beamforming. The BBU and RRU transmit baseband and RF signals over the eCPRI interface. These signals contain frequency-domain IQ data, which is the fundamental data format for physical layer processing. By adopting a unified eCPRI interface, this embodiment allows some signal processing functions of 4G and 5G base stations to be migrated from the BBU to the RRU, thereby reducing the amount of data on the fronthaul link.

[0067] In a multi-mode base station system, whether operating in 4G or 5G mode, the BBU uses the same processing interface (eCPRI) to transmit frequency-domain data. This ensures a consistent fronthaul data interface for both 4G and 5G, guaranteeing the same fronthaul data block processing. Because the same network interface card is used, the received data timing is consistent. Only the corresponding physical link processing mode is required within the signal processing thread. Therefore, a multi-mode base station system can flexibly configure both LTE (4G) and NR (5G) base station models.

[0068] This embodiment uses the eCPRI interface in a unified manner in 4G and 5G common-mode solutions to process 4G and 5G signal transmission, which simplifies implementation. eCPRI not only supports the features required by 5G, but is also backward compatible with the functions of 4G CPRI, supports free configuration of 4G and 5G, and improves the flexibility of network deployment.

[0069] In some embodiments, the baseband unit 1 may include: an encoding unit, a decoding unit, a modulation unit, and a demodulation unit.

[0070] The encoding unit converts the original information data into a form suitable for transmission. The decoding unit performs the reverse operation on the received data, recovering the original information from the encoded form. The modulation unit converts the encoded digital signal into an analog signal and modulates certain carrier parameters (amplitude, frequency, or phase) according to specific rules to facilitate long-distance transmission through wireless channels. The demodulation unit processes the received analog signal to extract the original digital information contained therein.

[0071] In one embodiment, the radio remote unit 2 may include: a radio frequency transceiver and a power amplifier. The radio frequency transceiver includes a receiving unit and a transmitting unit. The receiving unit includes a frequency domain compensation unit, a cyclic prefix removal unit, a first time-frequency conversion unit, and a data compression unit. The transmitting unit includes a data decompression unit, a second time-frequency conversion unit, and a cyclic prefix addition unit. The frequency domain compensation unit is used to correct distortion or attenuation of the received signal caused by channel characteristics during transmission. The cyclic prefix removal unit is used to remove the cyclic prefix before further signal processing to accurately demodulate the data. The first time-frequency conversion unit is used to convert the time domain signal into a frequency domain signal, allowing independent data decoding for each subcarrier. The data compression unit is used to compress data, reducing the data volume for more efficient storage or transmission. The data decompression unit is used to decompress the received compressed data and restore it to its original data format for subsequent processing and transmission. The second time-frequency conversion unit is used to convert the frequency domain data back into a time domain signal in preparation for wireless transmission. The cyclic prefix addition unit is used to add a cyclic prefix to each OFDM symbol before the signal is transmitted.

[0072] In one embodiment, Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the baseband unit is provided, such as Figure 4 As shown, the baseband unit includes: a multi-core processor, the multi-core processor includes a first processor 11 and a second processor 12; wherein, the first processor 11 is used to run the process of the 4G base station, and the second processor 12 is used to run the process of the 5G base station.

[0073] In this embodiment, Figure 5 A flow chart of another base station operation method is provided, such as Figure 5 As shown, in the above step S101, before the baseband unit processes the 4G and 5G baseband signals, the method further includes the following steps:

[0074] Step S201: Read the configuration information input by the user, where the configuration information includes the number of 4G base stations and 5G base stations;

[0075] Step S202, generating a configuration file according to the configuration information;

[0076] Step S203, in response to the startup instruction of the multi-mode base station system, read the configuration file, allocate the first processor inside the multi-core processor to the 4G base station, and allocate the second processor inside the multi-core processor to the 5G base station.

[0077] In this embodiment, the core allocation of the multi-core processor (CPU) can be performed according to the scenario configured by the user. For example, if the user sets up 4 LTE base stations (4G base stations) and 4 NR base stations (5G base stations), cores 1 to 6 can be allocated to the LTE base stations, and cores 7 to 19 can be allocated to the NR base stations. Since the processing flow of the NR base station is more complex than that of the LTE base station, more cores are required. The core allocation can be saved through the configuration file. According to the number of LTE base stations and NR base stations selected in the interface, the core allocation configuration file will be automatically generated. During the system startup process, the system will read the configuration file to implement the core processing strategy.

[0078] The core allocation configuration file can be implemented by bitmap mapping. For example, if you configure LTE to occupy cores 1 to 7 and NR to occupy cores 8 to 19, the configuration file is as follows:

[0079] LTE CORE: 0x0000FE occupies core1, core2, ..., core6, and core7;

[0080] NR CORE: 0x0FFF00 occupies core8, core9…core18, core19;

[0081] OAM CORE: 0x300000 occupies core 20 and core 21.

[0082] In a multi-core processor environment, dynamic core allocation can affect system real-time performance, especially for high-real-time communication systems. Therefore, this embodiment uses static core configuration to ensure that each core can independently run different versions of the protocol stack software, is isolated from each other, and does not interfere with each other due to issues such as task preemption. By assigning specific cores to handle 4G and 5G services respectively, the time for resource monitoring and dynamic scheduling can be reduced, improving the system's real-time performance.

[0083] In one embodiment, Figure 6 Provides a connection diagram between BBU and network card, such as Figure 6As shown, the network card includes a first eCPRI interface 31 and a second eCPRI interface 32. The first processor 11 is in communication with the first eCPRI interface 31, and the second processor 12 is in communication with the second eCPRI interface 32. Accordingly, the baseband unit 1 sends the baseband signal to the remote radio unit RRU via the eCPRI interface 3, which is achieved by the following method:

[0084] Multiple virtual network ports are virtualized from the first eCPRI interface 31 and the second eCPRI interface 32 respectively; the baseband unit BBU transmits control message packets and PTP synchronization messages through the first eCPRI interface 31 and the second eCPRI interface 32 respectively, and transmits eCPRI data packets through the virtual network ports.

[0085] Independent logical interfaces can be virtualized based on the first and second eCPRI interfaces. Each independent logical interface can be bound to a different protocol stack to obtain a virtual network port. Specifically, SR-IOV technology is used to virtualize multiple independent logical interfaces (Virtual Functions, or VFs) from eCPRI interface 3. Each VF can be bound to a different protocol stack for sending and receiving eCPRI data packets.

[0086] The eCPRI interface is the physical function (PF) of the NIC, responsible for BBU management of the RRU and PTP synchronization. OAM sends heartbeat data to the RRU via the PF, and the RRU periodically reports heartbeat information and alarm logs to the BBU. PTP synchronization information is also sent to the RRU via the PF for time synchronization.

[0087] In this implementation, the NIC can be an Intel E810. Each optical port on the card supports multi-cell multiplexing technology, and each optical port can be virtualized. A single Intel E810 optical port (25Gbps) is virtualized into four virtual functions (VFs) using SR-IOV, with each VF independently mapped to a different cell. For example, a physical port can be mapped as follows:

[0088] | Physical Port (25Gbps) |

[0089] | VF0 (4G cell 1) | VF1 (5G cell 1) | VF2 (4G cell 2) | VF3 (PTP synchronization) |

[0090] In this way, it is possible to support VF0 to transmit 4G cell 1 data, VF1 to transmit 5G cell 1 data, VF2 to transmit 4G cell 1 data, and VF3 to transmit PTP synchronization messages.

[0091] At the same time, each VF is allocated an independent DMA channel and queue, and the Flexible Flow Steering function of the network card is used to pass the data packet directly to the target VF based on the VLAN ID or MAC address.

[0092] Load the ice driver and enable SR-IOV. The code to create four VFs for the eth0 port is as follows:

[0093] modprobe iceecho 4 > / sys / class / net / eth0 / device / sriov_numvfs

[0094] The code for setting the MAC address and VLAN for VF0~VF3 is as follows:

[0095] ip link set eth0 vf 0 mac 00:11:22:33:44:00 vlan 100

[0096] ip link set eth0 vf 1 mac 00:11:22:33:44:01 vlan 101

[0097] ip link set eth0 vf 2 mac 00:11:22:33:44:02 vlan 102

[0098] ip link set eth0 vf 3 mac 00:11:22:33:44:03 vlan 103.

[0099] For example, assume the BBU supports access to an 8-port network card. Since Intel's current E810 network cards support a maximum of 4 optical ports, this embodiment allows the BBU to connect two 4-port network cards of the same type. This allows the BBU to support external communication via 8 optical ports. With this configuration, the BBU can support communication in up to 8 cells, with each cell supporting up to 4 or 8 channels, depending on the bandwidth capabilities of the optical ports. The first eCPRI interface 31 and the second eCPRI interface 32 are each physical network ports. In some embodiments, each physical network port can be virtualized into 4 virtual network ports, allowing a single physical network port to support the transmission of data in multiple formats. After configuring the virtual network ports, each eCPRI interface supports transmission via 1 physical network port and 4 virtual network ports. The physical network port can be used to transmit control packets (control packets used by the BBU to manage the RRUs) and PTP synchronization messages, while the virtual network port can be used to transmit eCPRI data packets. This allows a single eCPRI interface to transmit control messages, PTP synchronization messages, and eCPRI data packets.

[0100] In some embodiments, a cell can use a group of virtual network ports to transmit eCPRI data packets. It also supports two cells transmitting data packets through a physical optical port, which is equivalent to one cell using virtual network port 1 and one cell using virtual network port 2. In a single-cell scenario, only one virtual network port can be used for data communication.

[0101] In some embodiments, the virtual network port is associated with the area code of the 4G cell or the 5G cell, and the eCPRI data packet is transmitted through the virtual network port, including: polling each virtual network port to query the eCPRI data of each virtual network port; and storing the queried eCPRI data packet in a cache corresponding to the area code.

[0102] In this embodiment, LTE base station data and NR base station data are processed based on different threads. 4G and 5G access different core networks, and data transmission is isolated starting from the core network. Data from different core networks is sent and received through different backhaul ports.

[0103] If the base station configures the RRU in dual-carrier mode, that is, the same RRU supports both 4G and 5G modes, and the RRU is designed for dual-carrier mode, the BBU can simultaneously send 4G and 5G signals to the RRU through a single PF port. After processing by the RRU, 4G and 5G signals are sent at the antenna port. Regarding the transmission processing flow, the LTE base station obtains the transmitted data stream through the 4G core network, and after processing through L3, L2, and L1, obtains frequency domain IQ data. The LTE base station can bind it to VF0 for data transmission. After the corresponding NR base station performs the same processing, it can be bound to VF1 for data transmission, realizing the simultaneous transmission of 4G and 5G data through a single PF port. The corresponding RRU is configured in dual-carrier mode.

[0104] If the base station is configured in single-carrier mode, for example, the current RRU is configured in 4G mode, in this case, the LTE signal of the BBU will be processed by the base station and the frequency domain IQ data will be sent to the corresponding RRU using VF0 in the eCPRI format to realize the transmission of 4G signal data.

[0105] If the base station is configured in single-carrier 5G mode, the 5G signal of the BBU is processed by the base station. After processing, it is sent to the corresponding VF0 by the transmission module and then sent to the corresponding RRU through optical fiber for data transmission.

[0106] The data reception mode of the base station is implemented in the same way. Throughout the data processing process, the data transmission channel and optical port configuration type simply need to be bound. After the BBU completes data processing, data is sent and received based on the optical port binding relationship. Different virtual optical ports have corresponding MAC addresses. The DPDK library transmits and receives data based on the MAC address, storing the data in the corresponding data space.

