System and design method for a processing unit for an integrated aggregated distributed unit.

Abstract

This disclosure provides an efficient hardware architecture that complies with 5G-compliant Radio Access Network (RAN) architecture. A combined aggregation and distribution unit (CCDU) ​​is utilized to handle level 1, 2, and 3 schedules in the network. The CCDU design integrates the functionality of aggregation units (CU) and distribution units (DU) and operates over a wide temperature range. A single CCDU is integrated in a 5G-NR MRU (5G New Radio Multi-rat Radio Unit) and functions as a CU, DU to achieve improved wireless performance based on coordination observed repeatedly across the coverage area. In addition, the CCDU provides a low-cost and efficient power solution that can be easily deployed in tower-type site server racks.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Ensuring Rights Part of the disclosure of this patent document includes, but is not limited to, matters subject to intellectual property rights such as copyrights, designs, trademarks, integrated circuit (IC) layout designs, and / or trade dress protection belonging to Jio Platforms Limited (JPL) or its related companies (hereinafter referred to as the owner). The owner has no objection to any reproduction of this patent document or this patent disclosure by anyone as it appears in the patent file or records of the Patent and Trademark Office, but in case it is otherwise, all rights whatsoever are reserved. All rights with respect to such intellectual property are fully reserved by the owner.

[0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a basic application for remote communication. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to the design of a processing unit of an integrated centralized distributed unit (CCDU).

Background Art

[0003] The following description of related technologies is intended to provide background information belonging to the field of the present disclosure. This section may include some aspects of the art related to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that this section is not used as an admission of prior art but is only used to enhance the reader's understanding of the present disclosure.

[0004] Fifth-generation (5G) technology is expected to fundamentally change the role that telecommunications technology plays in general industry and society. gNodeB is a 3G-NR base station implementation compliant with the 3GPP® Partnership Project. gNodeB consists of independent network functions that implement the 3GPP®-compliant NR Radio Access Network (RAN) protocol, namely the Physical Layer (PHY), Media Access Control Layer (MAC), Radio Link Control (RLC), Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), Service Data Adaptive Protocol (SDAP), Radio Resource Control (RRC), and Network Real-Time Analytics Platform (NRAP). gNB further incorporates three functional modules, namely the Aggregation Unit (CU), Distributed Unit (DU), and Radio Unit (RU), which can be deployed in multiple combinations. They can operate together or independently and can be deployed either physically (e.g., a small cell chipset) or as virtual resources (e.g., a dedicated commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) server or a shared cloud resource). CUs provide support for higher layers of the protocol stack, such as SDAP, PDCP, and RRC, while DUs provide support for lower layers of the protocol stack, such as Radio Link Control (RLC), Media Access Control (MAC), and the physical layer. In a 5G radio access network (RAN) architecture, DUs in the baseband unit (BBU) handle real-time L1 and L2 scheduling functions, while CUs handle non-real-time higher L2 and L3 functions.

[0005] However, in existing architectures, the DU unit and CU unit are physically separated, requiring costly and complex methods and protocol support to split the gNB into DU and CU. Separating the functionality of the CU from that of the DU is the most unresolved problem in the internal structure of the gNB, where these two entities are connected by a new interface called F1. In the most common gNB nodes, the CU and DU are physically separated; that is, the CU and DU reside on separate boards, and therefore, by separating them, it becomes more expensive in terms of temperature requirements, vibration, dust, humidity, latency, power, radiation losses, bandwidth, further reliance on possible interfaces, and the realization of maintaining separate parameters for both the CU and DU.

[0006] Furthermore, existing architectures are bulky and consume more power, which adds to the total cost of manufacturing multiple units. In addition, existing architectures are not easily operable on mounting towers.

[0007] Therefore, in this field, it is necessary to realize a processing unit in a CCDU that can overcome the shortcomings of existing prior art, and to achieve a specially tailored and flexible division of functionality between the CU and DU. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] Some of the purposes of this disclosure that at least one embodiment of this specification satisfies are listed below.

