System and design method for 5GNR integrated aggregation and distribution unit

Abstract

The present invention provides an efficient hardware architecture for the ORAN-compliant internal structure of gNodeB consisting of an integrated aggregation and distribution unit (CCDU) ​​for 5G foundational applications required to handle level 1, 2, and 3 schedules in the network. The CCDU design can realize the functionality of CU and DU in a single unit and can operate over a wide temperature range. The single board approach of the CCDU makes the CCDU more reliable and less costly. The CCDU can support different types of synchronization and can provide site alarms over dry contacts for accommodating external alarm devices.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to telecommunications infrastructure applications. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to the design of a Coherent Convergence and Distribution Unit (CCDU). [Background technology]

[0002] The following description of related art is intended to provide background information related to the field of the present disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that this section should be used only to enhance the reader's understanding of the present disclosure and should not be used as an admission of prior art.

[0003] Fifth generation (5G) technology is expected to fundamentally change the role that telecommunications technology plays in industry and society at large. The gNodeB is a 3GPP®-compliant implementation of a 5G-NR base station. The gNodeB consists of independent network functions that implement 3GPP®-compliant NR Radio Access Network (RAN) protocols, namely, physical layer (PHY), media access control layer (MAC), radio link control (RLC), packet data convergence protocol (PDCP), service data adaptation protocol (SDAP), radio resource control (RRC), and network real-time analysis platform (NRAP). The gNB further incorporates three functional modules, the CU, DU, and radio unit (RU), which can be deployed in multiple combinations. They can operate together or independently and can be deployed with either physical resources (e.g., chipsets in small cells) or virtual resources (e.g., dedicated COTS servers or shared cloud resources). The CU provides support for higher layers of the protocol stack such as SDAP, PDCP, and RRC, while the DU provides support for lower layers of the protocol stack such as Radio Link Control (RLC), Medium Access Control (MAC), and the physical layer. In the 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) architecture, the DU in the Baseband Unit (BBU) is responsible for the scheduling functions of the real-time Layer 1 and Layer 2 of the 5G protocol stack layers, and the CU is responsible for the non-real-time higher L2 and L3 of the 5G protocol stack layers.

[0004] However, in the existing architecture, the DU and CU units are physically separated, requiring exhaustive and complex methods and protocol support to split the gNB into DU and CU. Splitting the CU and DU is the most open issue in the gNB internal structure, and these two entities are connected by a new interface called F1. In most common gNB nodes, the CU and DU are physically separated, i.e., they are on separate boards, and therefore the splitting becomes more expensive in terms of temperature requirements, vibration, dust, humidity, latency, power, radiation losses, bandwidth, additional dependency on possible interfaces, and realization of maintaining parameters separately for both CU and DU.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need in the art for a compact CCDU that can overcome the shortcomings of the existing prior art. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Some of the objectives of the present disclosure that will be satisfied by at least one embodiment herein are listed here below.

[0007] It is an objective of the present disclosure to provide a system in a single unit to reduce costs and increase reliability.

[0008] The objective of this disclosure is to design the hardware in a single PCB approach by carrying the entire required SoC on the board.

[0009] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system that can operate over a wide temperature range.

[0010] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system that supports required synchronization such as GPS, PTP, and holdover.

[0011] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system that facilitates site alarms over dry contacts to accommodate external alarm devices.

[0012] The aim of the present invention is to implement the functionality of the CU and DU by an integrated device.

[0013] Yet another object of the present invention is to reduce external interfaces, thereby saving costs and reducing the effects of foreign particles.

[0014] It is an object of this disclosure to provide a system that operates from standard telecommunications power (-48VDC) with all the required protection for the telecommunications site. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] This section is provided to introduce certain objects and aspects of the invention in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0016] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, the present invention provides an integrated aggregation and distribution unit (CCDU) ​​system, which may include a single integrated board, which may further include a network-enabled controller, a clock synchronizer module, a radio unit communicatively coupled to a network, an aggregation unit (CU) configured to implement functionality related to a higher layer of a network protocol stack, a distribution unit (DU) configured to implement functionality related to a lower layer of the protocol stack, and a processing unit operatively coupled to a memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, cause the system to implement a set of functionality related to the CU and the DU, and the network-enabled controller and the clock synchronizer module provide control and synchronization signals to the processing unit, respectively, such that the CU and the DU function and communicate with the radio unit from the single integrated board as a single CCDU unit.