[0107] for example:

[0108] The MAC address corresponding to VF0 is as follows:

[0109] BBU side: 10 11 12 13 14; RRU side: 1a 1b 1c 1d 1e.

[0110] The MAC address corresponding to VF1 is as follows:

[0111] BBU side: 10 11 12 13 15; RRU side: 1a 1b 1c 1d 2e.

[0112] Based on this scenario, DPDK receives data packets in batches using the rte_eth_rx_burst() function. It polls data by VF, queries each VF for received data packets, and stores the received data in the corresponding cell buffer. Service processing only requires processing data based on the cell ID. This approach isolates service data processing from DPDK packet reception, ensuring that a dedicated core performs data reception and transmission processing, improving system real-time performance. Initial packet parsing and eCPRI header extraction are handled by the service core.

[0113] The data transmission process follows the same principle. The ioRan thread only transmits data. It batches the processed data using the rte_eth_tx_burst() function according to the bound optical port mapping. Data processing is performed by other service cores.

[0114] The ioRAN thread is responsible for sending and receiving data, processing it in a loop according to the configured number of VFs. Received data is placed in the rx_ring, awaiting data parsing and packet processing by the service thread. After processing by the service thread, the transmitted data is sent to the tx_ring buffer. The ioRAN thread reads the data from the tx_ring thread and sends it to the corresponding port. The ioRAN's transmit and receive port numbers are configured based on MAC addresses, facilitating the decoupling of the data processing module's threads from the data transmission and reception threads. The ioRAN thread sends and receives data based on the VF port and stores it in the corresponding buffer. The service data processing module processes data by cell, placing the processed data in the corresponding buffer based on the mapping between cells and ports, or retrieving data from the corresponding buffer for processing.

[0115] The mapping relationship between cells and prot can be set when configuring the cell. For example, the cell mapping type is configured as follows according to the base station deployment relationship:

[0116] Cell0, port0;

[0117] Cell1, port1;

[0118] Cell2, port2;

[0119] Cell 3, port 3.

[0120] In this embodiment, "port" refers to the port corresponding to the VF, and "cell" refers to the base station cell. The cell can be either a 4G cell or a 5G cell. With this embodiment, within the service, only the cell number needs to be considered, not the ioRan VF port number. Similarly, the ioRan thread only needs to consider the VF port number, not whether the tx_ring or rx_ring content is 4G or 5G.

[0121] In some embodiments, the network card 3 also includes a GPS module for generating synchronization information, and the method also includes: the GPS module sends the synchronization information to the baseband unit 1; the baseband unit 1 creates a PTP process, generates a PTP message based on the PTP process, and sends the synchronization information to the radio remote unit 2 via the PTP message; the radio remote unit 2 performs PTP synchronization after receiving the PTP message.

[0122] In this embodiment, the clocks of both the baseband unit 1 and the remote radio unit 2 are derived from the system clock (the clock source of the multi-mode base station system). This ensures that the clocks of the 4G base station and the 5G base station are synchronized, so the system only needs a single synchronized clock source. The clock source can come from a GPS module, which can use a GPS receiver, which not only provides geographic location information but also a highly accurate time reference. The GPS receiver installed on the base station can obtain precise time signals from satellites, which serve as the clock source for the entire system. In some embodiments, clock synchronization can also be achieved using IEEE 1588 PTP (Precision Time Protocol). IEEE 1588 PTP is a technology for distributing time within a network that can achieve sub-microsecond time synchronization in an Ethernet environment. Using devices and network architectures that support the PTP protocol allows base stations in different locations to share the same time reference.

[0123] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 1 The structure shown is only a block diagram of part of the structure related to the multi-mode base station system of the present application, and does not constitute a limitation on the scheme of the present application. The specific multi-mode base station system may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or have a different component arrangement.