[0009] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a processing unit that can support an integrated system in a single unit in order to reduce costs and increase reliability.

[0010] The purpose of this disclosure is to design hardware using a single printed circuit board (PCB) method by incorporating all the necessary system-on-a-chip (SoC) components.

[0011] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a system that can operate over a wide temperature range.

[0012] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a system that supports the synchronization required by the Global Positioning System (GPS), the High Precision Timing Protocol (PTP), and holdover.

[0013] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a system that facilitates site alarms across dry contacts by incorporating an external alarm device.

[0014] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a system that operates with a standard telecommunications power supply (-48VDC) and the necessary protective measures for telecommunications field use.

[0015] The objective of this invention is to provide a high-speed processing system that improves the computational capabilities of the system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] This section is provided to introduce certain objects and aspects of the invention in a simplified form, which will be further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify any key features or scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0017] To achieve the above objectives, this disclosure provides a processing system for controlling the functionality of an Integrated Aggregated Distributed Unit (CCDU). The system may include a single integrated board, which may further include a housing having a processing unit. The processing unit may be coupled to memory, which may store instructions executed by the processing unit. The processing unit may be configured to handle alternative processing for a CCDU to implement a set of functionalities associated with the aggregated units (CUs) and distributed units (DUs) of a gNodeB, so that the CUs and DUs function from a single integrated board and communicate with the radio unit (RU). The processing unit may functionally split the CCDU into CUs and DUs for scheduling at a predetermined set level. The processing unit may manage one or more components of a single integrated board via a board management controller (BMC) to support the CCDU's operation from a single integrated board.

[0018] In one embodiment, the processing unit can manage one or more network interfaces for communicating with the RU and backhaul network.

[0019] In one embodiment, the processing unit may include an accelerator unit for correcting errors.

[0020] In one embodiment, the processing unit can manage and control interfaces for one or more data input / output devices and one or more storage devices, and can facilitate communication of the CCDU through multiple platforms, including a platform controller hub and ASICs.

[0021] In one embodiment, the processing unit can expand with one or more input / output devices by interfaceing with the PCH via a second interface such as a Direct Media Interface (DMI), Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCIe), Genx4 interface, Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) flash, and Serial AT Attachment for Solid State Drives (SSDs) (SATA).

[0022] In one embodiment, the processing unit may include a thermal management module configured to detect temperature fluctuations over the CCDU, where the thermal management module operates over a predetermined temperature range and predetermined environmental conditions.

[0023] In one embodiment, the processing unit may consist of a BMC that can provide an Ethernet port for remote monitoring of the CCDU, where the BMC can be operably coupled to the PCH via Low Pin Count (LPC), USB, or PCIe.

[0024] In one embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a method for controlling the functionality of a CCDU. The method may include the steps of: having a processing unit implement a set of functionalities related to a CU and a DU such that the CU and DU function as a single CCDU from a single integrated board and communicate with a wireless unit, wherein a single integrated board is configured in the processing unit; enabling the processing unit to functionally divide the CCDU into a CU and a DU for scheduling of a predetermined level of sets; and having the processing unit manage one or more components of the single integrated board via a board management controller (BMC) to assist the CCDU in functioning from the single integrated board.

[0025] In one aspect, the present disclosure causes a processor to implement a set of functions related to a CU and a DU such that the CU and the DU function from a single integrated board and communicate with a radio unit as a single integrated centralized distributed unit (CCDU), enables the CCDU to functionally split the CU and the DU for scheduling of a predefined level of sets, and manages one or more components of the single integrated board via a board management controller (BMC) to assist the CCDU in functioning from the single integrated board, and relates to a non-transitory computer-readable medium including processor-executable instructions.