[0017] In one embodiment, the CCDU may include one or more network interfaces for communicating with radio units (RUs) and backhaul networks.

[0018] In one embodiment, the CCDU comprises an accelerator unit that further comprises a soft-decision forward error correction (SD-FEC) module (116).

[0019] In one embodiment, the CCDU further comprises interfaces for one or more data I / O devices, one or more storage devices, and facilitates communication of the CCDU across multiple platforms, such as platform controller hubs and ASICs.

[0020] In one embodiment, the CCDU may further include a thermal management module that operates over a predefined temperature range and predefined environmental conditions.

[0021] In one embodiment, the one or more components in a single integrated board can be arranged on a predefined number of layers in a printed circuit board (PCB) such that the system is not bulky and heavy, where the one or more components support the functionality of the CCDU as a single unit in the single integrated board.

[0022] In one embodiment, the one or more network interfaces may include multiple optical fibers (SFPs) as a fronthaul connection to the RU and two or more optical fibers (SFPs) as a backhaul connection to a backhaul network.

[0023] In one embodiment, the thermal management module can be further coupled to one or more alarm devices configured to transmit alarm signals over dry contact, overtemperature, critical environmental condition, and critical electrical condition.

[0024] In one embodiment, the processing unit may include a baseboard management controller (BMC), a local area network controller, and a clock synchronizer module.

[0025] In one embodiment, multiple dynamic random access memory integrated circuits or module interfaces can be integrated into a single integrated board, with multiple DDR4s connected to a single integrated circuit.

[0026] In one embodiment, one or more interfaces, such as Ethernet, USB / UART, etc., may be connected to the processing unit through a Platform Controller Hub (PCH) associated with a single integrated board.

[0027] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a method for implementing a set of CU and DU related functionality by a synchronizer system in a Cooperative Convergence and Distribution Unit (CCDU) ​​system.

[0028] In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes processor-executable instructions that cause a processor to perform a set of functionality associated with a CU and a DU by a Cohesive Convergence and Distribution Unit (CCDU) ​​system. The functionality can be associated with a higher layer of a network protocol stack and the functionality can be associated with a lower layer of the protocol stack.

[0029] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute a part of the present invention, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed method and system, with like reference numerals referring to the same parts throughout the different drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed on clearly illustrating the principles of the invention. Some drawings may use block diagrams to illustrate components, and the internal circuitry of each component may not be shown. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the inventions in such drawings include inventions of electrical components, electronic components, or circuits commonly used to implement such components. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 illustrates an example network architecture in or together with which the proposed system of the present disclosure may be implemented, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1 illustrates an example system architecture of a combined centralized distribution unit (CCDU) ​​in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary existing representation of an aggregation unit and a distribution unit of a gNodeB. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 illustrates an example processing unit of a CCDU, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary computer system in or in conjunction with which embodiments of the present invention may be utilized, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] The above will become more apparent from the following more detailed description of the invention.

[0032] In the following description, for the purpose of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent that the embodiments of the present disclosure can be practiced without these specific details. Some features described below can be used independently of each other or in any combination with other features. Individual features may not address all of the problems discussed above, or may address only some of the problems discussed above. Some of the problems discussed above may not be fully addressed by any of the features described herein.

[0033] The following description provides exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather, the following description of exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing the exemplary embodiments. It will be understood that various changes can be made in the functions and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described.

[0034] In the following description, specific details are given to provide a thorough understanding of the present embodiments. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present embodiments can be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form so as not to obscure the present embodiments with unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail so as to avoid obscuring the present embodiments.

[0035] It is also noted that the individual embodiments may be described as a process that is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe operations as a sequential process, many of the operations may be performed in parallel or simultaneously. Additionally, the order of operations may be rearranged. A process terminates when its operations are completed, but may have additional steps not included in the diagram. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination may correspond to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function.

[0036] The terms "exemplary" and / or "illustrative" are used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as "exemplary" and / or "illustrative" should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, and is not meant to exclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that terms such as "includes," "has," "contains," and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term "comprising" as an open transitional term, without excluding any additional or other elements.

