A Simulation Model for Integrating 5G into Time Sensitive Networking as a Transparent Bridge

The advances in industrial automation systems rise more stringent demands for reliable and flexible communication. 5G and TSN have been discussed widely as promising candidates that fulfil these requirements. To take advantage of the combination of both of these technologies, an integration of 5G with TSN is part of the current work on the 5G specifications.In this paper, a simulation approach for OMNeT++ based on the existing TSN model NeSTiNg and a novel lightweight 5G user plane model that is still under development is presented. By means of a relevant closed loop control simulation, the known issue of different scheduling periods is reproduced in a minimal simulation scenario. Furthermore, crucial further steps to optimize the model towards an IEEE 802.1Qbv TSN bridge are identified as future tasks.