5G System Configuration

This section explains how to configure the bandwidth, carrier frequency, and other key parameters of your 5G network.

The 5G network parameters are configured through the gnb.XXX.conf files. We provide several pre-configured files for common setups, but you can customize them for your needs.

Note

For performance reasons, we recommend using either the configuration file with 24 or 51 PRBs.

The configuration files are located in the sionna-rk/config directory. Most configurations are shared between different setups, these can be found in the sionna-rk/config/common directory:

  • gnb.***.conf: GNB configuration file

  • sys_config.yaml: OAI CN configuration file

  • nrue_uicc.conf: NRUE UICC configuration file (relevant for software-defined UEs)

  • docker-compose.override.yml.template: Custom overrides for the docker-compose file (e.g. to enable debugging tools)

  • oai_db.sql: database with all registered UEs

See OpenAirInterface5G documentation for further details about the configuration files.

A detailed explanation of the MAC parameters can be found in the OAI MAC documentation.

Generating Configuration Files

Create configuration files from OAI templates:

./scripts/generate-configs.sh

Configuration files are written to config/ with subdirectories for each setup (e.g., rfsim, b200).

Environment Variables

Environment variables can be used to customize the 5G network configuration, e.g., to load plugins or to set the thread pool size. These variables are stored in the .env file and includes the following variables:

  • USRP_SERIAL: Serial number of the USRP device

  • USRP_SERIAL_UE: Serial number of the USRP device for the UE (only for software-defined UE)

  • GNB_CONFIG: Path to the GNB configuration file

  • GNB_EXTRA_OPTIONS: Extra options for the GNB, e.g., library loader

  • GNB_THREAD_POOL: Thread pool assignment for the GNB

  • UE_EXTRA_OPTIONS: Extra options for the UE (only for software-defined UE), e.g., library loader

  • USE_B2XX: If True, USRP is used (otherwise RF simulator is used)

  • GNB_RF_OPTIONS: GNB RF options for USRP or rfsim

  • UE_RF_OPTIONS: UE RF options for USRP or rfsim

  • <XXX>_TAG: Which docker images to use

Note that the variables must be set before starting the Docker containers.

Additional Resources

The carrier frequency is defined using the Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (ARFCN). You can use the online ARFCN calculator to convert between frequency and ARFCN values.

The following could be useful for setting up the 5G network: