Base Station Retransmission for Low-Latency PLC Wireless Links
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems, particularly in the context of 5G NR, face challenges in achieving low latency and high reliability for industrial IoT (IIoT) applications such as factory automation, where communication between programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and sensors/actuators requires retransmissions to ensure data integrity and timely control.
Innovation Solution
A base station is employed to proactively or reactively retransmit data between a PLC and sensors/actuators, enhancing reliability by managing blocked transmissions, thereby improving communication latency and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If direct wireless communication is used between PLC and sensors/actuators, then device complexity is reduced, but communication reliability deteriorates due to blocked transmissions
Solution Approach 1:
The base station serves as an intermediary node between the PLC and sensors/actuators. When direct communication is blocked, the base station receives data from the PLC via uplink and forwards it to the sensors/actuators via downlink, ensuring communication reliability without increasing PLC complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a single direct communication path to a multi-dimensional communication architecture involving both direct PLC-to-device links and base station relay paths, allowing flexible routing based on channel conditions
2Reliability
If retransmission mechanism is implemented, then communication reliability is improved, but communication latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The base station proactively receives and buffers data from the PLC before it is actually needed by the sensors/actuators. This preliminary action allows the base station to immediately forward data when the direct path is blocked, avoiding retransmission delays
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where sensors/actuators send acknowledgment signals to the base station about data reception status, enabling the base station to determine when retransmission or alternative routing is necessary
3Reliability
If base station retransmission is used, then communication reliability is improved to 99.9999%, but device complexity and network overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The base station performs multiple functions including serving as a relay node for blocked transmissions, providing retransmission capabilities, and managing uplink/downlink coordination. This multi-functionality achieves high reliability without adding dedicated relay devices
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the retransmission function with the existing base station infrastructure, combining multiple communication paths (direct uplink, direct downlink, and base station relay) into a unified communication framework
Data Source
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AI summary
A base station receives feedback for a first data transmission or an indication to retransmit a first data transmission, the first data transmission being transmitted to at least one wireless device from another wireless device. The base station transmits, in response to the feedback or the indication, a retransmission of the first data transmission in a downlink transmission to the at least one wireless device