[0037] References throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "one embodiment" or "example" or "one instance" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0038] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising", as used in this specification, specify the presence of the mentioned features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0039] In this disclosure, various embodiments are described using terminology used in some communication standards (e.g., 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Extensible Radio Access Network (xRAN), and Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN)) as merely examples for purposes of description. Various embodiments of the present disclosure can be easily modified and applied to other communication systems.

[0040] Typically, a base station is a network infrastructure that provides wireless access to one or more terminals. A base station has a coverage that is defined to be a predefined geographical area based on the distance over which a signal can be transmitted. In addition to a "base station," a base station can be referred to as an "access point (AP)," an "evolved Node B (eNodeB) (eNB)," a "5G node (fifth generation node)," a "next generation Node B (gNB)," a "wireless point," a "transmit / receive point (TRP)," or other terms having an equivalent technical meaning.

[0041] Furthermore, a protocol stack or network stack is an implementation of a computer network protocol suite or protocol family for a telecommunication system consisting of multiple network devices. The 5G protocol stack can include Layer 1 (L1), which is the physical layer. The 5G Layer 2 (L2) can include MAC, RLC, and PDCP. The 5G Layer 3 (L3) is the RRC layer.

[0042] The present invention provides an effective hardware architecture for the ORAN-compliant internals of a base station or next-generation Node B (gNodeB) consisting of a combined aggregation and distribution unit (CCDU) ​​for 5G foundation applications required to handle L1, L2, and L3 schedules of the network. The CCDU design can realize the functionality of CU and DU in a single unit and can operate over a wide temperature range. The single board approach of the CCDU makes the CCDU more reliable and less costly. The CCDU can support different types of synchronization and can provide site alarms over dry contacts for accommodating external alarm devices. In this description, many specific details can be described, such as logic implementation, types and interrelationships of system components, etc., to provide a more complete understanding of some embodiments. The combined aggregation and distribution unit (CCDU) ​​board can be configured to handle and process RRC / PDCP / RLC / MAC and higher PHY functions.

[0043] However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be practiced without such specific details. In other instances, control structures, gate level circuits, and / or complete software instruction sequences have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure the present invention. Those skilled in the art will be able to use the included description to implement suitable functionality without undue experimentation.

[0044] Referring to Figure 1A, an example network architecture for a 5G New Radio (NR) network (100) (also referred to as network architecture (100)) in which or with which a proposed system (110) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented is illustrated. As shown, the example network architecture (100) may include the proposed system (110) that may be associated with a 5G base station (104) (also referred to as gNodeB (104)). The gNodeB (104) may include at least three functional modules, such as a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), and a radio unit (RU). The gNodeB may be communicatively coupled to a plurality of first computing devices (102-1, 102-2, 102-3, ..., 102-N) (interchangeably referred to as user equipment (102-1, 102-2, 102-3, ..., 102-N)) (individually referred to as user equipment (UE) (124) and collectively referred to as UEs (102)) via an open radio access network radio unit (O-RU) (114).

[0045] In an exemplary embodiment, the system (110) may be configured with an integrated CU and DU in a single platform or PCB, simply referred to as CCDU (106) as illustrated in FIG. 1B. The CCDU (106) may be operatively coupled to a radio unit (RU) (108) via one or more network interface cards (NIC) cards, such as a backhaul network interface card (NIC) (114), a fronthaul NIC (116), and the like. The CCDU (106) may include a processing unit (118), an accelerator unit, which may include a soft-decision forward error correction (SD-FEC) module (116), a local area network controller unit comprising a backhaul network interface card (NIC) (114), a fronthaul NIC (116), and the like. The backhaul NIC (114) may further be communicatively coupled to a backhaul network (112). The CU provides support for higher layers of the protocol stack, such as SDAP, PDCP, and RRC, while the DU provides support for lower layers of the protocol stack, such as RLC, MAC, and physical layers. There is a single CU for each gNB, but one CU controls multiple DUs, each of which can support one or multiple cells, so one gNB can control hundreds of cells.

[0046] In general, it may be quite clear even to a person not skilled in the art that the existing gNodeB internal structure (200) for the 5G core (206) is shown in FIG. 2, and the existing CU (202) and DU (204) are separate units connected by an F1 interface (208).