[0124] In some embodiments, Figure 7 Another architecture diagram of a multi-mode base station system is provided, such as Figure 7 As shown, the multi-mode base station system includes a BBU, an RRU and a NIC, and the BBU and the RRU exchange messages through the NIC.

[0125] The BBU connects to two core networks: a 4G core network and a 5G core network. The BBU is divided by core, isolating the 4G and 5G software processing in a layered design. The RRU supports single-carrier and dual-carrier functionality, outputting either 4G or 5G signals depending on the configuration.

[0126] The NIC, equipped with GPS, can obtain time synchronization for the NIC and operating system, ensuring both 4G and 5G are synchronized with GPS. The NIC uses virtualization technology to create four virtual functions (VFs) from a single PF, enabling signals from multiple cells to be transmitted over the same optical fiber. Simultaneously, the BBU creates a PTP process and sends GPS synchronization information to the RRU via PTP messages. The RRU receives the PTP and performs PTP synchronization, ensuring synchronization between the RRU and BBU.

[0127] The multi-mode base station system adopts a layered modular design and can be divided into the device driver layer, virtualization layer, protocol stack layer and management layer. The specific functions of each layer are as follows:

[0128] 1. Device driver layer: provides underlying hardware acceleration and core isolation, such as DPDK network acceleration and CPU core binding optimization.

[0129] 2. Virtualization layer: SR-IOV technology is used to virtualize the physical network card into a virtual network card to isolate 4G / 5G resources. Different resource data can be sent through a physical layer network card.

[0130] 3. Protocol stack layer: Implements the complete 4G LTE and 5G NR protocol stack, including PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, RRC, etc.

[0131] 4. Base station management layer: provides OAM base station management, BBU management RRU, alarm and other functions.

[0132] In this embodiment, 4G and 5G modes run in separate processes, supporting cell-level configuration. For example, a BBU can be configured individually as a 4G network covering eight cells, or as a 5G communication network covering eight cells, or even as five 5G communication networks and three 4G communication networks. In short, the maximum specification is sufficient to support eight cells. Within the maximum supported range, users can freely configure the configuration based on network deployment requirements. The 4G and 5G software run on separate processors (cores), and each processor creates independent processes. For example, the 4G process is named lte_app, and the 5G process is named nr_app, running on different processors. Each processor has a corresponding bound eCPRI interface and receives data from the corresponding eCPRI interface. For example, when configuring four LTE base stations and four NR base stations, based on user configuration, the first eCPRI interface 31 (optical ports 1-4) is allocated to the four cells of the LTE base stations, and the second eCPRI interface 32 (optical ports 5-8) is allocated to the four cells of the NR base stations. Because threads are independent of each other, LTE and NR base stations operate independently. All processor clocks are derived from the system clock, ensuring that the clocks of LTE and NR base stations are synchronized. Therefore, only a single synchronization clock source is required on the system.

[0133] In some embodiments, the multi-mode base station system includes a configuration interface that allows you to upgrade different software versions on the RRU side, thereby enabling switching between 4G and 5G networks. For example, when a user requires 4G network coverage, the corresponding RRU can be upgraded to the 4G software version through the configuration interface. When the user requires support for 5G network coverage, the corresponding RRU version can be simply switched to the 5G software version through the configuration interface. This process can be initiated with one-click configuration through the configuration interface.

[0134] The multi-mode base station system of this embodiment can be implemented using a general-purpose processor and a general-purpose network card. No additional hardware equipment is required, and the implementation is simple. It also supports free configuration of 4G and 5G. The base station interface can set the corresponding BBU and RRU to 4G network or 5G network through one-click configuration, which can meet the user's various free networking needs.