[0026] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute a part of this invention, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the methods and systems disclosed herein, and in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the various drawings. The scales of the components in the drawings are not necessarily constant; instead, emphasis is placed on clearly showing the principles of the present invention. Some of the drawings may use block diagrams to show components and may not represent the internal circuits of each component. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention of such drawings may include the invention of electrical components, electronic components, or circuits commonly used to implement such components.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0027] [Figure 1A] FIG. is a diagram illustrating an exemplary network architecture (100) in which or with which the proposed system of the present disclosure can be implemented according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 1B] FIG. is a diagram illustrating an exemplary system architecture (150) of an integrated centralized distributed unit (CCDU) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. is a diagram illustrating an exemplary existing representation (200) of an aggregation unit and a disaggregation unit of a gNodeB. [Figure 3] FIG. is a diagram illustrating an exemplary processing unit diagram (300) of a CCDU according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This figure illustrates an exemplary computer system (400) in which embodiments of the present disclosure are utilized, in or in conjunction with embodiments of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0028] The above will become even clearer from the following more detailed description of the present invention.

[0029] The following description includes various specific details for illustrative purposes to provide a complete understanding of the embodiments of this disclosure. However, it will become clear that the embodiments of this disclosure can be practiced without these specific details. Some of the features described below can be used independently of each other, or in any combination with other features. Some individual features may not address all of the issues discussed above, or may only address some of them. Some of the issues discussed above may not be fully addressed by any of the features described herein.

[0030] The following description provides only exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the following description of exemplary embodiments provides a practical description for implementing the exemplary embodiments for those skilled in the art. It should be understood that various modifications can be made to the function and arrangement of the elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described.

[0031] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a complete understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments can be put into practice even without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components may be shown as components in the form of block diagrams to avoid making the embodiments unnecessarily detailed and obscuring them. In other cases, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail to avoid obscuring the embodiments.

[0032] Furthermore, it should be noted that individual embodiments may be described as processes shown as flowcharts, flow diagrams, data flow diagrams, structural diagrams, or block diagrams. While flowcharts can describe operations as sequential processes, many operations can be performed in parallel or simultaneously. In addition, the order of operations can be rearranged. A process terminates when its operations are complete, but it may have additional steps not shown in the diagram. A process can correspond to a method, function, procedure, subroutine, subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination may correspond to the return value of that function to the calling function or the main function.

[0033] The terms “exemplary” and / or “exemplary” are used herein to mean that something serves as an example, illustration, or representation. To avoid misunderstanding, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and / or “exemplary” should not necessarily be construed as being preferable or advantageous to other aspects or designs, nor should it be used to exclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar terms are intended to be comprehensive, as is the term “comprising” as an open transitional term, insofar as they are used in the modes for carrying out the invention or in the claims.

[0034] Throughout this specification, where the terms “one embodiment,” “one example,” or “one instance” are used, it means that the specific features, structures, or characteristics described in relation to the embodiments are included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, where the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in one embodiment” appear in various places throughout this specification, they do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0035] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. Herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural unless otherwise clearly indicated in the context. It will be further understood that, when used herein, the terms “comprises” and / or “comprising” specify the presence of the described features, integers, steps, actions, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, actions, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. Herein, the terms “and / or” include any combination of one or more items from the related items listed.

[0036] This disclosure describes various embodiments using terminology from several communication standards (e.g., the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®), Extensible Radio Access Network (xRAN), and Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN)), but these are merely illustrative examples. The various embodiments of this disclosure can be readily modified and applied to other communication systems.

[0037] Typically, a base station is network infrastructure that provides wireless access to one or more terminals. A base station has coverage defined as a predetermined geographical area based on the distance over which it can transmit signals. In addition to “base station,” base stations may also be referred to as “access point (AP),” “evolutionary nodeB (eNodeB) (eNB),” “fifth-generation node (5G node),” “next-generation nodeB (gNB),” “wireless point,” “transmit / receive point (TRP),” or other terms with equivalent technical meaning.

[0038] Furthermore, a protocol stack or network stack is an implementation of a computer network protocol suite or family of protocols for a telecommunication system consisting of multiple network devices. A 5G protocol stack may include Layer 1 (L1), which is the physical layer. 5G Layer 2 (L2) may include MAC, RLC, and PDCP. 5G Layer 3 (L3) is the RRC layer.

[0039] The present invention provides a processing unit necessary for the efficient functionality of integrated aggregated units and distributed units (CCDUs) for 5G foundational applications that may require network level 1, 2, and 3 processing. A single-board approach to the CCDU makes the CCDU more reliable and less expensive, but requires a complete design of a processing unit that can support different types of synchronization and provide site alarms across dry contacts for external alarm devices. In this description, many specific details such as logic implementation, types of system components and their interrelationships can be described to bring a more complete understanding of several embodiments.

[0040] However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be implemented without such specific details. In other instances, control structures, gate-level circuits, and / or complete software instruction sequences are not shown in detail so as not to obscure the invention. Those skilled in the art will be able to implement suitable functionality using the included descriptions without excessive experimentation.

[0041] Referring to Figure 1A, Figure 1A illustrates an exemplary network architecture (100) for a 5G new radio (NR) network (also called network architecture (100)) in which an embodiment of the present disclosure may implement the proposed system (110) therein or with it. As illustrated, the exemplary network architecture (100) may comprise the proposed system (110) which can be associated with a 5G base station (104) (also called gNodeB (104)). The gNodeB (104) may include at least three functional modules, such as an aggregation unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), and a radio unit (RU). gNodeB can 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)) and (individually referred to as user equipment (UE) (124), and collectively referred to as UE (102)) via an open radio access network radio unit (O-RU) (114).

[0042] In exemplary embodiments, the system (110) may consist of integrated CUs and DUs on a single platform or PCB, which are briefly referred to as CCDUs (106) as shown in Figure 1B. The CCDU (106) can be operably coupled to a radio unit (RU) (108) via one or more network interface cards (NICs). The CCDU (106) may include a processing unit (118), a soft-decision forward error correction (SD-FEC) module (116), a backhaul network interface card (NIC) (114), a fronthaul NIC (116), and the like. The backhaul NIC (114) can be further 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 the physical layer. There is a single CU for each gNB, but one CU controls multiple DUs. Each DU can support one or more cells, and therefore, one gNB can control hundreds of cells.

[0043] Generally, the existing gNodeB internal structure (200) for the 5G core (206) is shown in Figure 2, and it should be very clear even to a person not skilled in the art that the existing CU (202) and DU (204) are separate units connected by the F1 interface (208).

[0044] In exemplary embodiments, as shown in Figure 3, the system (110) or CCDU (106) may include a processing unit (118) having one or more processors (302) coupled to a memory (304), the memory of which can store instructions that, when executed by one or more processors (302), cause the processing unit (118) to perform L1 and L2 functionality. 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 the functions, one or more processors (302) may be configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in the memory of the processing unit (118). The memory may be configured to store one or more computer-readable instructions or routines in a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium, the instructions or routines of which can be fetched and executed to create or share data packets over network services. The memory (304) may include any non-temporary storage device, such as volatile memory like RAM or non-volatile memory like EPROM or flash memory.

[0045] In one embodiment, the system (110) may include a plurality of interfaces (306). The interfaces (306) may provide interfaces for various types of data input / output devices, such as I / O devices and storage devices. The interfaces (306) may facilitate communication of the system (110) across multiple platforms, such as an extended application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) (318) consisting of a platform controller hub (320) and system-on-chip (System-on-Chip) SoC components related to 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 is not limited to, a processing unit / engine (118) and a database (310).

[0046] In exemplary embodiments, the system (110) can be assembled on a single board (interchangeably referred to as the LAN on Motherboard (LOM)) having a predetermined number of layers. The predetermined number of layers ensures that the system is not bulky or heavy. The predetermined number of layers may be at least 14, but not limited to this example. In one example, the system (110) may include one or more network connections that connect directly to the LOM. Instead of requiring a separate network interface card for accessing a local area network, such as Ethernet, the circuitry can be mounted on a single board. An advantage of the system (110) may be additional available PCI slots that are not used by network adapters.

[0047] In exemplary embodiments, the CCDU(106) can be designed for outdoor applications operating over a predetermined temperature range and predetermined environmental conditions, unlike COTS (Commercially Available) servers used in AC environments. For example, the predetermined temperature range may range from 0° to at least 60°C in deserts and other tropical and equatorial regions, while the predetermined environmental conditions may include dry, humid, cold, or dusty environments.

[0048] In exemplary embodiments, a CCDU on a single board may have a chip-down approach, where one or more components corresponding to network interface cards (NICs) may be part of the single board, thereby increasing the mean time between failures (MTBF) and significantly reducing costs. This is because all components are integrated onto a single board, and therefore separate components (cards) may not be required, rather allowing the use of a single board that reduces not only the manufacturing process but also costs and improves system reliability. This is because all components are integrated onto a single board and controlled by a processor, and therefore separate components (cards) may not be required, rather allowing the use of a single board that reduces not only the manufacturing process but also costs and improves system reliability. Furthermore, the CCDU is an integrated solution for aggregated units (CUs) and distributed units (DUs) for 5G networks, with a nominal power consumption device operating at less than 400W. The integrated aggregated distributed unit (CCDU) ​​design with the disclosed processing system is very compact and can be easily installed in a tower-type site server rack. It can be deployed more quickly and delivers high performance with low power consumption.

[0049] In exemplary embodiments, the system (110) may include, but not limited to, at least four (x4) 25G optical fibers (SFPs) as fronthaul connections to a fronthaul NIC (116), and at least two (x2) 10G optical fibers (SFPs) as backhaul connections to a backhaul network (112).

[0050] In exemplary embodiments, the system (110) may be further coupled to one or more alarm devices (not shown in Figure 1B) capable of transmitting alarm signals over dry contacts, temperature rise, critical environmental conditions, and critical electrical conditions. The system (110) may, but is not limited to, operate on a standard telecommunications power supply of -48VDC, and all required protective measures for telecommunications field use may be provided.

[0051] Processing unit A processing unit / engine (118) can 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 can be implemented in several different ways. For example, the programming for the processing unit (118) may be processor-executable instructions stored on a non-temporary 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 can store instructions that, when executed by the processing resources, perform the processing unit (118). According to such an example, the system (110) may include a machine-readable storage medium for storing instructions and processing resources for executing instructions, or the machine-readable storage medium may be separate but accessible to the CCDU (106) and processing resources. In other examples, the processing engine (118) can be implemented by electronic circuits.

[0052] The processing unit (118) may include one or more modules / engines selected from a baseboard management controller (BMC) (312), a local area network (314) (interchangeably referred to as an Ethernet controller (322)), a clock synchronizer module (316), and other modules (318). In one example, the processing unit may be a 32-core processing engine, but is not limited. The memory (204) may include, but is not limited, 256 GB of random access memory (RAM).

[0053] In an exemplary embodiment, the processing unit (118) can functionally divide the CCDU (106) into CU and DU for various levels of scheduling. In an exemplary embodiment, the processing unit (118) can cause the distributed unit (DU) (106-2) to perform real-time L1 and L2 scheduling functions, etc., based on a predefined set of instructions related to the gNodeB (104). In another embodiment, the processing unit (118) can cause the aggregated unit (CU) (106-1) to perform non-real-time, higher L2 and L3 layer scheduling functions, etc., based on a predefined set of instructions related to the gNodeB (104). The CU (106-1) can further be configured to control the functionality of the DU through the processing unit (118).

[0054] In exemplary embodiments, the processing unit (118) may be scalable and may include a platform controller hub (PCH) (320) for expanding input / output (I / O), the PCH (320) may interface with the processor unit (118) via a second interface such as a direct media interface (DMI), peripheral component interconnect (PCIe), or Genx4 interface, and may further interface to serial peripheral interface (SPI) flash for a basic input / output system (BIOS), PCIe, and serial AT attachment (SATA) for solid-state drives (SSDs).

[0055] In an exemplary embodiment, the BMC(312) can be used for board management functionality, which may include an Ethernet port for remote monitoring of the processing unit (118). The BMC(312) can be operably coupled to the PCH(320) via Low Pin Count (LPC), USB, or PCIe.

[0056] In exemplary embodiments, the communication network may include, for example, at least part of one or more networks having one or more nodes that transmit, receive, forward, generate, buffer, store, route, switch, process, or perform any combination thereof of one or more messages, packets, signals, waves, voltage or current levels, or any combination thereof. The network may include, for example, one or more wireless networks, wired networks, the Internet, intranets, public networks, private networks, packet-switched networks, circuit-switched networks, ad-hoc networks, infrastructure networks, public switched telephone networks (PSTNs), cable networks, cellular networks, satellite networks, fiber optic networks, or any combination thereof.

[0057] In one embodiment, one or more user devices (102) can communicate with the system (110) via a set of executable instructions residing on any operating system. In one embodiment, one or more user devices (102) and one or more mobile devices may include, but are not limited to, one or more combinations of any electrical, electronic, electromechanical, or apparatus or devices on which any computing device is located, such as a mobile phone, smartphone, virtual reality (VR) device, augmented reality (AR) device, laptop, general-purpose computer, desktop, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, mainframe computer, or any other computing device, wherein the computing device may include, but is not limited to, one or more built-in or externally coupled accessories, such as a visual assistance device such as a camera, an auditory assistance device, a microphone, a keyboard, a touchpad, a touch-enabled screen, an electronic pen, an input device for receiving user input, a receiving device for receiving any acoustic or visual signal in any range of frequencies, and a transmitting device capable of transmitting any acoustic or visual signal in any range of frequencies. It should be understood that one or more user devices (102) and one or more mobile devices are not limited to the devices described and a variety of other devices may be used. Smart computing devices may be one of the suitable systems for storing data and other private / confidential information.

[0058] In one embodiment, the processing unit (118) can be configured as data and processing control for various modules of the CCDU (106), such as the BMC (312), Ethernet controller (322), ASIC (318), and clock synchronizer module (316). The processing unit (118) can provide an integrated solution with CU and DU for a 5G-NR network.

[0059] Exemplary Computer System 400 Figure 4 illustrates an exemplary computer system that utilizes embodiments of the present invention, in or in conjunction with embodiments thereof, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, the computer system (400) may include an external storage device (410), a bus (420), main memory (430), read-only memory (440), a large storage device (450), a communication port (460), and a processor (470). Those skilled in the art will understand that the computer system may include more than one processor and communication ports. The processor (470) may include various modules relevant to embodiments of the present invention. The communication port (460) may be any of the following: an (RS-232) port used for modem-based dial-up connections, 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. The communication port (460) may be selected depending on the network to which the computer system connects, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or any network to which the computer system connects.

[0060] Memory (430) may be 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 a programmable read-only memory (PROM) chip for storing static information, such as boot or basic input / output system (BIOS) instructions for a processor (470), for example. Large storage device (450) may be any current or future large storage solution that can be used to store information and / or instructions. Exemplary large storage solutions include, but are not limited to, parallel advanced technology attachment (PATA) or serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) hard disk drives or solid drives (having, for example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) and / or FireWire interface, internal or external), one or more optical disks, a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) storage device, such as an array of disks (e.g., a SATA array).

[0061] The bus (420) connects the processor (470) to other memory, storage, and communication blocks in a communicative manner. The bus (420) may be other buses such as the Peripheral Component Interconnection (PCI) / PCI Extend (PCI-X) bus, the Small Computer Peripheral Interface (SCSI), the Universal Serial Bus (USB), and the Front Side Bus (FSB) for connecting the processor (470) to a software system.

[0062] Optionally, operator and management interfaces, such as a display, keyboard, and cursor control device, may also be coupled to the bus (420) to support direct operator interaction with the computer system. Other operator and management interfaces may be provided through network connections connected via a communication port (460). The components described above are intended to illustrate various possibilities only. The computer systems described above should not be used to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0063] Thus, this disclosure provides a unique and efficient hardware architecture design for an integrated aggregated distributed unit (CCDU) ​​that can realize the functionality of CU and DU in a single-box solution. Unlike commercially available (COTS) servers, which are very often used in air-conditioned (AC) environments, the CCDU is designed for outdoor applications that operate across a wide temperature range and different environmental conditions. The CCDU can have a chip-down approach, where all components corresponding to the NIC card are part of a single board, resulting in increased mean time between failures (MTBF) and significantly reduced costs.

[0064] While this specification places considerable emphasis on preferred embodiments, it will be understood that many embodiments can be made and many modifications can be made to preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the present invention. These and other modifications in preferred embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure, and it should be clearly understood that the above descriptions should be made merely as descriptions of the invention and not as limitations.

[0065] Benefits of this disclosure Some of the purposes of this disclosure that at least one embodiment of this specification satisfies are listed below.

[0066] This disclosure provides a processing unit that can support an aggregated system in a single unit in order to reduce costs and improve reliability.

[0067] This disclosure provides a hardware design method on a single printed circuit board (PCB) that incorporates all necessary system-on-a-chip (SoC) components.

[0068] This disclosure provides a system that can operate over a wide temperature range.

[0069] This disclosure provides a system that supports synchronization required by the Global Positioning System (GPS), the High Precision Timing Protocol (PTP), and holdover.

[0070] This disclosure provides a system that facilitates site alarms across dry contacts by incorporating an external alarm device.

[0071] This disclosure provides a system that operates with a standard telecommunications power supply (-48VDC) and the necessary protective measures in a telecommunications field.

[0072] This disclosure provides a processing system that improves the computing power of a system.

[0073] This disclosure provides a processing unit that establishes data and processing control across various modules of a CCDU in order to further generate an integrated solution for 5G New Radio (5G-NR) networks. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0074] 100 New 5G Wireless (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 Integrated Distributed Unit, CCDU 106-1 Aggregation Unit, DU 106-2 Distributed Unit, DU 108 Wireless Unit (RU) 110 System 112 Backhaul Network 114 NIC backhaul, backhaul network interface card (NIC), backhaul NIC, open wireless access network radio unit (O-RU) 116. Soft-Decision Forward Error Correction (SD-FEC) Module, Fronthaul NIC 118 ICX-SP processing unit, processing unit, processing engine, processing unit / engine 120 NIC backhaul 124 User Equipment (UE) 124-1 Sector 1 E-CPRI 124-2 Sector 2 E-CPRI 124-3 Sector 3 E-CPRI 200 gNodeB internal structure 202 CU 204 DU, memory 206 5G cores 208 F1 Interface 218 Other Modules 302 Processors 304 memory 306 Interface 310 Databases 312 Baseboard Management Controller (BMC), Board Management Controller (BMC) 314 Local Area Network Controller, Ethernet Controller 316 Clock Synchronizer Module 318 Other modules, extensions, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) 320 Platform Controller Hub, PCH 322 Ethernet Controller 400 Computer Systems 410 External storage devices 420 bus 430 Main Memory 440 Read-only memory 450 Large-Scale Storage Devices 460 communication ports 470 processor

Claims

1. A system (110) for controlling the functions of an integrated aggregate distributed unit (CCDU) ​​(106), It comprises a single integrated board, and the single integrated board is The housing comprises a processing unit (118), the processing unit (118) is coupled to a memory, and the memory is connected to the processing unit (118), The CCDU (106) implements a set of functionalities related to the CU and the DU such that the aggregate unit (CU) and the distributed unit (DU) function from the single integrated board and communicate with the wireless unit (RU) (108). The CCDU(106) is enabled to functionally separate the CU and the DU for scheduling of a set of predetermined levels, wherein the scheduling of the set of predetermined levels is based on predetermined instructions and includes real-time layer 1 and layer 2 scheduling functions enabled for the DU and non-real-time layer 2 and layer 3 scheduling functions enabled for the CU. A system (110) that stores instructions via a board management controller (BMC) (312) to cause one or more components of the single integrated board to be managed in order to help the CCDU (106) function from the single integrated board.

2. The system (110) according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit (118) is configured to manage one or more network interfaces for communicating with the RU (108) and the backhaul network (112).

3. The system (110) according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit (118) is configured to use an accelerator unit for correcting errors.

4. The system (110) according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit (118) is configured to manage and control interfaces for one or more data input / output devices and one or more storage devices, and to facilitate communication of the CCDU (106) through a plurality of platforms including a platform controller hub (PCH) (320) and an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) (318).

5. The system (110) according to claim 4, wherein the processing unit (118) is configured to expand the one or more input / output devices by interface with the PCH (320) via a second interface including a Direct Media Interface (DMI), a PCIe interconnect, a plurality of interfaces, a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) flash, and a Serial AT attachment (SATA) for a Solid State Drive (SSD).

6. The system (110) according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit (118) comprises a thermal management module configured to detect temperature fluctuations over the CCDU (106), and the thermal management module operates over a predetermined temperature range and predetermined environmental conditions.

7. The system (110) according to claim 4, wherein the processing unit (118) comprises the BMC (312) providing an Ethernet port for remote monitoring of the CCDU (106), and the BMC (312) is operably coupled to the PCH (320) via either Low Pin Count (LPC), Universal Serial Bus (USB), or PCIe.

8. The system (110) according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit (118) comprises a local area network controller (314) and a clock synchronizer module (316).

9. The system (110) according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit (118) is configured to control one or more interfaces for the function of the CCDU (106).

10. A method for controlling the functions of an integrated aggregate distributed unit (CCDU) ​​(106), A step of having a processing unit (118) implement a set of functionalities related to the CU and the DU so that the CU and DU function as a single CCDU (106) from a single integrated board and communicate with a wireless unit, wherein the single integrated board is configured in the processing unit (118), A step by which the processing unit (118) enables the CCDU (106) to functionally separate the CU and the DU for scheduling of a set of predetermined levels, wherein the scheduling of the set of predetermined levels is based on predetermined instructions and includes real-time layer 1 and layer 2 scheduling functions enabled for the DU and non-real-time layer 2 and layer 3 scheduling functions enabled for the CU. The processing unit (118) manages one or more components of the single integrated board via the board management controller (BMC) (312) to help the CCDU (106) function from the single integrated board, and Methods that include...

11. In the processor, The set of functionalities associated with the CU and DU is implemented so that the CU and DU function from a single integrated board as a single integrated distributed unit (CCDU) ​​(106) and communicate with the wireless unit. The CCDU(106) is enabled to functionally separate the CU and the DU for scheduling of a set of predetermined levels, wherein the scheduling of the set of predetermined levels is based on predetermined instructions and includes real-time layer 1 and layer 2 scheduling functions enabled for the DU and non-real-time layer 2 and layer 3 scheduling functions enabled for the CU. A non-temporary computer-readable medium containing processor-executable instructions that, via a board management controller (BMC) (312), causes one or more components of the single integrated board to be managed in order to help the CCDU (106) function from the single integrated board.

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