How the Industrial and Automotive sectors Will Benefit from 5G

By Mark Patrick (Mouser Electronics)

5G is about more than improving mobile telephony. The higher download speeds may enhance the browsing experience on a smartphone, but the real impact of 5G is more likely to come from applications that are yet to emerge. Let’s look at how 5G may impact the industrial and automotive sectors.

Why 5G in the Industrial Manufacturing Sector?

Many of today’s smart factories are constrained by the limitations of existing wired architectures, which use proven networks like Industrial Ethernet, Profinet, and CANbus to connect the various sensors, actuators, and controllers found in automated equipment. This hard-wired connectivity makes even small modifications to production facilities time-consuming and costly.

Previous generations of wireless networks, including the faster 4G/LTE, have been unable to deliver the real-time responsiveness and low latency required for autonomy. Also, the factory floor is a difficult operating environment, with high levels of electrical noise and interference challenging the performance of many previous wireless communications technologies. 5G’s enhanced networking capabilities can address some of these issues, increasing system efficiency and flexibility. One of the key functions of any automated factory is monitoring. 5G brings Massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC) capability, which fulfils the needs of extensive wireless sensor networks (WSN). 5G is also more energy efficient that its predecessors, which is critical for extending the battery life of these connected devices, thereby minimising maintenance.

For motion control and industrial robotics, which require precision and real-time sensitivity, Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) using wired Industrial Ethernet has been the preferred network technology. With its Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (URLLC), 5G is a viable wireless alternative and additionally enables cloud robotics.

Three related technologies that are emerging into the factory environment are Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Artificial Intelligence (VR/AR/AI). With its high speed and URLLC, 5G enables processing at the edge. Here, energy-intensive computations can be performed in the cloud, enabling less complex and lower-cost devices on the field side.

5G Brings Challenges as Well as Opportunities

To protect prior investments in previous wired and wireless network technologies, 5G projects must integrate seamlessly into the existing infrastructure. One of the key challenges so far is that indoor coverage has never been a priority for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). Developments in Open-RAN technologies reduce the cost of ownership of 5G Radio Access Networks (5G RAN), making Private 5G, also known as Non-Public Network (NPN), deployments a realistic possibility. For businesses that prefer this option, regulators worldwide are making a dedicated, cost-effective spectrum available for private 5G. In addition, depending on the operational needs of the factory, private 5G can either be wholly isolated from the public network or shared.

5G and the Era of the Connected Car

The automotive sector is also forecast to be at the leading edge of the 5G roll-out, though it may be a few years before level 5 (L5) autonomy is a commercial reality. It is, however, likely that the next car you buy will be Internet-enabled to manage telemat-

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ics, Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X), and infotainment.

Today’s connected car can generate as much as 4 TB of data per day, equivalent to about 500 movies. Recent developments in C-V2X communications technology is already using this data in many ways. Data from the engine management systems, for example, is now being sent to remote service centres for predictive maintenance. Information about the local traffic conditions and weather can also feed into Public Safety Systems. Even driver behaviour and vehicle mileage can feed databases for usage-based insurance schemes.

Over the past 5 years, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), which is a global standards body for cellular telecommunications technologies, including radio access, core network and service capabilities, which provide a complete system description for mobile telecommunications, has been increasing the functionality of C-V2X in line with developments in cellular networking technology. The capabilities of Release 16 are paving the way for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).

Although widespread availability of self-driving cars may seem a while away, there have been some very high-profile trials. Tesla, Google, and BMW are all making the headlines, building the general public’s expectations and driving momentum. Many high-end vehicles already have some level of autonomy, some up to Level 3 (L3), which also depend on C-V2X technologies.

Although 4G/LTE networks support many of the applications mentioned above, the escalating volume of shared data puts increasing pressure on the available bandwidth. In addition, as critical onboard safety and energy management systems become ever more sophisticated, low latency performance becomes a necessity. The network speeds and cloud-edge processing capabilities must support human-reflex levels of latency to realise higher levels of autonomy. So too, for more sophisticated ADAS, the connected car About the Author

As Mouser Electronics’s Technical Marketing Manager for EMEA, Mark Patrick is responsible for the creation and circulation of technical content within the region — content that is key to Mouser’s strategy to support, inform and inspire its engineering audience. Prior to leading the Technical Marketing team, Patrick was part of the EMEA Supplier Marketing team and played a vital role in establishing and developing relationships with key manufacturing partners. In addition to a variety of technical and marketing positions, Patrick’s previous roles include eight years at Texas Instruments in Applications Support and Technical Sales. A “hands-on” engineer at heart, with a passion for vintage synthesizers and motorcycles, he thinks nothing of carrying out repairs on either. Patrick holds a first class Honours Degree in Electronics Engineering from Coventry University.

must respond to surrounding events in real-time. The current wireless network is reaching its limit and becoming more of a barrier — without 5G, there will be no self-driving car.

Conclusion

Most of the 5G network roll-out has focused on upgrading 4G/LTE using 3GPP’s 5G New Radio Non-Standalone (5G NR NSA), Release 15, specifications, which has enabled the launch of a limited range of 5G services. However, the true potential of 5G is based on the deployment of 3GPP’s Release 16 and, further down the road, Release 17. Applications such as the autonomous car and factory autonomy will only become a reality when they have easy access to this next level of network performance. The initial roll-out of 5G has been somewhat cautious, which has been hampered by the impact of the global pandemic. The second wave of the 5G network roll-out will certainly accelerate demand for a broad spectrum of yet to be discovered applications.

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For more 5G information, visit Mouser’s Empowering Innovation Together site: www.mouser.com/ empowering-innovation/5G