[0047] In an exemplary embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the system (110) or CCDU (106) may include one or more processors coupled to a memory that may store instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, may cause the system (110) to perform L1 and L2 functionality. The one or more processors (302) may be implemented as one or more microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, edge or fog microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, logic circuits, and / or any device that processes data based on operational instructions. Among other functions, the one or more processors (302) may be configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in the memory of the CCDU (106). The memory may be configured to store one or more computer-readable instructions or routines in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which may be fetched and executed to create or share data packets across the network services. The memory (304) may comprise any non-transitory storage device, including, for example, a volatile memory such as a RAM or a non-volatile memory such as an EPROM, a flash memory, and the like.

[0048] In one embodiment, the system (110) may include multiple interfaces (306). The interfaces (306) may comprise various interfaces, for example, interfaces for data input / output devices, referred to as I / O devices, storage devices, etc. The interfaces (306) may facilitate communication of the system (110) with multiple platforms, such as a platform controller hub (320) and an ASIC (318) consisting of (system-on-chip) SoC components associated with the functionality of the CCDU (106). In an exemplary embodiment, the SoC may include, but is not limited to, a soft-decision forward error correction (SD-FEC) module (116). The interfaces (306) may also provide a communication path for one or more components of the CCDU (106). Examples of such components include, but are not limited to, a processing unit / engine (118) and a database (310).

[0049] In an exemplary embodiment, the CCDU (106) may be provided with a thermal management module that may be designed for outdoor applications to operate over a predefined temperature range and predefined environmental conditions, unlike COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) servers used in AC environments. For example, the predefined temperature range may range from 0° C. to at least 60° C. in deserts and other tropical and equatorial regions, while the predefined environmental conditions may include dry, wet, cold, or dusty environments.

[0050] In an exemplary embodiment, the CCDU in a single board can have a chip-down approach, where one or more components corresponding to a NIC card can be part of a single board, which increases the mean time between failures (MTBF) and improves the reliability of the system, and significantly reduces the cost by availability. Because the components are all integrated in a single board, therefore, separate components (cards) may not be required, but rather a single board can be used, which not only reduces the process of manufacturing but also reduces the cost and improves the reliability of the system. Furthermore, the CCDU is an integrated solution of aggregation unit (CU) and distribution unit (DU) for 5G networks, which is a nominal power consumption device that operates at less than 400W. The disclosed integrated aggregation distribution unit (CCDU) ​​design is very compact and can be easily installed in a tower-type site server rack. Moreover, it can be deployed quickly and outputs high performance with low power consumption.

[0051] In an exemplary embodiment, the system (110) can be assembled into a single board (interchangeably referred to as a LAN on Motherboard (LOM)) having a predefined number of layers of a printed circuit board (PCB). The predefined number of layers ensures that the system is not bulky and heavy. By way of example and not limitation, the predefined number of layers can be at least 14. In one example, the system (110) can include one or more network connections that are directly connected to the LOM. Instead of needing a separate network interface card to access a local area network, such as Ethernet, the circuitry can be mounted on a single board. An advantage of the system (110) can be additional available peripheral component interconnect (PCI) slots that are not used by the network adapter.

[0052] In an exemplary embodiment, the system (110) may include, but is not limited to, at least four (x4) 25G optical fibers (SFP) as fronthaul connections to the fronthaul NIC (116) in, but not limited to, the eCPRI protocol, and at least two (x2) 10G optical fibers (SFP) as backhaul connections to the backhaul network (112).

[0053] In an exemplary embodiment, the system (110) may be further coupled to one or more alarm devices (not shown in FIG. 1B) capable of transmitting alarm signals over dry contact, overtemperature, critical environmental conditions, and critical electrical conditions. The system (110) may be operated from a standard telecommunications power source of, but not limited to, -48VDC, with all required protection measures for a telecommunications site.

[0054] Processing Unit The processing unit / engine (118) may be implemented as a combination of hardware and programming (e.g., programmable instructions) to implement one or more functionalities of the processing unit (118). In the examples described herein, such a combination of hardware and programming may be implemented in several different ways. For example, the programming for the processing unit (118) may be processor-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, and the hardware for the processing unit (118) may comprise processing resources (e.g., one or more processors) for executing such instructions. In this example, the machine-readable storage medium may store instructions that, when executed by the processing resources, implement the processing unit (118). According to such an example, the system (110) may include a machine-readable storage medium that stores instructions and processing resources for executing the instructions, or the machine-readable storage medium may be separate but accessible to the CCDU (106) and the processing resources. In other examples, the processing engine (118) may be implemented by electronic circuitry.

[0055] The processing unit (118) may include one or more modules / engines selected from any of a baseboard management controller (BMC) (312), a network available controller (314) (interchangeably referred to herein as an Ethernet controller (314)), a clock synchronizer module (316), and other modules (322). In one example, the processing unit may be, but is not limited to, a 32-core processing engine. The memory (204) may include, but is not limited to, 256 GB random access memory (RAM).

[0056] In an exemplary embodiment, the CCDU (106) may be configured to functionally divide the CU and the DU. In an exemplary embodiment, the processing unit (118) may cause the distributed unit (DU) (106-2) to perform real-time L1 and L2 scheduling functions, etc., based on a set of predefined instructions associated with the gNodeB (104). In another embodiment, the processing unit (118) may cause the aggregation unit (CU) (106-1) to perform non-real-time higher L2 and L3 layer scheduling functions, etc., based on a set of predefined instructions associated with the gNodeB (104). The CU (106-1) may be further configured to control the functionality of the DU.

[0057] In an exemplary embodiment, the processing unit (118) may be scalable and may include a platform controller hub (PCH) (320) for expanding input / output (I / O), which may further provide interfaces to the processing unit (118) with a second interface, such as, but not limited to, a Direct Media Interface (DMI), or a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCIe), or a Genx4 interface, a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) for a Basic Input / Output System (BIOS), a PCIe, and a Serial AT Attachment (SATA) for solid state drives (SSD).

[0058] In an exemplary embodiment, the BMC (312) can be used for board management functionality that can provide an Ethernet port for remote monitoring of the processing unit (118). The BMC (312) can be operatively coupled to the PCH (320) through either low pin count (LPC), USB, or PCIe.

[0059] Local Area Network Controller In an exemplary embodiment, a local area network or Ethernet controller (314) can provide connectivity to the RUs (108) to a fronthaul NIC (116), and a backhaul NIC can be provided for connectivity to the backhaul network (112).

[0060] In an exemplary embodiment, the fronthaul NIC (116) can be associated with at least three 25 Gbps interfaces under the enhanced Common Public Radio Interface (eCPRI) protocol with the radio unit (108) and can include built-in synchronization blocks, such as, but not limited to, an IEEE 1588 block, to implement either or a combination of enhanced Common Public Radio Interface (eCPRI) and ORAN functionality.

[0061] In an exemplary embodiment, the backhaul NIC (114) may provide connectivity over, but is not limited to, at least two 1G / 10Gbps optical Ethernet. The backhaul NIC (114) may further include a synchronization block, such as, but not limited to, an IEEE 1588 block. In one example, the synchronization block may be configured to recover a 1588 clock from the backhaul network (112). In an exemplary embodiment, the fronthaul NIC (116) and the backhaul NIC (114) may be integrated into a single PCB board.

[0062] In one embodiment, the backhaul connectivity for the backhaul NIC may be provided by, but is not limited to, 1x 10Gbps optical Ethernet.

[0063] ASIC The enhanced ASIC (318) may include an accelerator unit. The accelerator unit may further include a soft-decision forward error correction (SD-FEC) module (116) and may be one of the components of the Ethernet controller (314). In one example, the SD-FEC module (116) may support low-density parity check (LDPC) decoding and encoding as well as turbo code decoding. The LDPC code used is highly configurable, and the particular code used may be specified on a per-codeword basis. The SD-FEC module (116) is fundamental to 5G network communications, and therefore the eASIC must be precisely integrated with the Ethernet controller to support the operation of the CCDU in a single PCB board.

[0064] In one embodiment, the SD-FEC module (116) can be integrated as part of the Ethernet controller to facilitate assembly of the CCDU in a single PCB board.

[0065] Additionally, in an exemplary embodiment, at least eight dynamic random access memory integrated circuits or modules, such as, but not limited to, double data rate fourth generation (DDR4) dual in-line memory module (DIMM) interfaces, may be embedded in the eASIC (314). In one example, a DDR4 DIMM may be connected to the processing unit (118), and at least five 1 GB DDR4 may be connected to the eASIC (318). In an exemplary embodiment, other interfaces, such as Ethernet, USB / UART, etc., may be connected to the processing unit (118) through a platform controller hub (PCH) (320) associated with the eASIC (314).

[0066] Clock Synchronizer Module: The clock synchronizer module (316) may include a clock synchronizer capable of supporting a boundary clock (BC) with a synchronization block, such as, but not limited to, IEEE 1588, and one or more precision timing protocol (PTP) engines with a global positioning system (GPS) as the primary source of the clock that must support 24-hour holdover. The one or more PTP engines may be a secondary source of synchronization and may be activated automatically in the absence of GPS. In an exemplary embodiment, GPS holdover may be activated in the absence of both GPS and one or more PTPs. In one embodiment, the clock synchronizer module may be configured to make decisions that allow for synchronization priority and does not require manual intervention.

[0067] In an exemplary embodiment, the clock synchronizer module (316) can synchronize the system (110) within a single board and can further use the on-board clock and synchronization circuitry to synchronize external components associated with the system (110). In an exemplary embodiment, the on-board clock and synchronization circuitry can include an ultra-low noise clock generation phase-locked loop (PLL), a programmable oscillator, and a system synchronizer.

[0068] In an exemplary embodiment, the clock synchronizer module (316) is further capable of handling holdover requests in accordance with telecommunications standards.

[0069] In an exemplary embodiment, a communications network may include at least a portion of one or more networks having one or more nodes that transmit, receive, forward, generate, buffer, store, route, switch, process, or a combination thereof, such as, by way of example and without limitation, one or more messages, packets, signals, waves, voltage or current levels, some combination thereof, etc. A network may include, by way of example and without limitation, one or more of a wireless network, a wired network, the Internet, an intranet, a public network, a private network, a packet-switched network, a circuit-switched network, an ad-hoc network, an infrastructure network, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a cable network, a cellular network, a satellite network, a fiber optic network, or some combination thereof.

[0070] In one embodiment, the one or more user equipment (102) can communicate with the system (110) via a set of executable instructions resident on any operating system. In one embodiment, the one or more user equipment (102) and the one or more mobile devices can include one or more combinations of any electrical, electronic, electromechanical, or apparatus or devices such as, but not limited to, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, a laptop, a general-purpose computer, a desktop, a personal digital assistant, a tablet computer, a mainframe computer, or any other computing device, where the computing device can include one or more built-in or externally coupled accessories including, but not limited to, a visual aid device such as a camera, an auditory aid, an input device for receiving input from a user such as a microphone, a keyboard, a touch pad, a touch-enabled screen, an electronic pen, a receiving device for receiving any audio or visual signal in any range of frequencies, and a transmitting device capable of transmitting any audio or visual signal in any range of frequencies. It can be understood that the one or more user equipment (102) and the one or more mobile devices are not limited to the devices mentioned and various other devices can be used. A smart computing device may be one of the preferred systems for storing data and other private / confidential information.

[0071] Thermal Management Module In an exemplary embodiment, the system (110) can be designed in an optimized manner with thermal constraints in mind. The thermal management module can include one or more thermal management techniques such as liquid cooling, PCB materials, vapor chamber cooling, heat sink principles, Gallium Nitride (GaN), Radio Over Fiber (RoF), etc.

[0072] In an exemplary embodiment, the thermal management module enables the CCDU (106) / system (110) to function in a predefined temperature range of 0-60°C, but is also capable of withstanding extreme climatic and ambient environmental conditions.

[0073] In an exemplary embodiment, the thermal management module can be operably coupled to an alarm device capable of sending alarm signals over dry contact, overtemperature, critical environmental conditions, and critical electrical conditions. The system (110) can be operated from a standard telecommunications power source of, but not limited to, -48VDC, and has all the required protection measures for a telecommunications site.

[0074] In one embodiment, the processing unit (118), the local area network or Ethernet controller (314), the expansion ASIC (318), the clock synchronizer module (316), the thermal management module, and other modules can be communicatively coupled to perform one or more tasks associated with the CCDU. In addition, due to the integrated CCDU, functionality associated with the CU and DU can be performed with higher performance and reduced processing time. Furthermore, the processing unit (118), the local area network or Ethernet controller (314), the expansion ASIC (318), the clock synchronizer module (316), and the thermal management module can be connected in parallel or in series via any possible communication medium.

[0075] Exemplary Computer System 400 FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary computer system in or with which embodiments of the present invention may be utilized, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, computer system 400 may include an external storage device 410, a bus 420, a main memory 430, a read-only memory 440, a mass storage device 450, a communication port 460, and a processor 470. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a computer system may include more than one processor and communication port. Processor 470 may include various modules related to embodiments of the present invention. Communication port 460 may be an RS-232 port for use with a modem-based dial-up connection, a 10 / 100 Ethernet port, a Gigabit or 10 Gigabit port using copper or fiber, a serial port, a parallel port, or any other existing or future port. Communication port 460 may be selected depending on the network, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or any network to which the computer system is connected. Memory 430 may be a random access memory (RAM) or any other dynamic storage device commonly known in the art. Read-only memory 440 may be any static storage device, such as, for example, but not limited to, a programmable read-only memory (PROM) chip for storing static information, such as, for example, boot-up or BIOS instructions for processor 470. Mass storage device 450 may be any current or future mass storage solution that can be used to store information and / or instructions.

[0076] Bus 420 communicatively couples processor 470 to other memory, storage, and communication blocks and may be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) / PCI-Extended (PCI-X) bus, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), USB, etc., for connecting expansion cards, drives, and other subsystems, as well as other buses such as a Front Side Bus (FSB) that connects processor 470 to software systems.

[0077] Optionally, operator and administrative interfaces, such as, for example, a display, keyboard, and cursor control devices, may also be coupled to bus 420 to support direct operator interaction with the computer system. Other operator and administrative interfaces may be provided through a network connection connected through communications port 460. The components described above are meant only to illustrate various possibilities. In no way should the exemplary computer system described above limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0078] In one embodiment, the present invention discloses a method for implementing a set of CU and DU related functionality by a Cohesive Convergence and Distribution Unit (CCDU) ​​system, where the functionality can be related to higher layers of a network protocol stack and the functionality can be related to lower layers of the network protocol stack.

[0079] Thus, the present disclosure provides a unique and efficient hardware architecture design of a combined converged and distributed unit (CCDU) ​​that can realize the functionality of CU and DU in a single box solution. The CCDU is a commercial off-the-shelf (COT) that is very often used in AC environments. S Unlike NIC cards, which are designed for outdoor use, CCDUs operate over a wide temperature range and different environmental conditions. CCDUs have a chip-down approach, where all the components corresponding to the NIC cards are part of a single board, which increases the mean time between failures (MTBF) and significantly reduces the cost.

[0080] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the preferred embodiment, it will be understood that many embodiments may be made and many modifications may be made to the preferred embodiment without departing from the principles of the invention. These and other modifications in the preferred embodiment of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, and it is therefore to be clearly understood that the foregoing description is to be undertaken merely as an illustration of the invention, and not as a limitation thereof.

[0081] Portions of the disclosure of this patent document contain material that is subject to intellectual property rights, including but not limited to copyright, designs, trademarks, IC layout designs, and / or trade dress protection, belonging to Jio Platforms Limited (JPL) or its affiliates (hereinafter referred to as the Owner). The Owner has no objection to the reproduction by anyone of the patent document or patent disclosure as it is published in the patent office patent file or records and all rights therein are otherwise reserved. All rights to such intellectual property are fully reserved by the Owner. This patent document includes systems and methods as set forth in 3GPP® Technical Specification (TS) 38.816, among others.

[0082] Advantages of the present disclosure The present disclosure enables the system in a single unit to lower costs and improve reliability.

[0083] The present disclosure provides a hardware design that is a single PCB approach by carrying the entire required SoC on the board.

[0084] The present disclosure provides a system capable of operating over a wide temperature range.

[0085] The present disclosure provides an integrated unit with a reduced number of interfaces.

[0086] The present disclosure provides a system that supports required synchronization such as GPS, PTP, and holdover.

[0087] The present disclosure provides a system that facilitates a site alarm over a dry contact to accommodate an external alarm device.

[0088] The present disclosure provides a system that may be efficient for implementing the functionality of the CU and DU.

[0089] The present disclosure provides a system that operates with standard telecommunications power (-48VDC) and all the required protection for telecommunications sites.

[0090] The present disclosure provides a system that can be easily deployed on a server rack.

[0091] The present disclosure provides a system that is low power consuming and can be properly thermally handled with an IP65 waterproof protected mechanical enclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 100 5G New Radio (NR) Network, Network Architecture 102 User Equipment, UE 102-1 First Computing Device, User Equipment 102-2 First computing device, user equipment 102-3 First computing device, user equipment 102-N First Computing Device, User Equipment 104 gNodeB, 5G base station 106 Integrated Concentration and Distribution Unit, CCDU 106-1 Aggregation Unit (CU) 106-2 Distributed Unit (DU) 108 Radio Unit (RU) 110 System 112 Backhaul Network 114 Backhaul Network Interface Card (NIC), Backhaul NIC, Open Radio Access Network Radio Unit (O-RU) 116 Soft Decision Forward Error Correction (SD-FEC) Module, Fronthaul NIC 118 Processing unit, processing engine, processing unit / engine 124 User Equipment (UE) 200 gNodeB internal structure 202 CU 204 DU, Memory 206 5G Cores 208 F1 Interface 302 Processor 304 Memory 306 Interface 310 Database 312 Base Mode Management Controller (BMC), Board Management Controller (BMC) 314 Local Area Network Controller, Network Available Controller, Ethernet Controller, Enhanced ASIC, eASIC 316 Clock Synchronizer Module 318 Enhanced ASIC, eASIC, ASIC 320 Platform Controller Hub (PCH) 322 other modules 400 Computer Systems 410 External storage device 420 Bus 430 Main memory 440 Read-only memory 450 Mass Storage Device 460 communication port 470 Processor

Claims

1. 1. An integrated centralized distributed unit (CCDU) ​​system, comprising: a single integrated board, the single integrated board comprising: a network enabled controller; a clock synchronizer module; a radio unit (RU) communicatively coupled to the network; an aggregation unit (CU) configured to implement functionality related to higher layers of a network protocol stack; a distributed unit (DU) configured to implement functionality related to lower layers of the network protocol stack; a processing unit operably coupled to a memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, cause the system to implement a set of functionality associated with the CU and the DU; Further equipped with An integrated converged and distributed unit (CCDU) ​​system, wherein the network available controller and the clock synchronizer module provide control and synchronization signals to the processing units, respectively, so that the CU and the DU function from the single integrated board as a single CCDU unit and communicate with the radio unit (RU).

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the CCDU comprises one or more network interfaces for communicating with the radio units (RUs) and a backhaul network.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the CCDU comprises an accelerator unit further comprising a soft-decision forward error correction (SD-FEC) module (116).

4. the CCDU further comprising an interface for one or more data I / O devices, one or more storage devices; The system of claim 1 , facilitating communication of the CCDU across multiple platforms including a platform controller hub (320) and an ASIC (318).

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the CCDU further comprises a thermal management module that operates over a predefined temperature range and predefined environmental conditions.

6. the one or more components in the single integrated board are arranged in a predefined number of layers such that the system is not bulky or heavy; The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more components support the functionality of the CCDU as a single unit in the single integrated board.

7. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more network interfaces comprise optical fiber (SFP) as a fronthaul connection to the RU and as a backhaul connection to a backhaul network (112).

8. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the thermal management module is further coupled to one or more alarm devices configured to transmit alarm signals over dry contacts, elevated temperatures, critical environmental conditions, and critical electrical conditions.

9. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit (118) comprises a baseboard management controller (BMC) (312), a local area network controller (314), and the clock synchronizer module (316).

10. A plurality of dynamic random access memory integrated circuits or module interfaces are contained within the single integrated board; 10. The system of claim 1, wherein multiple DDR4 are connected to a single integrated circuit.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more interfaces are connected to the processing unit (118) through a platform controller hub (PCH) (320) associated with the single integrated board.

12. A method for implementing a set of CU and DU related functionality by a Cooperative Convergence and Distribution Unit (CCDU) ​​system as claimed in claim 1.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions for causing a processor to implement a set of functionality associated with a CU and a DU by the Coherent Convergence and Distribution Unit (CCDU) ​​system of claim 1.

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