[0135] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0136] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present application. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present application. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present application, and these modifications and improvements fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A base station operation method, characterized in that: Applied to a multi-mode base station system, the multi-mode base station system includes a baseband unit, a remote radio unit, a network card, and an antenna, the remote radio unit being connected to the antenna; wherein the network card includes an eCPRI interface, and the baseband unit is connected to the remote radio unit via the eCPRI interface; the method comprising: The baseband unit processes 4G and 5G baseband signals and sends the baseband signals to the remote radio unit through the eCPRI interface; The radio remote unit converts the baseband signal into a radio frequency signal, and transmits the radio frequency signal to the outside world through the antenna.

2. The base station operation method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The baseband unit includes a multi-core processor. Before the baseband unit processes 4G and 5G baseband signals, the method further includes: Read the configuration information input by the user, wherein the configuration information includes the number of 4G base stations and 5G base stations; Generate a configuration file according to the configuration information; In response to the startup instruction of the multi-mode base station system, the configuration file is read, the first processor inside the multi-core processor is allocated to the 4G base station, and the second processor inside the multi-core processor is allocated to the 5G base station.

3. The base station operation method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The network card includes a first eCPRI interface and a second eCPRI interface, the first processor is communicatively connected to the first eCPRI interface, the second processor is communicatively connected to the second eCPRI interface, and the baseband unit sends the baseband signal to the remote radio unit through the eCPRI interface, including: Virtualizing a plurality of virtual network ports from the first eCPRI interface and the second eCPRI interface respectively; The baseband unit transmits a control message packet and a PTP synchronization message through the first eCPRI interface and the second eCPRI interface respectively, and transmits an eCPRI data packet through the virtual network port.

4. The base station operation method according to claim 3, characterized in that: Multiple virtual network ports are virtualized from the first eCPRI interface and the second eCPRI interface, including: Virtualizing independent logical interfaces based on the first eCPRI interface and the second eCPRI interface respectively; Each of the independent logical interfaces is bound to a different protocol stack to obtain the virtual network port.

5. The base station operation method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The virtual network port is associated with the area code of the 4G cell or the 5G cell, and the eCPRI data packet is transmitted through the virtual network port, including: Polling each of the virtual network ports to query the eCPRI data of each of the virtual network ports; The queried eCPRI data packet is stored in a cache corresponding to the area code.

6. The base station operation method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The network card further includes a GPS module for generating synchronization information. The method further includes: The GPS module sends the synchronization information to the baseband unit; The baseband unit creates a PTP process, generates a PTP message based on the PTP process, and sends the synchronization information to the radio remote unit through the PTP message; The remote radio unit performs PTP synchronization after receiving the PTP message.

7. A multi-mode base station system, characterized in that: include: A baseband unit, a radio remote unit, a network card and an antenna, wherein the radio remote unit is connected to the antenna; wherein, The network card includes an eCPRI interface, the baseband unit is connected to the radio remote unit through the eCPRI interface, and the eCPRI interface is used to transmit 4G signals and 5G signals between the baseband unit and the radio remote unit; The baseband unit is used to process 4G and 5G baseband signals; The radio remote unit is used to convert the baseband signal into a radio frequency signal, and convert the received radio frequency signal into the baseband signal and then transmit it back to the baseband unit; The antenna is used to send or receive the radio frequency signal.

8. The multi-mode base station system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The baseband unit includes a multi-core processor, and the multi-core processor includes a first processor and a second processor; wherein, The first processor is used to run the process of the 4G base station, and the second processor is used to run the process of the 5G base station.

9. The multi-mode base station system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The network card includes a first eCPRI interface and a second eCPRI interface, the first processor is communicatively connected to the first eCPRI interface, and the second processor is communicatively connected to the second eCPRI interface; The first eCPRI interface and the second eCPRI interface are virtualized into multiple virtual network ports respectively; wherein, the first eCPRI interface and the second eCPRI interface are used to transmit control message packets and PTP synchronization messages respectively, and the virtual network ports are used to transmit eCPRI data packets.

10. The multi-mode base station system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The network card further includes a GPS module for synchronizing clock signals between the baseband unit and the radio remote unit.

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