5G System Configuration

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

The main configuration is done 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

  • mini_nonrf_config.yaml: OAI CN configuration file

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

  • .env.template: Environment variables for customizing of experiments

  • docker-compose.override.yml.template: Custom overrides for the docker-compose file

  • oai_db.sql: database with all registered UEs

Note

For testing purposes, we provide x86 configuration files. However, some tutorials will only work on the Jetson platform.

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.

Environment Variables

The .env file is used to set the environment variables for the experiments. It 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 or thread-pool assignment

  • DOCKERTAGS: 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: